Ryan McCleney Returns to Lead Wilmington Sharks in 2013

WILMINGTON, NC Jan. 14, 2013 – The Wilmington Sharks announced today the return of Ryan McCleney as their field manager for the 2013 season.

McCleney will return to Wilmington for his third season, second as the field manager. In McCleney’s inaugural season at the helm the Sharks finished with a 29-23 record, earning the #4 seed in the CPL Petitt Cup Playoffs. As an assistant coach with the Sharks in 2011, the Sharks finished with a record of 32-30 and earned the #7 seed in 2011 Petitt Cup Playoffs, marking the first time since 2003 that the organization has made the postseason. McCleney has been an integral piece in the Sharks regained prowess on the diamond and will continue to lead the quest for a Petitt Cup Championship in Wilmington.

“God has blessed me with a great opportunity here in Wilmington,” said McCleney. “It’s a great privilege to be back in Wilmington for another summer. I want to thank everyone within the Wilmington organization for this opportunity. The Wilmington community does a great job of supporting our team and it’s an awesome environment to play and coach in. I look forward to building off of last year’s team and making a run at the Petitt Cup. We have a couple players coming back from last year’s team and have added many quality guys to the roster in hopes of bringing the Petitt Cup home to Wilmington.”

Currently an assistant baseball coach at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, McCleney’s responsibilities include working with the defense, offense, recruitment of student-athletes, coordinating camps, and field maintenance.

“Ryan is an incredible leader whose passion for the game of baseball carries through his team each and every game,” said Jeremy Aagard, Sharks operations manager. “We’re excited to build from the success, on and off the field, of last year. Ryan and his assistant coaches will continue a long-standing tradition of Sharks baseball in Wilmington and we look forward to many great things this summer.”

From 2006-2010 McCleney played baseball at Barton College in Wilson, NC. During his four years, he started at every position in the infield. In 2010 McCleney was named team captain and received the William P. Nixon Endowment Scholarship, which is given to the player that demonstrates exceptional leadership and commitment to the program.

The Whiteville, NC native began coaching in baseball with Whiteville Post 137 legion team in 2009. McCleney assisted Coach Dean Sasser with infielders, outfielders, catchers, hitters, and base runners. McCleney also served as the third base coach and helped lead the team to a second place finish in Area 2.

The Wilmington Sharks are a proud member of the Coastal Plain League, entering their 17th season in the nation’s hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 17th season in 2013, the CPL features 14 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. Furthermore, the CPL has had over 1,000 alumni drafted and 55 alums – including 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander – make their Major League debut thus far. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to friend us on Facebook (at www.facebook.com/coastalplainleague) and follow us via Twitter (as cpleague).