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Sunbelt Baseball League

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Sunbelt Baseball League
Sunbelt Baseball League.png
SportBaseball
Founded2005[1]
CommissionerTodd Pratt
AdministratorBecky Kelly
Bobby Bennett
MottoThe Southeast's Premier Collegiate Summer Baseball League
No. of teams9[2]
CountryUnited States
HeadquartersLawrenceville, Georgia
Most recent
champion(s)
Gainesville Gol'Diggers
(2022)
Most titlesAtlanta Crackers (4)
Sponsor(s)Major League Baseball, Rawlings, Peach State Roofing, Kapp Koncepts, Ignite Business Solutions, CorTech, OTW Bat Company, Wilson Action Photography and Atlanta Rehabilitation & Performance Center
Official websiteSunbeltLeague.com

The Sunbelt Baseball League (SBL) is a non-profit collegiate summer baseball league with teams located in metropolitan Atlanta and Columbus, Georgia. The SBL is a member of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball, which is partially funded by Major League Baseball.[3] Games are played with wooden bats and showcase some of the top talent in the nation while providing family entertainment to the community. The season starts in early June and runs through the end of July/early August, with playoffs determining the league champion. The mission of the Sunbelt Baseball League is to provide a first-class collegiate summer program dedicated to helping young college athletes achieve their dreams of playing at the professional level.

Discover more about Sunbelt Baseball League related topics

Collegiate summer baseball

Collegiate summer baseball

Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate from early June to early August. In contrast to college baseball, which allow aluminum or other composite baseball bats, players in these leagues use only wooden bats, hence the common nickname of these leagues as "wood-bat leagues". Collegiate summer leagues allow college baseball players the ability to compete using professional rules and equipment, giving them experience and allowing professional scouts the opportunity to observe players under such conditions.

Atlanta metropolitan area

Atlanta metropolitan area

Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the eighth-largest in the United States. Its economic, cultural, and demographic center is Atlanta, and its total population was 6,144,050 in the 2021 estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Columbus, Georgia

Columbus, Georgia

Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it officially merged in 1970. Columbus is the second-largest city in Georgia, and fields the state's fourth-largest metropolitan area. At the 2020 census, Columbus had a population of 206,922, with 328,883 in the Columbus metropolitan area. The metro area joins the nearby Alabama cities of Auburn and Opelika to form the Columbus–Auburn–Opelika Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 486,645 in 2019.

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee and North Carolina; to the northeast by South Carolina; to the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean; to the south by Florida; and to the west by Alabama. Georgia is the 24th-largest state in area and 8th most populous of the 50 United States. Its 2020 population was 10,711,908, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Atlanta, a "beta(+)" global city, is both the state's capital and its largest city. The Atlanta metropolitan area, with a population of more than 6 million people in 2021, is the 8th most populous metropolitan area in the United States and contains about 57% of Georgia's entire population.

National Alliance of College Summer Baseball

National Alliance of College Summer Baseball

The National Alliance of College Summer Baseball consists of 12 summer baseball leagues sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. Formed in 1876 and 1901 respectively, the NL and AL cemented their cooperation with the National Agreement in 1903. They remained legally separate entities until 2000, when they merged into a single organization led by the Commissioner of Baseball. MLB is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan. It is considered one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

Current league teams[4]

Team Head coach Location Home field Established
Alpharetta Aviators Brandon Boggs Alpharetta, GA Veterans Field (American Legion Post 201) 2010
Atlanta Blues Joe Austin Decatur, GA Georgia State Baseball Complex 2014
Atlanta Crackers Kevin Meistickle Kennesaw, GA Fred Stillwell Stadium at Kennesaw State University 2009 (1983[5])
Brookhaven Bucks Corey Patterson Brookhaven, GA Hermance Stadium at Oglethorpe University 2011
Chattahoochee Monsters[6] Steve Gillispie Columbus,GA Golden Park 2022
Columbus Chatt-a-Hoots[7] Steve Smith Columbus, GA Golden Park 2021
Gainesville Gol’Diggers Micah Owings Gainesville, GA Ivey-Watson Field at Lanier Point Park 2009
Gwinnett Astros Karl Garcia Lawrenceville, GA Georgia Gwinnett College 2016
Waleska Wild Things Tim Redford Waleska, GA Reinhardt University 2021

Discover more about Current league teams[4] related topics

Brandon Boggs

Brandon Boggs

Brandon Kyle Boggs is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) left fielder who played for the Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers from 2008 to 2011. Currently, he is the head coach of the Alpharetta Aviators in the Sunbelt Baseball League.

Alpharetta, Georgia

Alpharetta, Georgia

Alpharetta is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia, United States, and is a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 US Census, Alpharetta's population was 65,818; in 2010, the population was 57,551.

Decatur, Georgia

Decatur, Georgia

Decatur is a city in, and the county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, which is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. With a population of 24,928 in the 2020 census, the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple ZIP Codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear Decatur as the address. The city is served by three MARTA rail stations. The city is located approximately five miles northeast of Downtown Atlanta and shares its western border with both the city of Atlanta and unincorporated DeKalb County. The Druid Hills neighborhood is to the northwest of Decatur. The unofficial motto of Decatur used by some residents is "Everything is Greater in Decatur."

Georgia State Baseball Complex

Georgia State Baseball Complex

The Georgia State Baseball Complex is a baseball venue in Decatur, Georgia, United States. It is home to the Georgia State Panthers baseball team of the NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference. The venue, which has a capacity of 1,092 spectators, opened in 1986.

Kennesaw, Georgia

Kennesaw, Georgia

Kennesaw is a suburban city northwest of Atlanta in Cobb County, Georgia, United States, located within the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. Known from its original settlement in the 1830s until 1887 as Big Shanty, it became Kennesaw under its 1887 charter. According to the 2010 census, Kennesaw had a population of 29,783, but in 2019 it had a population of 34,077 showing a 14.4% increase in population over the past decade. Kennesaw has an important place in railroad history. During the Civil War, Kennesaw was the staging ground for the Great Locomotive Chase on April 12, 1862.

Fred Stillwell Stadium

Fred Stillwell Stadium

Fred Stillwell Stadium is a baseball venue located in Kennesaw, Georgia, USA. It is home to the Kennesaw State Owls of the NCAA Division I ASUN Conference. Stillwell Stadium has been home to the program since its 1984 inception. Its seating capacity is 1,200 spectators.

Corey Patterson

Corey Patterson

Donald Corey Patterson is an American former professional baseball center fielder. Currently, he is the manager of the Brookhaven Bucks in the Sunbelt Baseball League. He is the older brother of infielder Eric Patterson, and the son of former NFL defensive back Don Patterson.

Brookhaven, Georgia

Brookhaven, Georgia

Brookhaven is a city in the northeastern suburbs of Atlanta that is located in western DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, directly northeast of Atlanta. On July 31, 2012, Brookhaven was approved in a referendum to become DeKalb County's 11th city. Incorporation officially took place on December 17, 2012, on which date municipal operations commenced. With a population of around 55,366 as of 2021, it is the largest city in DeKalb County. The new city stretches over 12 square miles (31 km2).

Columbus, Georgia

Columbus, Georgia

Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it officially merged in 1970. Columbus is the second-largest city in Georgia, and fields the state's fourth-largest metropolitan area. At the 2020 census, Columbus had a population of 206,922, with 328,883 in the Columbus metropolitan area. The metro area joins the nearby Alabama cities of Auburn and Opelika to form the Columbus–Auburn–Opelika Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 486,645 in 2019.

Golden Park

Golden Park

Golden Park is a 5,000-seat baseball stadium in Columbus, Georgia, United States, that opened in 1951. Located on the Chattahoochee River in Downtown Columbus, it is currently home to the Columbus Chatt-a-Hoots as of 2021. The exterior of the Golden Park is a red brick façade and has many well-landscaped sidewalks that connect to the Chattahoochee RiverWalk.

Gainesville, Georgia

Gainesville, Georgia

The city of Gainesville is the county seat of Hall County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 42,296. Because of its large number of poultry processing plants, it is often called the "Poultry Capital of the World." Gainesville is the principal city of the Gainesville, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Gainesville, Georgia Combined Statistical Area.

Georgia Gwinnett College

Georgia Gwinnett College

Georgia Gwinnett College is a public college in Lawrenceville, Georgia. It is a member of the University System of Georgia. Georgia Gwinnett College opened on August 18, 2006. It has grown from its original 118 students in 2006 to approximately 12,000 students in 2019.

Past champions and runners-up

Year Champion Runner-up
2022[8] Gainesville Gol'Diggers Atlanta Crackers
2021 Alpharetta Aviators Columbus Chatt-a-Hoots
2019[9] Brookhaven Bucks Norcross Astros
2018[10] Brookhaven Bucks Marietta Patriots
2017[11] Sunbelt Patriots Atlanta Crackers
2016[12] Atlanta Crackers Carrollton Clippers
2015[13] Atlanta Crackers Phenix City Crawdads
2014[14] Atlanta Crackers Phenix City Crawdads
2013[15] Atlanta Crackers 6-4-3 DP Cougars
2012[16] Douglasville Bulls Windward Braves
2011[17] Berkeley Lake Tides Douglasville Bulls
2010[18] Berkeley Lake Tides Douglasville Bulls
2009 Rockdale A's Atlanta Crackers
2008
2007
2006 Rockdale A's
2005 Atlanta Astros

Former league teams

  • Choccolocco (Oxford,Al) Monsters (2022) became Chattahoochee (Columbus, GA) Monsters [19]
  • Gainesville Braves (2020-2021) became G'ville Gol'Diggers
  • Marietta Patriots (2018-2021) became Atlanta Blues
  • Gwinnett Tides (2014-2019) became Gainesville Braves
  • Norcross Astros (2016-2019) became Gwinnett Astros
  • Phenix City Crawdads (2014-2017)
  • Carrollton Clippers (2016-2017)
  • Alpharetta Braves (2015-2017) became Alpharetta Aviators
  • Sunbelt Patriots (2017) became Marietta Patriots
  • Marietta Patriots (2016) became Sunbelt Patriots
  • Douglasville Bulls (2009-2015) became Carrollton Clippers
  • East Cobb Patriots (2014-2015) became Marietta Patriots
  • Home Plate Chukars (2010-2014) became Peachtree City Chukars (2015)
  • Windward Braves (2010-2014) became Alpharetta Braves
  • Berkeley Lake Tides (2009-2013) became Gwinnett Tides
  • 6-4-3 DP Cougars (2011-2013)
  • OTC Bearcats (2012-2013)
  • Rockdale Roadrunners (2011)
  • South Atlanta Bearcats (2011)
  • Rockdale A's (2005-2010)
  • Signature Park Grizzlies (2010)
  • South Atlanta Phillies (2010)
  • Atlanta Astros (2005-2010)
  • Fulton Grizzlies (2009)
  • Alpharetta Phillies (2009)
  • Johns Creek Wood Ducks (2005-2009)

Sunbelt Baseball League alumni in Major League Baseball

Player MLB team(s) MLB debut SBL team (year)
Xzavion Curry Cleveland Guardians August 15, 2022 Brookhaven Bucks (2017)
Sean Guenther Miami Marlins August 4, 2021 Brookhaven Bucks (2014)
Nate Lowe Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers April 29, 2019 East Cobb Patriots (2014)
Touki Toussaint Atlanta Braves August 13, 2018 Brookhaven Bucks (2014)
Alan Busenitz Minnesota Twins June 17, 2017 Berkeley Lake Tides (2011)
Drew Steckenrider Miami Marlins May 24, 2017 Windward Braves
Tyler Austin New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants August 13, 2016 Rockdale A's (2010)
Buck Farmer Detroit Tigers August 13, 2014 Rockdale A's (2009)
David Hale[20] Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees September 13, 2013
Tyler Flowers Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves September 3, 2009 Rockdale A's (2005)

Discover more about Sunbelt Baseball League alumni in Major League Baseball related topics

Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since 1994, they have played at Progressive Field. Since their establishment as a Major League franchise in 1901, the team has won 11 Central division titles, six American League pennants, and two World Series championships. The team's World Series championship drought since 1948 is the longest active among all 30 current Major League teams. The team's name references the Guardians of Traffic, eight monolithic 1932 Art Deco sculptures by Henry Hering on the city's Hope Memorial Bridge, which is adjacent to Progressive Field. The team's mascot is named "Slider". The team's spring training facility is at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona.

Sean Guenther

Sean Guenther

Sean McManus Guenther is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Detroit Tigers organization. He made his MLB debut in 2021 with the Miami Marlins.

Miami Marlins

Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.

Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1871, as the Boston Red Stockings. After various name changes, the team eventually began operating as the Boston Braves in 1912, which lasted for most of the first half of the 20th century. Then, in 1953, the team moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and became the Milwaukee Braves, followed by their move to Atlanta in 1966.

Alan Busenitz

Alan Busenitz

Alan Paul Busenitz is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Cincinnati Reds organization. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area which includes the two adjoining cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Drew Steckenrider

Drew Steckenrider

Andrew Paul Steckenrider is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Oakland Athletics organization. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins and Seattle Mariners.

New York Yankees

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of two major league clubs based in New York City, the other is the National League (NL)'s New York Mets. The team was founded in 1903 when Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchased the franchise rights to the defunct Baltimore Orioles after it ceased operations and used them to establish the New York Highlanders. The Highlanders were officially renamed the New York Yankees in 1913.

San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New York Gothams, the team was renamed the New York Giants three years later, eventually relocating from New York City to San Francisco in 1958.

Buck Farmer

Buck Farmer

George Runie "Buck" Farmer is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers.

Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit as a member of the minor league Western League in 1894 and is the only Western League team still in its original city. They are also the oldest continuous one name, one city franchise in the AL.

David Hale (baseball)

David Hale (baseball)

David E. Hale is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, and Philadelphia Phillies, and in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) for the Hanwha Eagles.

Source: "Sunbelt Baseball League", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 21st), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunbelt_Baseball_League.

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References
  1. ^ "Sunbelt wooden-bat league grows in metro area". Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  2. ^ "Sunbelt Baseball League Teams". Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  3. ^ "National Alliance of College Summer Baseball". Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  4. ^ "Sunbelt Baseball League Teams". Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  5. ^ "The Atlanta Crackers: A Storied History of Excellence on and Off the Field". Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  6. ^ "Chattahoochee Monsters coming to Golden Park this summer". Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  7. ^ "Columbus Reveals Name and Manager". Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  8. ^ "Gol'Diggers find gold in the 11th, and win the 2022 SBL". Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  9. ^ "Bucks Repeat as Sunbelt Champions; Edmond, Brace Named Co-MVPs | Sunbelt Baseball League". sunbeltbaseball.pointstreaksites.com. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  10. ^ "Brookhaven Bucks win first Sunbelt league title". Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  11. ^ "Patriots Dominate Crackers in 13-5 Win to Claim the Sunbelt League Championship". Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  12. ^ "Crackers Win Championship in 13-1 Rout of Clippers". Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  13. ^ "Crawdads swept by Crackers in Sunbelt Championship series". Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  14. ^ "Crackers win second consecutive Sunbelt title". Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  15. ^ "Atlanta Crackers win the Sunbelt League Championship". Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  16. ^ "Coach Todd Pratt". Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  17. ^ "Bulls Fall Short in Championship". Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  18. ^ "Marshall helps Berkeley Lake to title". Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  19. ^ "Monsters out". Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  20. ^ "Sunbelt League has 12 in MLB draft". Retrieved April 25, 2018.
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