GREENVILLE, N.C. — Coastal Plain League baseball will arrive in Greenville as early as summer of 2024 after the Greenville City Council on Thursday night unanimously approved a lease agreement with Capitol Broadcasting, Inc., for the use of Guy Smith Stadium.

The Coastal Plain League is a collegiate summer baseball league that features top-tier college baseball players from across the country. The league is nationally known not only for its baseball, but also for family-friendly fun that surrounds each of its events. Its strategic brand is built around providing a gathering place for the whole community to come and enjoy a few hours of entertaining baseball.

The Coastal Plain League is owned by Capitol, which is an American media company based in Raleigh, North Carolina, that operates television stations and radio stations in the Raleigh-Durham and Wilmington areas of North Carolina. Capitol is also the owner of the Durham Bulls minor league baseball team. The league is currently comprised of 14 baseball franchises playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Capitol has proposed to locate a franchise in Greenville that will be directly owned by Capitol. It is also proposed that the Greenville franchise will play approximately 30-32 summer games at Guy Smith Stadium, starting at the end of May through the early part of August each year.

Capitol will lease Guy Smith Stadium from the City at an initial annual rent rate of $30,000. After the initial year, the lease rate shall increase two percent (2%) each year for the remaining term of the lease. Capitol will initially commit to fund $500,000 in improvements and renovations to the stadium, while the City will fund an additional $500,000. The City and Capitol will work in partnership to determine the actual improvements and renovations to be initially made to Guy Smith, including but not limited to increasing the capacity of the stadium to a minimum of 1,500.