DURHAM, N.C. – The Coastal Plain League announced this morning that Ben Evans of the Forest City Owls has been named the 2026 CPL Broadcaster of the Year.
“It’s an absolute honor to be named the 2026 Coastal Plain League Broadcaster of the Year,” said Evans. “I want to start by thanking the Forest City Owls organization for giving me the opportunity to call games and represent this team throughout the summer. A special thank you to Phil and Becky Dangel, Sabrina Vetter, and everyone throughout the Owls organization for their constant support and for trusting me with the responsibility of telling the story of this team every night.
“I also want to give a special thank you to the Forest City community and Owls fans. From the beginning of the season through the playoffs, you made me feel like a part of Forest City. It was an incredible opportunity to represent the wonderful community across the CPL, and I’m extremely grateful that I got to do it. Winning this award is something I’m very proud of but being able to win it while representing the Forest City Owls makes it even more meaningful. As always, go Owls!”
Not only did Evans receive kind remarks from front office staff across the league, but also from his audience, the fans. In fact, nearly 25% of the fan vote went in his favor.
“Ben was quite knowledgeable of the game,” responded one fan. “He not only called the game professionally, but with some flare that made it exciting. You could also tell he had taken time to know the players as his commentary gave insights to them personally beyond just ball players.”
Overall, Evans called over 400 innings of baseball — both at home and on the road — this summer. He also wrote daily recaps of the games and highlighting key performances, as well as handling radio call-ins following each game. He took time to get to know the players, coaches, staff, and the community that made Forest City special so he could better bring his passion for the team and town across in his broadcasts.
“Ben most definitely deserves this award,” commented Owls Co-Owner Phil Dangel. “He has the rare ability to combine on field action in a pleasing, yet excitable way, while putting forth both his knowledge and love for the game. Ben was well respected by his fellow interns, the players as well as the coaches. No task was too large. He delivered, daily, a professional, well-crafted call of the game. Forest City absolutely loved him, and we expect big things in the future from Ben.”
Evans is a student at Auburn University majoring in Journalism and Sports Production.
About Coastal Plain League:
The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier and most innovative summer collegiate baseball league. The CPL is currently comprised of 15 franchises playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. To date, the CPL has had over 1,800 alumni drafted, and 215 alums make their Major League debut. Most notable alumni include Justin Verlander, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark Reynolds, Kevin Youkilis, Chris Taylor, Jake Cave, Alec Bohm, Chas McCormick and NFL Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok @CPLBaseball.
About Capitol Broadcasting Company:
Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. is a diversified communications company which owns and/or operates WRAL-TV, WRAZ-TV, WRAL-FM, WRAL-HD2, WNGT-CD, WCMC-FM, WCMC-HD1, WDNC-AM, WCMC-HD2, WCMC-HD3, WCMC-HD4, Microspace, and WRAL Digital in Raleigh, NC; WILM-TV and WILT-LD in Wilmington, NC; The Durham Bulls Baseball Club, Bull City Hospitality, and Coastal Plain League in Durham, NC; The Holly Springs Salamanders in Holly Springs, NC; The Zebulon Devil Dogz in Zebulon, NC; the American Underground startup hub in Durham, NC; and real estate interests including the American Tobacco Historic District in Durham, NC; Rocky Mount Mills in Rocky Mount, NC; MoJud Lofts in Greensboro, NC; and The Thread in Rock Hill, SC.