Fuquay-Varina (NC) High Baseball Field to Be Named for Coach Milton Senter After Unanimous Vote
Wake County School Board approves naming after decades of impact; Senter says he is “very humbled” by the recognition
Cary, NC, Mar. 18, 2026 — During last night’s school board meeting, the Wake County Board of Education unanimously approved naming the Fuquay-Varina High School baseball field after longtime coach Milton Senter, formalizing a legacy that has shaped the school and community for decades and prompting an emotional response from the man at the center of it.
The board’s decision drew no opposition, prompting a brief acknowledgment from the dais as members recognized both the moment and Senter’s impact. Senter then addressed the board, shifting the focus away from the recognition itself and toward the people and experiences that shaped his career.
“Well, to the board and to the principal and James and all the people who had anything to do with this, they know this isn’t me.
I’m more about kids and enjoyed what I did in the field and the teams and those people that supported me, my wife, of course, my son, my family.
But I’m very humbled, really much more than you can imagine. So I just say thank you.
Thank you very much.”
A graduate of Fuquay-Varina High School, Senter returned in 1977 as a social studies teacher and baseball coach and went on to spend decades building both a successful program and a lasting presence within the school community. According to materials presented to the board, he taught more than 5,000 students and coached over 600 players, with teams that won 14 conference championships, made 28 state playoff appearances, and captured three state titles. Those accomplishments, however, only begin to capture the broader impact highlighted in the naming request.
The proposal emphasized Senter’s role in mentoring generations of students and athletes, including members of his own family, and described a legacy rooted as much in relationships as in results. “Milton Senter… embodies the very definition of legacy,” the application states, noting his induction into both the Wake County Public School System Hall of Fame and the Fuquay-Varina High School Athletics Hall of Fame. The request was brought forward by the school’s Athletic Booster Club and supported by school leadership, with district officials confirming that all costs associated with the naming will be covered through private donations.
The decision also builds on a recent pattern of recognition at the school. Last year, the board approved naming the softball field after longtime coach Deb Clarke (story), creating a parallel honor that reflects the impact of educators and coaches across multiple programs. Together, the two field namings underscore how deeply those figures have shaped the identity of Fuquay-Varina High School over time.
For residents in Fuquay-Varina, the vote places a permanent name on a field that has long carried Senter’s influence. For future players and families, it creates a visible connection to that history and to a coach who, by his own account, always saw the work as being about something larger than himself.