Play Ball! Shallotte’s very own baseball team makes its debut on June 4 at West Brunswick High School’s Mike Alderson Field. Part of the Old North State League, the Shallotte Shallywags are collegiate players keeping skills sharp and entertaining baseball fans during June and July. We spoke to Assistant General Manager and mascot Steve Prokop about the team and what fans can expect.
Can you explain what the Shallywags team is, the league and where the players come from?
The Shallywags are a brand new team in the Old North State League and will be competing in the Coastal Division. We have nine players from Brunswick Community College, seven players from Southeastern Community College in Whiteville, and then players from all over the country from D1, D2, D3, and NAIA schools. We have players from North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, and as far as Oklahoma.
How did you get involved in the Old North State League?
Back when they first started a local team in the area, formally known as the Brunswick Surfin’ Turfs, I saw a post on Facebook. I hosted two players the first summer after COVID. They were from Colorado and I am still in touch with both of them today. I was even invited to one of their weddings this past March. I had so much fun just watching the games and talking baseball with them that first season I decided to volunteer as their PA announcer the next year as well as hosting two players. Our third and fourth years, we played at Brunswick Community College but due to having to play games at 5 pm (no lights at the field) the attendance was weak and couldn’t support the needs of the team. The team was owned by the league and they decided to fold after the end of last season. The league has been expanding every year since its origination throughout the state of North Carolina and decided to create two new teams in Brunswick County — the Shallotte Shallywags and the Oak Island Loggerheads.
What’s your history with baseball?
I played growing up of course, and then played four years at High Point University back in the late 80s, early 90s. After college I bounced around a little with what I call respectable professional jobs before moving to South Florida to get back into baseball. I got a job working for the Bucky Dent Baseball School as a coach. I coached everyone from age 5 through the Major Leagues. Through meeting professional players and coaches at the school I got into scouting. I scouted for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for two years and then one season as the hitting coach for Lynn University in Boca Raton.
Can you speak to the community support you’ve gotten?
As the Asst GM and having spread the word about the previous team, I went right back to those who had supported them and the companies were even more excited about having the team more local to Shallotte. We have added many new supporters as well because the team will be playing at West Brunswick High School under the lights. We only have 15 home games so we really need local residents to come out every game and we hope to attract some of the vacationers that come to our beaches for the summer each week.
I understand the players are staying with host families. How did it go finding them?
This has been the most difficult aspect of starting the team. Being the fact we are a vacation destination, finding rooms for the players has been extremely difficult. As I am writing this, we are still short five beds for out-of-state players. The league is working on alternative ideas but a bed is a bed. We are on a very tight budget and the host families help more than you can imagine. Host families get two season tickets for every player they host and families with little ballplayers love having the guys in the house for the summer.
What can fans expect at Shallywags game?
While I am the Asst, GM I also fill the roll of part time PA announcer AND full time Mascot. I have been dubbing the entertainment we will be providing as “Savannah Bananas Light.” I don’t have the budget they do, but I have borrowed ideas from them. We will have T-shirt giveaways (provided by Proactive Real Estate), flowers for the ladies (supplied by the Shallotte Flower Cottage on Main St.), dancing groups, and fun music trivia and games in between innings with prizes.
Will there be promo nights?
Absolutely! Opening Night (June 4) we have the Mayor throwing out the first pitch and the West Brunswick High School Band playing the national anthem to start it off right. We have a Fathers Day game planned for June 13th, Patriotic Night on July 3rd, and more in the works. Concessions? Yes, We will have popcorn, sodas, and candy in the Shallywags Gally, a Sunset Slush cart, and hotdogs and chips supplied by the Pigs Up In Smoke truck.
How can fans get tickets and how much are seats? We have gone completely digital so you can buy tickets online at https://www.shallotteshallywags.com/ or at the front gate on game day. Tickets are $10 and we offer a discount for groups of 20 or more. They are all general admission tickets so it’s first come first serve for the bleachers at the school. You can also bring your own lawn chairs and sit down on one of the baselines if you like. The West Brunswick High School facilities will be one of the best in the entire league and we hope to have a seating problem and need to add more seating to their facility.
How can local businesses support the team?
Come out to the games! Tell all your friends and coworkers about how much fun you had and the high quality of baseball they witnessed. They can contact me at Steveshallywags@gmail.com or our GM Stuart Champion at Stuart.champion33@gmail.com. We are still selling billboards but by the time this is published we may not be able to get them produced by season’s end but would love to line up companies’ support for next year!
Please feel free to include anything else you’d like me to share.
I would simply like to thank the City of Shallotte for getting behind the team. The city are our 2025 Jersey Sponsors and the city seal will be on all our uniforms! I would also like to add we are going to make sure it’s good, clean, wholesome, family fun to where even if you are not a huge baseball fan, you will still have a lot of fun coming out to the games with your family and friends. We need to have fan support to ensure we have a local baseball team here in Shallotte for many years to come.
