The Sharks were founded in 1997 as a pioneer member of the Coastal Plain League. The Sharks won the Petitt Cup Championship in 2024, and won the championship in 1998 and 1999 Pre-Petitt Cup.
On March 2, 2017, National Sports Service acquired the team from the Smith Family Baseball Wilmington, LLC, which had been the owners since 2014.[2] The 2017 season was the Sharks’ 20th season in Wilmington.[3]
The Coastal Plain League announced on Tuesday, September 3, 2019 that the Sharks were named the 2019 Coastal Plain League Organization of the Year.[4]
On January 29, 2024, the Sharks announced Brett Bloomquist as their new general manager. Bloomquist played for the team in 2008 as a left-handed pitcher, and has earned degrees from Appalachian State University and the University of Florida.[5]
Washington, DC-area entrepreneur Thad Parsons purchased the Sharks in early 2025.[1]
In the 2024 season, the Sharks finished with a 30-19 record and made the postseason due to second best overall record in the East Division after the Peninsula Pilots won both the first and second halves. Wilmington swept the three-game series against the Pilots to win the East Division championship for the fifth time in franchise history and in the second consecutive season. The Sharks faced the Lexington County Blowfish in the 2024 Petitt Cup Championship for the second straight year, sweeping the team two games to none. It was the Sharks first championship in the Petitt Cup era. Sharks pitching had a 1.50 ERA in the playoffs.
The 2023 season, the Sharks finished with a 24-21 record and was crowned the East Division Champions. The Sharks lost in the Petitt Cup Championship in the final game of the series to the Lexington Blowfish. The Sharks bolstered an impressive 19-6 home record as the Shark Tank provides one of the most unique atmospheres in the league. Wilmington maintained an average attendance of 1,500 - the second highest in The Coastal Plain League that year.
In the 2022 season, the Sharks barely missed the playoffs by three games and finished in 6th place. Their average attendance rose to 1,500.
For the 2021 season, the Sharks finished with a 23-19 record. They had their first winning season since 2017. Sharks finished the season in 6th place and their average attendance was 1,200.
2020 season, the CPL had planned to return to a two-division format, placing the Sharks in the East Division. The 2020 season was originally slated to begin on May 28. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, CPL postponed its opening day to July 1. In response to the pandemic and the attendant restrictions, the Sharks opted not to play the 2020 season.[6] (The CPL played a shortened season.) The Sharks returned to the CPL in the 2021 season, in the East Division.[7]
Coaching staff
Russ Burroughs Returning for his fifth season in 2025, Russ Burroughs is the all-time winningest coach in Wilmington Sharks history, coming off an unforgettable 2024 season. Under his leadership, the Sharks captured both the CPL Championship and Eastern Division Championship, securing the franchise’s first CPL title since 1999. The team finished with an impressive 30 wins, marking only the fifth time in Sharks history to achieve this milestone. Known for his postseason success, Burroughs boasts a career .700 win percentage in the playoffs. The 2024 Sharks were no exception, with their pitching staff finishing top three in nearly every statistical category. During Burroughs’s tenure, the Sharks have consistently placed in the top six of the 15-team CPL each year.
In 2023, the Sharks reached the CPL playoffs for the first time since 2017 and clinched the Eastern Division Championship. The pitching staff excelled, finishing in the top three in categories including ERA, runs allowed, earned runs, hits allowed, and batting average against. The Sharks’ dominance on the mound extended to previous seasons as well. In 2021 and 2022, Burroughs’s pitching staff consistently ranked among the league’s top three in key metrics. The 2022 staff finished top three in ERA, runs allowed, earned runs, WHIP, and batting average against, while the 2021 squad earned top-three finishes in runs allowed, earned runs, hits allowed, and WHIP.
Burroughs has also made a significant impact as a recruiter and talent developer. Over the past six years, more than 40 players he coached have signed professional contracts, 8 have participated in the College World Series, 3 have represented their countries in the World Baseball Classic, and 25 have earned All-CPL first or second team honors.
Before joining the Sharks, Burroughs spent three seasons with the Edenton Steamers, formerly of the CPL. He served as pitching coach in 2017 before being promoted to head coach in 2018 and 2019. As a player, Burroughs competed in four seasons of professional baseball, including three with independent teams and one in international competition. He was known for his versatility, serving as a spot starter, left-handed specialist, and emergency designated hitter.
In the offseason, Burroughs serves as the Head Baseball Instructor at Nashville Baseball Academy, where he is in his 18th year. He also collaborates with Sidearm Nation, traveling internationally as a specialty instructor. A 2009 graduate of Lipscomb University with a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications, Burroughs resides in Nashville, Tennessee
Austin Skipper joins the Sharks as an assistant coach, but he is no stranger to the organization. A Wilmington, NC native Skipper pitched consequently for the Sharks from 2018-2023. He played under Manager Russ Burroughs for the past three seasons. Skipper attended William Peace University where he was a 4-year starter and won All-Conference Honors in 2021. With two years of eligibility left he then attended Methodist University where he was voted team captain for the 2023 season. Skipper received his MBA in Business Administration at Methodist University all while achieving scholar athlete honors.
Adam Cardin returns to the Sharks in 2024 after serving as an assistant in 2023. He has coached within the CPL for 7 Seasons. Cardin’s intro to coaching was with the GCL Pirates in Bradenton, FL after his playing career ended. Active in player development, he has seen 25 former players selected in the MLB draft and worked with former MLB All Stars. Cardin is a graduate of UNCW and currently resides in Wilmington with his family.
Uniforms
The Sharks' colors are white, navy blue, and light blue. Their standard home uniform is a white jersey and white pants with navy and light blue trim, with SHARKS printed in stylized block font across the front. Other uniforms include white pants with a light blue jersey having the Sharks logo on the left breast, and white pants with a navy blue jersey having WILMINGTON printed across the front.
They wear two caps: one mostly navy blue except for a light blue bill and the other entirely navy blue. The Sharks logo is on the front of both caps.
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