A High Point Atlantic League team has been officially approved by league members for 2019, as the independent circuit will have a team for the first time in North Carolina.
“We are excited to welcome High Point, N.C. to the Atlantic League in 2019,” said League President Rick White in a press statement. “The High Point community has made significant progress toward hosting Atlantic League baseball. The club will occupy a new state-of-the-art ballpark which will be the centerpiece of a High Point downtown redevelopment project. An ownership group named High Point Baseball, Inc. has been officially launched and approved by the league.”
High Point Baseball, Inc. was unanimously approved for league membership by the Atlantic League’s Board of Directors last week. High Point Baseball, Inc. is actually a nonprofit headed by chairman Coy Williard, with sports-industry veteran Ken Lehner set to run operations. Lehner most recently was president of the Rockland Boulders (independent; Can-Am League).
The Atlantic League will play with seven teams and a travel team in 2018; barring any additional teams, the new High Point team will replace the Road Warriors in 2019. The new ballpark is planned as the centerpiece of new development in downtown High Point.
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