Holly Springs (NC) Salamanders’ Playoff Hopes Come Down to Two Home Games This Week
Team holds the East Division’s final playoff spot entering the regular season’s last week. Games Thursday and Saturday could determine whether the Salamanders reach the postseason.
Holly Springs, NC, Jul. 27, 2026 — The Holly Springs Salamanders control their own postseason fate entering the final week of the Coastal Plain League regular season. Holding the East Division’s final playoff spot, the Salamanders enter the week’s final two league games with their postseason fate in their own hands.
At 23-20, the Salamanders sit fourth in the East Division, just ahead of the Peninsula Pilots (22-20) and Tri-City Chili Peppers (22-19). With only two league games remaining, there’s virtually no margin for error as three teams battle for the division’s final postseason spot.
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Both remaining league games will be played at North Main Athletic Complex Stadium, giving Holly Springs fans a chance to watch the postseason race unfold in person. The Salamanders host the Zebulon Devil Dogz at 6:30 p.m. Thursday before welcoming the Martinsville Mustangs for another 6:30 p.m. first pitch Saturday. The club closes its home schedule Sunday at 5:05 p.m. with an exhibition game against the Southwest Shakes.
"Our fans have been incredible all year long, and we need the same energy they have brought for the final two league games as we chase a playoff spot.”
- Michael Villafana, General Manager, Holly Springs Salamanders Baseball
Holly Springs will also take the field with several of the Coastal Plain League’s statistical leaders. Ethan Belk ranks fourth in the league with a .368 batting average, while Brady Lester sits 14th at .336. Levi Ham has also been a steady contributor throughout the season, batting .316 to rank just outside the league’s top 25 qualifying hitters.
The Salamanders have also been led by a pair of pitchers ranked among the league’s best. Alex Gaeto owns the Coastal Plain League’s third-lowest ERA among qualified pitchers at 3.29 over 38.1 innings, while Cameron Brown ranks 12th with a 7.25 ERA across 36 innings.
The standings underscore just how tight the race has become. Morehead City and Wilmington have separated themselves at the top of the East Division, but Holly Springs, Peninsula and Tri-City remain locked in a battle for the final berth. Every remaining league game has the potential to reshape the standings.
That gives Holly Springs residents an opportunity they haven’t had in quite some time: meaningful late-season baseball at North Main Athletic Complex Stadium with the season on the line. If the Salamanders can take care of business Thursday and Saturday night, they’ll be well positioned to extend their summer and continue their run into August.
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https://salamandersbaseball.com/tickets/