Leadoff Hit: Inside the Inaugural Season of the Holly Springs Salamanders

In 2015 Holly Springs, North Carolina welcomed the Salamanders, a collegiate summer baseball team competing in the Coastal Plain League, to town. Starting with a bare plot of land and a staff of just a few people, the months leading up to the season saw the construction of the team's stadium, recruitment of players, and coordination of the multitude of logistic and promotional efforts necessary to get a baseball organization up and running. Beyond bringing fans to their feet by delivering a riveting performance that included multiple walk-off victories during the regular season and a near upset of the eventual league champion in the playoffs, the Salamanders connected with the community by providing a fun and exciting ballpark experience in an atmosphere that allowed fans of all ages to enjoy baseball in its purest form, played for the love of the game and free from the Leadoff Hit details both the club's on-field accomplishments as well as the behind the scenes efforts of the front office staff necessary for a new team, started from scratch, to open its stadium gates in time for Opening Day and forge a winning bond with the local fans.