The Cookeville Flyin’ Frogs will bring the region’s new wooden bat league with a roster harboring local talent to its Monday opener.
General Manager Philip Hopewell said the team has focused heavily on recruiting pitchers to handle the demands of a busy summer schedule. Hopewell said the pitching staff has doubled in size since the team began building its roster to ensure enough arms are available for the two-month season.
“I think anybody who follows baseball closely understands that you can never have enough pitching,” Hopewell said. “Especially when you have, you know, 40 games in two months, that’s a lot of baseball and that’s a lot of innings.”
The Frogs bullpen will include Tennessee Tech pitcher Justin Fallon. Hopewell said the roster also features players from Bryan College and Roane State, with a heavy emphasis on talent from within the state.
The team opens on the road Monday with a home game Tuesday.
Hopewell said the vast majority of the players either grew up in Tennessee or attend college there.
“We’re really excited to see what he can do,” Hopewell said. “All of the guys are going to be hungry and to get out there and show what they can do.”
The team is currently finalizing logistics for players from out of state, including securing host families and arranging transportation for away games. Hopewell said the organization has also secured local sponsors to support the team’s operations.
“I’m putting my name on this team, Coach (Collin Ledbetter) is putting his name on this team,” Hopewell said. “And we want everybody that is going to wear a Frogs jersey to put their name on it and be proud of what they’re putting on the field.”
Hopewell said the community response has been positive, noting a “buzz” following the recent playoff run by the Cookeville High School baseball program. Hopewell said local businesses and families have expressed interest in attending games and getting involved with the new team.
“I think that it’s really people-centric,” Hopewell said. “I don’t think it’s as much business-centric as you might think. I mean obviously, we want to be successful in every way. But I think if the people have a good time, if the players have a good time and the fans enjoy coming out to the games, success is something that’s going to be pretty tangible.”
Depending on the weather, Hopewell said he expects an crowd similar to a local high school baseball game or larger, when the Frogs take to the CHS field for their home opener on Tuesday night. Hopewell said games will also be streamed online through the team’s website, cookevilleflyinfrogs.com.
The team held its first full meeting and practice last week to distribute jerseys and begin preparations for the upcoming season.