The identity of a Colonial Heights, VA-based expansion team in the summer-collegiate Coastal Plain League has been unveiled, as the club will be known as the Tri-City Chili Peppers.
Set to launch next year, the Chili Peppers will play home games at Shepherd Stadium and will be backed by an ownership group led by Chris Martin. Plans for the team were finalized in late August, and the club took the latest step toward its launch last week with the unveiling of the Chili Peppers name.
The new name was unveiled at an event at Shepard Stadium last Thursday. A logo has not been released at this time. More from The Progress-Index:
“We are so excited to be doing this right here in Colonial Heights at beautiful Shepherd Stadium,” said [General Manager Steve] Taggart. “This team presents an incredible opportunity for this area, for the Tri-Cities, and beyond.”
The top-five was announced along with the names of those who submitted the suggestions. Chili Peppers, Cucumbers, Nitty Gritties, Tacos & Triceratops made up the top-five. Then came time for the winner
“The winner of the Tri-Cities Baseball 2020 Name the Team contest is the Tri-City Chili Peppers submitted by Kurt Anderson.”
Shepherd Stadium dates to 1951 and is currently used for Colonial Heights American Legion Post 284 baseball and other events. For the CPL, the addition of the Chili Peppers marks a return to Virginia’s Tri-Cities area, which also includes Petersburg, a former league market. The Petersburg Generals played at the Petersburg Sports Complex from 2000-2016.
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