Martinsville Mustangs
| Martinsville Mustangs | |
 | |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Home Field | Hooker Field |
| Based in | Martinsville, Virginia |
| Colors | Navy Blue and Vegas Gold |
| League | Coastal Plain League |
| Managing Partner/President | Coastal Plain League |
The Martinsville Mustangs are a baseball team in the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The team plays its home games at Hooker Field in Martinsville, Virginia. The Mustangs first started participating in the Coastal Plain League during the 2005 season.
About the Organization
In October 2015, Team Cole & Associates sold the management contract to the Coastal Plain League for the remaining contract.
In November 2012, the City of Martinsville selected Team Cole & Associates to manage the Mustangs for the 2013 season. Team Cole & Associates operates both the Gastonia Grizzlies and Savannah Bananas in the Coastal Plain League. President Jesse Cole has served as the Managing Partner of both the Gastonia Grizzlies and Forest City Owls in the Coastal Plain League since 2010 and will serve as the President/Managing Partner of the Mustangs.
During Cole’s tenure in the Coastal Plain League, his franchises have been named Organization of the Year three times (2008,2010,2012) and have won the CPL Championship three times (2009,2010,2011). In 2012, both the Gastonia Grizzlies and Forest City Owls finished #1 and #2 in the CPL in attendance and #6 and #7 in the country in attendance with over 110,000 fans.
Since Team Cole and Associates has taken over the management role for the organization, the energy has changed about the team. The Mustangs are now known for their promotions, family fun, and an overall fun atmosphere. The community has come together to support the team and the attendance growth supports that.
History
The pre-professional baseball team was founded in 2005 after professional baseball pulled out of Martinsville following the 2003 season. In 2004, the City Council of Martinsville approved an effort to return baseball to Hooker Field with a city-owned franchise in the Coastal Plain League. In an October 2004 press conference, the council approved the purchase of a franchise and announced that then-city communications director Matt Hankins would serve as team president and lead the development of the team, including naming the team, hiring a general manager and selecting a coach, under the supervision of Assistant City Manager Wade Bartlett.
Hankins solicited public suggestions for a team name, drawing over 200 different responses and narrowing the list to six finalists. Using focus groups and community research, the list of potential mascots was narrowed to two: the Mallards or the Mustangs. He worked with Roanoke PR firm John Lambert Associates to develop potential logos, and worked with the Martinsville Bulletin to gather public input on the two choices. Based on nearly 80 percent support, the City announced that its baseball team would be known as the Martinsville Mustangs.