Baseball fans in Zebulon are suiting up for a big morning at Five County Stadium, where town leaders, league officials and locals will pack in at 10 a.m. for the long-awaited unveiling of the new Coastal Plain League team's name, logo and colors. The ceremony caps a fan-driven naming contest and marks the arrival of a new summer-collegiate franchise that is set to begin play in May.
How the name was chosen
The Coastal Plain League ran a public "Name Your Team" contest that kicked off in November and moved a slate of finalists into a community vote ahead of today's reveal. According to the Coastal Plain League, the new franchise was created in partnership with Australia's Ozball and will play its home games at Five County Stadium beginning in May 2026.
A weekly franchise roundup that highlighted the naming finalists featured options such as the Zebulon Bushrangers, Zebulon Thunder Roos and Zebulon Iron Horses, per OurSportsCentral.
Capitol Broadcasting takeover and stadium upgrades
Wake County and the Town of Zebulon have approved a lease with Capitol Broadcasting Company that hands CBC the keys to Five County Stadium under a multi-year management agreement, following the relocation of the Carolina Mudcats. As reported by WRAL, the deal calls for CBC to host a Coastal Plain League team at the facility.
Local reporting has also outlined roughly $10 million in public investment set aside for upgrades to the field, lighting and concourse ahead of the 2026 season, with Prism News detailing the planned improvements.
What fans can expect today and this summer
Wake County Government teased the big moment with a social post reading, "The wait's almost over y'all" and confirmed that the unveiling will start at 10 a.m. at Five County Stadium, with the public able to follow along live on the Town of Zebulon's social channels, according to Wake County Government.
Once the new branding drops, the Coastal Plain League has the Zebulon club scheduled to take the field in May 2026, and officials say ticket information, merchandise and season dates will roll out in the coming weeks, according to the Coastal Plain League.
