“Cape Fear Fish Sticks:” Summer baseball team coming to Leland in 2026
LELAND, N.C. (WWAY) — Just a few months after Brunswick County got two new summer collegiate baseball teams, it was announced on Monday that a third will be coming to Leland.
The Cape Fear Fish Sticks will be part of The Old North State League starting in 2026. The team’s name and logo were revealed at a gathering on Monday at the Leland Brewing Company.
They join the Shallotte Shallywags and Oak Island Loggerheads, who had their inaugural seasons this year in the ONSL.
The Fish Sticks will play at North Brunswick High School for at least their first season. Team ownership hopes to build a four-field facility with turf fields, including a stadium that sits up to 2,500 people for the Fish Sticks to call home.
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
General Manager Tom Lamont says the area is capable of supporting all of these new teams.
“Brunswick County has traditionally been a baseball county. Now that there’s going to be a collegiate summer league team in Shallotte and Oak Island and now Leland, the competition between these three towns is going to be great. We hope that will develop in a great competition between all of them.”
Leading the way on the field will be Head Coach Trent Mongero, currently leading the baseball team at Wilmington Christian Academy and formerly at Laney.
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
He says that he’s always wanted to be a college coach and views this job as a perfect way to do so amidst his other obligations.
“I feel like it really worked well,” Mongero said. “This is a summer opportunity. I have the evenings to work on building this roster and I have two quality assistants to help me. There’s no conflicts with any of that. I have the windows of time to be able to do it justice. That’s what we’re going to start doing as of tonight.”
Rounding out his staff are Richard Foy, who led New Hanover to a pair of state championships, as well as current UNCW assistant J.D. Everett.
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
The Fish Sticks will begin play in May.
