After months of anticipation, the CNCMSBL roared back to life on March 29th with five games across three fields — and Opening Day did not disappoint. Welcome to the 2026 season!

Classic Division

The Classic Division opened with a pair of exciting matchups that gave fans plenty to talk about. The Bulls made a statement in their contest against the Dodgers, rolling to a convincing 13–3 victory at Holly Springs High School. Meanwhile, the newest addition to the Classic Division made quite a first impression, the Colt .45’s, playing their very first game in the league, edged out the Cobras in a nail-biter, 9–8, at Lee County High School. Welcome to the Classic Division, Colt .45’s!

50’s Division

The 50’s Division brought plenty of action as well. The Senators topped the Rockies 14–8 at Holly Springs High School in a back-and-forth contest. At Lee County, the Gray Marlins dominated the Ghost, winning 19–2. Speaking of the Ghost — this season marks their debut in the 50’s Division, and we look forward to watching them grow throughout the year. Welcome to the league! Over at Joe Davidson Park, the Yankees closed out Opening Day in style, defeating the Giants 26–13 in the highest-scoring game of the day.

A Great Start

Five games, three venues, and a full day of baseball, that’s exactly how you open a season. Whether your team came away with a win or is hungry to get back on the field, there’s a long season ahead with plenty of opportunities. Here’s to a healthy, competitive 2026 season for everyone across the CNCMSBL. See you at the ballpark!

The 50+ Division Marlins, managed by Dave Halley, capped their third consecutive League Championship by defeating the Senators in the semi-finals and the Giants in the championship series.

The Raleigh Braves are the 32+ CNCMSBL champions, completing a remarkable 19-3 season that blended veteran leadership with emerging stars.

Managed by Tommy Himebaugh and Matt Horne. The Braves rolled through the spring with a 15-3 regular season record that secured first place and set the foundation for a dominant playoff run.

Anchored by veterans like Tim Amrhein, Mike Strickler, Shannon Martin, and Horne, the Braves combined consistency, timely hitting, and experience to stay at the top of the standings all year long.

The addition of new talent proved decisive. Dave Garcia (.400 AVG, .946 OPS), Jack
rennan (.423 AVG, .583 OBP), and Manny Pastrana (.319 AVG, 13 runs) all made immediate impacts, while Justin Mildenstein delivered on both sides of the ball. He drove in a team-leading 18 RBI with a .918 OPS and, in the final four playoff games, shut down the opponent’s running game by throwing out multiple would-be base stealers, shifting momentum at key moments.

Beyond individual highlights, the Braves’ dominance was evident in the numbers: players finished in the top-3 of 46 different statistical categories across the league leaderboards. They led the way in batting average, RBI, OPS, wins, ERA, stolen bases, and more — making it clear that this was not a team dependent on a few hot bats or arms, but a roster that set the standard in every phase of the game.

Ultimately, the championship run reflected balance and depth. Veterans reminded everyone why they’ve been staples of the roster, while newcomers symbolized the next wave of impact players. With contributions spread throughout the lineup, dominance across the stat sheet, and resilience in tight playoff battles, the Braves left little doubt they were the class of the league from opening day through the final out.

Over the weekend of September 20th,  2025, the Raleigh Oaks and Raleigh Rattlers faced off in a Best-of-Three series to determine the Central North Carolina Men’s Senior Baseball League (18+) championship.

The Oaks took Game One by the score of 11-2 on the heels of a strong performance from Oaks starting pitcher Gunner Hagstrom, who limited the Rattlers’ offense to only 2 runs on 3 hits while striking out 12 batters in a complete game effort. Top offensive contributions by Connor Fox (four runs scored) and Trey Whitley (3 for 4 with two extra base hits) stood out amongst an Oaks lineup where every batter reached base at least once.

Game two featured a “battle of aces” between the Oaks’ Logan Simmons and the Rattlers’ Sam Poindexter. The Rattlers were able to scratch across runs in the second, fourth, and sixth innings against pitching triple crown winner Simmons, which included a monster solo homerun off the bat of Nelson Maldonado. These runs, as well as a strong defensive effort that included two spectacular inning-ending double plays, allowed Poindexter to effectively shut down the Oaks’ bats, striking out three in a complete game shutout gem and helping keep the Rattlers’ championship hopes alive.

For Game Three, the Oaks turned to veteran pitcher Brian Rubin, who slammed the door on the Rattlers’ offense, needing only 61 pitches to complete six innings of no-hit ball. Meanwhile, the Oaks offense came alive, with every Oaks batter again reaching base at least once, including multiple RBIs by Harley Duncan, Trey Whitley, and Gunner Hagstrom. Finishing with a decisive 15-0 victory in only seven innings played, the Oaks secured their fourth straight league championship.

The Raleigh Oaks were established back in 2022 by Brett Moraes and are now led by manager Harley Duncan. This is the Oaks’ fourth year in the Central NC (18+) Men’s Senior Baseball League, compiling a total W/L/T record of 69-18-3 over that period.