The Tobacco State League: A Summer With the Red Springs Red Robins

[AZTarHeel]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Red Springs Baseball Club Announces Entry into the Tobacco State League

Red Springs, NC – The ownership group of the Red Springs Baseball Club is proud to announce that the team has formally accepted an invitation to join the Tobacco State League for the upcoming 2025 season.

Baseball has long been a part of Red Springs’ identity, with the town capturing back-to-back league titles in 1948 and 1949 during the original era of Tobacco State League play. Building on that proud tradition, the new franchise will compete under the nickname “Red Robins”, a nod to both local heritage and regional spirit.

Home games will be played at the newly refurbished Robbins Stadium, with seating and standing-room accommodations for more than 5,000 fans on game nights. The club is committed to offering an exciting, affordable experience for families and fans across Robeson County and beyond.

Additional announcements regarding the team’s manager, player signings and ticket availability will be made in the coming days.

We invite you to make the Red Springs Red Robins a part of your summer tradition. Go Robins!

[AZTarHeel]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tobacco State League Returns to North Carolina for Summer 2025

SANFORD, NC — Roughly 70 years after the Tobacco State League played its final out, professional baseball is returning to small-town North Carolina.

AzTarHeel Media & Entertainment is proud to announce the relaunch of the Tobacco State League, a modern revival of the beloved Class D circuit that once brought summer thrills to communities across the Old North State. The new league will begin play Memorial Day weekend 2025, with the playoffs concluding just before Labor Day.

“This league is about more than baseball — it’s about honoring the communities and people who’ve always loved the game,” said TSL President Ray Franklin. “My grandfather pitched for the Dunn-Erwin Twins back in the late ’40s, so for me, this is more than a job. It’s a chance to carry forward a tradition that shaped so many lives — including mine.”

The 2025 Tobacco State League will feature ten franchises, most of which are drawn directly from the original 1946–1950 lineup. Each team carries a nickname rooted in TSL history:

Angier-Fuquay Springs Bulls
Clinton Blues
Dunn-Erwin Twins
Lumberton Auctioneers
Red Springs Red Robins
Rockingham Eagles
Sanford Spinners
Smithfield-Selma Leafs
Warsaw Red Sox
Whiteville Tobs

Fast Facts About the 2025 Tobacco State League:

• The league will operate as an independent Under-30 circuit, unaffiliated with Major League Baseball or any other professional association.
  
• Rosters will be composed entirely of players with North Carolina hometowns, many of whom will be recent high school and/or college graduates, or under-the-radar local talent,
  
• Each team will be allowed a 35-man roster (28 active, 7 reserve).
  
• A 54-game regular season will be played, with each team facing each of the other clubs six times (three home, three away).
  
• All 10 teams will qualify for the playoffs, culminating in the Longleaf Champions Cup, a best-of-seven series between the two finalists.
  
• A midseason All-Star Game will highlight the league’s brightest star players.

The inaugural TSL player draft will begin soon, and teams will have a short "spring training" before opening day arrives. More information will be made available in the coming weeks via the league office.

Baseball is back in the Tobacco State. And this time, it’s here to stay!

[StLee]

As a fellow NC resident, I will follow this! I love that you have created a resurrection of the Tobacco State League!

[AZTarHeel]

Originally Posted by StLee

As a fellow NC resident, I will follow this! I love that you have created a resurrection of the Tobacco State League!

Thanks. I am looking forward to this! Love small town baseball!

[AZTarHeel]

CRABTREE COMES HOME TO LEAD RED ROBINS
Red Springs native to manage inaugural Tobacco State League season

By Chase Murphy | Summer Intern
Red Springs — April 2, 2025

The Red Robins have a skipper — and he’s one of our own.

The Red Springs Baseball Club officially introduced Elijah Crabtree as the team’s first manager Wednesday morning, confirming what many locals were already hoping for: that the hometown kid who once caught bullpen sessions behind the First Baptist Church is now the man calling the shots.

Crabtree, 45, is no stranger to Robeson County. A graduate of Red Springs High and later Methodist University in Fayetteville, he played several years of independent ball before returning home to run youth leagues and coach summer teams across the region. And now? He’s back in red and white — this time with a lineup card in his back pocket.

“This town gave me everything,” Crabtree said. “I’m not trying to reinvent baseball. I just want to do it the Red Springs way — play hard, respect the game and leave the park a little better than we found it.”

The hire is a win for both baseball fans and hometown hearts. Crabtree brings more than experience — he brings roots.

Team owner Kyle Locklear, himself a Red Springs native whose grandfather once owned tobacco fields near where Robbins Stadium now sits, had no hesitation when it came to Crabtree.

“Elijah gets it,” McNeill said. “He knows what this team means to this town. He’s not here for a paycheck. He’s here because this is home.”

And yeah, okay — I’m just the new guy on the sports desk for the summer, and this is technically my first real beat, but I’ve seen Crabtree coach. I’ve watched him pat kids on the back after strikeouts and sprint out to third to wave a 10-year-old home like it was Game 7. The guy cares. And you know what? That matters.

Red Springs may be one of the smallest markets in the Tobacco State League, but with Crabtree in charge, don’t be surprised if we end up being the toughest out in the bunch.

Chase Murphy is a summer intern for The Robesonian. He will be a senior at UNC Pembroke this fall. Reach him at cmurphy@robesonian.com or catch him behind the first-base dugout with a scorebook and a hot dog.

[AZTarHeel]

Going Once! Lumberton Auctioneers Will Be Red Springs' First Opponent

The Tobacco State League has begun dripping out schedules for the upcoming 2025 season. The Red Springs Red Robins have learned they will begin their new life as a TSL franchise on Friday, May 23, 2025 on the road against the Lumberton Auctioneers.

First pitch will be at 7:05 p.m. from Lumberton Armory Field. The game will be streamed live on the Red Springs Red Robins web site and carried on radio by WYDU (1160 AM) | Power House 1160.

The Robins and Auctioneers will play a three-game series over the weekend, with Saturday's game starting at 1:05 p.m. and Sunday's finale at 3:05 p.m.

More on the Red Springs 2025 schedule soon!

[AZTarHeel]

Spinners Land a Star: Sanford Selects Andy Jensrud First Overall

By Bethany Carrington | Correspondent
Sanford | April 20, 2025

With the very first pick in the relaunch of the Tobacco State League, the Sanford Spinners made one thing clear: they’re not here to rebuild — they’re here to win.

The Spinners used their top selection on 23-year-old right fielder Andy Jensrud, a Charlotte native with a swing smoother than the Lee County summer air. Scouting reports had Jensrud at the top of every board — and it’s easy to see why.

Contact Rating: 85 (Potential 100)
Gap Power: 85
Home Run Power: 60
Speed: Dangerous
Eye Discipline: 70 (Potential 90)
Defense: Solid in right, capable across the outfield

“He’s the kind of guy who could win a batting title one year and lead the league in triples the next,” said one opposing scout. “You dream of having a guy like this in your lineup. Sanford just woke up with one.”

And then there’s the off-field legend building already.
Sanford’s own head scout may have put it best:

“Andy has never missed a Wordle.”

Sharp mind. Sharper bat.

Jensrud is expected to hit second or third in Sanford’s Opening Day lineup and immediately anchor the outfield. With him, the Spinners may not just be good — they might be scary good.

[AZTarHeel]

ROBINS READY: Red Springs Introduces Its 2025 Roster with Heart, Hustle and a Few Surprises
Media Day highlights from a team full of character and characters

By Chase Murphy | Summer Intern
Red Springs, NC – May 11, 2025

It’s been decades since professional baseball called Red Springs home — but judging by Saturday’s Media Day, you’d think it never left.

The Red Robins, set to open their inaugural Tobacco State League season in just a few weeks, hosted fans and community leaders for a couple hours at Robbins Park. And for a reporter still getting used to this press badge (hi, I’m Chase), it felt more like a reunion than a rollout.

There were smiles. There were hot dogs from Dairy Ranch. There were about six kids wearing makeshift “WIZARD OF 0’S” shirts. And there was a team — a real one — wearing bright red jerseys, standing shoulder to shoulder like they’ve known each other since Dixie Youth ball.

“I like this group,” manager Elijah Crabtree said. “They’re tough, they’re grounded, and most of them know how to tie their cleats correctly. We’ll take that.”

Here are a few of the names you’ll want to remember:



Dan “Grayson” McSwain (SP, Charlotte)
The Opening Day starter and the Robins' first pick in the closed-door draft held in Sanford a few weeks back. Quiet, grounded, gets ground balls like it’s a hobby. One fellow pitcher teammate said, “He throws a pitch and the infielders just know.”

Josh “The Mayor” Fleisher (SS, Huntersville)
Veteran shortstop. Gold glove instincts. Local fans already trust him more than the actual mayor (just kidding, Mr. Henderson).

Danny Abell (3B, Winston-Salem)
Sleeper pick of the draft — great work ethic, sneaky pop. Rumor has it he hit one out of the batting cage during warmups.

Cory Wing (1B, Durham)
Contact machine. Eyes like a hawk. Might not hit 20 home runs, but might lead the league in singles that make grown men weep.

Ken “Wee Davy” Rogers (RF, Winston-Salem)
The nickname doesn’t make sense (we're still fishing for the story behind it). The speed absolutely does. A human blur who might steal second before the pitcher blinks.

Luke Restivo (SP, Raleigh)
The professor of the rotation. Cool, calm, and could probably teach a masterclass in pickoff moves.

Mario Sanchez (2B, Raleigh)
Mild-mannered magician in the middle infield. Makes routine plays look routine — and somehow, that’s become rare.

Shane Hangen (C, Beaufort)
Sparkplug catcher with sneaky power. Took a foul tip to the shoulder last week and asked if he could play third instead. (He was told no, Coach Crabtree tells me.)

Juan “Wizard of 0’s” Hartman (Closer, Carolina Beach)
No one’s quite sure how he does it — but he gets outs. And then disappears into the dugout like a ghost.



Jake Ryker (RP, Red Springs)
Local boy made good. Didn’t think he’d get the call. Did. Then threw two scoreless innings in an intrasquad game. The dugout lost it.

Eddie Locklear (LF, Red Springs)
He’s 19. He’s the grandson of team owner Kyle Locklear. He’s got hustle, heart, and definitely didn’t make the team just because of family ties (wink).

There are more names, more stories and definitely more chaos to come — but these are highlights from your 2025 Red Springs roster. They’ll open the season on the road against Lumberton (May 23-25), and then return for their home debut against the Whiteville Tobs on Monday, May 26 in front of what’s expected to be a standing-room-only crowd at Robbins Stadium.

Bring your glove. Bring your neighbor. Red Springs is back.

Chase Murphy is a rising senior at UNC Pembroke and a summer intern with The Robesonian. He can be reached at cmurphy@robesonian.com or found loitering near the press box with a chicken biscuit.

[AZTarHeel]

From Carolina Hardball Report
May 20, 2025

Tobacco State League Preseason Predictions Released: Red Springs in the Hunt?
The Tobacco State League hasn’t played a pitch since the Truman administration, but according to the game’s internal season predictions tab (hey, it’s 2025 — we’ve got data), the rebooted TSL is expected to be tight at the top.

Here’s a quick look at our projected season finish heading into Opening Day, courtesy of the league’s simulation model:



PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS
1. Whiteville Tobs
2. Red Springs Red Robins
3. Sanford Spinners
4. Clinton Blues
5. Angier-Fuquay Springs Bulls
6. Lumberton Auctioneers
7. Rockingham Eagles
8. Smithfield Leafs
9. Warsaw Red Sox
10. Dunn-Erwin Twins

[AZTarHeel]

Red Springs Red Robins @ Lumberton Auctioneers
May 23, 2025 | Lumberton Armory Field
First pitch: 7:05 PM Friday

“It’s Opening Day in the Tobacco State League — and the Robins are ready to ruffle feathers.”
Manager Elijah Crabtree has named Dan “Grayson” McSwain the Opening Night starter. Eyes will also be on sparkplug Ken “Wee Davy” Rogers, steady vet Josh “The Mayor” Fleisher, and the back end bullpen magic of Juan “Wizard of 0’s” Hartman.

[AZTarHeel]

Opening Day Slip: Robins Collapse Late, Fall to Auctioneers 11–8
Big bats, bigger lead... but the bullpen couldn't hold it

By Chase Murphy | The Robesonian | Summer Intern
Red Springs, NC – May 23, 2025

For five innings, Red Springs looked like a fairy tale. By the end of the sixth, it felt more like a horror movie.

The Red Springs Red Robins fell 11–8 to the Lumberton Auctioneers on Opening Night of the Tobacco State League at Lumberton Armory Field, squandering an early 5–0 lead in a wild, emotional rollercoaster of a debut.

“We came out swinging. But in this league, it’s about who finishes,” said manager Elijah Crabtree, postgame.

The Bright Spots:
Bruce Browning (LF), the 18-year-old with a grown man’s swing, went 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs, including a 2-run homer in the 5th.

Justin Stubbs (CF) launched a 3-run bomb in the 2nd.

Danny Abell (3B) set the tone early with a double — the first hit in Robins history — and later scored the team’s first run.

Josh “The Mayor” Fleisher (SS) quietly went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.



The Turning Point:
With a 7–3 lead heading into the bottom of the 6th, starter Dan McSwain began to tire. A walk, a pair of singles, and a bullpen that never found its footing led to a six-run explosion by Lumberton — highlighted by Chad Rapp’s 3 RBI night and a clutch 2-run single from pinch-hitter Kyle Simas.

Red Springs was held scoreless over the final four innings.

McSwain’s final line: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 3 K

“I hadn’t even broken a sweat by the fifth,” McSwain said postgame. “But maybe I should have.”

Final Line:
Red Springs: 8 R, 11 H, 1 E
Lumberton: 11 R, 11 H, 1 E
LOB: Red Springs stranded 17 runners

“We left a small army on the bases,” said catcher Shane Hangen. “You can’t do that and expect to win, no matter how many you score early.”

Up Next:
The Robins get another shot Saturday night in Game 2 of the series. Expect Luke Restivo to get the start, and perhaps a shorter leash on the bullpen if things get rocky again.

“It’s just one game,” Crabtree said. “But it’s also a lesson. You’ve got to earn all nine innings.”

Around the League – Opening Day Headlines:

• Clinton 3, Smithfield-Selma 2 – Blues grind one out, probably bunting their way to glory
• Angier 6, Sanford 0 – Top pick Andy Jensrud 1-for-4… and apparently not Aaron Judge (yet)
• Whiteville 4, Rockingham 0 – Tobs pitching looks dangerous
• Warsaw 6, Dunn-Erwin 1 – Red Robins lose, but Red Sox win

[AZTarHeel]

The Robesonian

Scribbles from the Notebook: Opening Night Edition
Thoughts, quotes and observations from the press box as the Red Springs Red Robins made their long-awaited return to professional baseball.

By Chase Murphy | The Robesonian | Summer Intern
Red Springs, NC – May 23, 2025

Pregame:
“So here’s the thing: the Robins forgot their road jerseys. Not a joke. They rolled into Lumberton with only the plain white scrimmage tops — no logo, no lettering, just blank canvas and chaos. I overheard someone say they looked like they were sponsored by the DMV. I’ve decided to call them ‘The Ghost Birds’ until further notice.”

Top 1st
“Crabtree walks out with his cap pulled low and his lineup card in hand. The white jerseys were a mistake — but McSwain doesn’t look like he’s sweating it. Literally.”

Bottom 1:
“Strikeout. Strikeout. Flyout. McSwain looks like he’s checking boxes on a to-do list.”

Top 2:
“The Mayor singles. McSwain can hit, too? Stubbs unloads a 3-run bomb? We’re up 4-0 and I’m thinking we're going to win a championship this August."

Bottom 2:
“McSwain still hasn’t broken a sweat. One fan behind me just yelled, ‘Let’s go, Doc Holliday!’ I might adopt it.”

Top 3:
“Fleisher with another RBI. This team is aggressive, balanced and completely unaware it’s supposed to be an smalltown underdog.”

Bottom 4:
“And there it is. The first crack. McSwain gives up 3. The bullpen’s getting loose. My nerves are not.”

Top 5:
“BRUCE. BROWNING. A missile to left. That’s his first career homer, and folks, it will not be his last.”

Bottom 6:
“This one hurts. Lumberton puts up a six-spot. McSwain looks human again. I crossed out three paragraphs of praise mid-sentence.”

Top 9:
“Down 11-8. Three outs left. No magic tonight. Just lessons.”

Final Note:
“We lost the game. But we gained a team. If this is what Opening Night looks like, imagine what July might bring. This is going to be a roller coaster ride this summer ... Time to go file a story, then find a Cook Out on my way back to The Springs."