THE FINTASTIC FIRST EDITION 2 Sharks Fans, Wow! We missed each and every one of you. Welcome back to Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium for the 24th summer of Wilmington Sharks Baseball at The Shark Tank! Through the season that never was in 2020, the Sharks maintained our mission dedicated to promoting and providing a safe, fun, affordable and exciting family atmosphere for our fintastic fans. More so, we aspire to continue to be a positive influence on the greater Cape Fear community. So, in the time you spend at the ballpark we encourage you to take part in the numerous amenities we provide for fans of all ages and to enjoy everything we strive to provide each time you visit us for a night at the ballpark. Whether you're having a feeding frenzy on our concessions offerings or refreshing your gills with a cool drink from the Bill's Front Porch Beer Garden, our goal is to ensure you have the absolute best experience possible. After losing so much in 2020, we want YOU to have an escape from the everyday worries of life while enjoying Sharks baseball but steadfastly encourage you to adhere to safe practices prescribed in local and state health guidelines. We also encourage you to practice good sportsman ship in regard to your fellow fans, members of both teams on the field and the umpires throughout your visit to Buck Hardee Field. Remember that sharks can be fierce but they don't often swim alone. If you do encounter any issues during your experience at Buck Hardee Field, please find the nearest Sharks staff member and allow us to resolve any matters large or small. And whether it's your first or 500th game with us, we're glad you are here! Go Sharks! y Sharky rk ha e & S er s h The Sharks Staff wa 3 4 5 MEET THE SHARKS STAFF ALLAN LUSK - GENERAL MANAGER Allan brings nine years of Minor League Baseball experience to the Sharks, most recently with the Biloxi Shuckers, Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. He spent six years with the Shuckers while playing a key role in the development and creation of the new franchise and the opening of the Shuckers’ new stadium, MGM Park. He also spent time with the Kinston Indians (former High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians), the Corpus Christi Hooks (Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros), and the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Class A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays). NICK CAREY - ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER Nick enters his first season with the Sharks after nearly 10 years in varying levels and positions in baseball. The alum of Middle Tennessee State University spent three years assisting the Blue Raider baseball program before taking his first professional role with an Astros affiliate in 2015 then becoming a general manager in Princeton, WV the next season. Most recently, he spent more than two years with the Burlington Bees assisting the team in all facets of sales, ballpark operations and community relations. DANIEL COVINGTON - DIRECTOR OF GROUP SALES Daniel is entering his 1st season with the Wilmington Sharks. A native of the Cape Fear region, Daniel graduated from NC State in 2019 with a Degree in Sport Management and brings with him 3+ years of experience within the industry. He has worked with the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes & New Jersey Devils, the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, the CPL's Wilson Tobs & Minor League Baseball's Trenton Thunder. He brings to the team a background with experience in promotions, operations, marketing, sales and food & beverage! In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family and enjoys hobbies like golf, disc golf & skim-boarding! TOM LAMONT - DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY RELATIONS Tom joined the sharks Front office after a 20 year career in broadcast journalism and an additional 20 years in non-profit fundraising and development. In addition to leading community relations efforts for the sharks, Tom serves as the public address announcer for cape fear community college. He also provides color commentary for UNC-Wilmington Athletics on the Seahawk digital network. Tom is married and his wife, daughter and two grandchildren love to join him at the ballpark. JAY HARRILL - TICKET SALES AND BOX OFFICE OPERATIONS MADELEINE HALE - SALES AND SOCIAL MEDIA ALLI DAVIS - YOUTH ENTERTAINMENT AND PROMOTIONS BREANNA SUDANO - COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND BALLPARK OPERATIONS NATHAN HOVY- VIDEOGRAPHER AND SOCIAL MEDIA DREW LORD- SALES AND CORPORATE CLIENT SERVICES SAM KOPPIN - SALES AND MULTIMEDIA OPERATIONS ALYSSA TOLL - SALES AND OPERATIONS SUZANNE HERNDON - SALES AND OPERATIONS 6 MEET SHARKY SHARKY - ENGINEER OF LAUGHTER AND CHEER Give him some fin and he'll give you the fun! His boating license says his name is "Sherman G. Sharkington," but his friends know him as Sharky! Born in the Atlantic in summer 1997, Sharky enters his 24th season as the smiling face of the Sharks organization. As the Engineer of Laughter and Cheer, Sharky loves to entertain crowds packed like sardines at Buck Hardee Field and always to promises to bite no one (unless their wearing the colors of a CPL rival). With his time away from The Shark Tank, Sharky stays fit by swimming laps at Carolina Beach, attending saltwater aerobics classes at Wrightsville Beach and entertaining Sharks fans of all ages in and around the greater Wilmington-Cape Fear area. Sharktastic 2021 Schedule May/June July/August 1:05 For Tickets and Info Call: 910-343-5621 Visit: www.wilmingtonsharks.com 7 8 Single-Game Ballpark Layout Ticket Prices Home Plate Box Level: $12 Reserved Bleacher Level: $10 General Admission: $8 Home Plate and Reserved Level Seating Map 9 NAME POS. MLB TEAM DEBUT SHARKS TOM MASTNY RHP CLEVELAND 7/30/2006 2002 LANDON POWELL C OAKLAND 4/11/2009 2001 JOHN RAYNER OF PITTSBURGH 4/8/2010 2005 CHRIS HATCHER RHP/C MIAMI 9/19/2010 2005 CODY EPPLEY RHP RHP TEXAS 4/23/2011 2007 BRANDON GUYER OF TAMPA BAY 5/6/2011 2005 ROB WOOTEN RHP MILWAUKEE 7/26/2013 2006 EMILIO PAGAN RHP SEATTLE 5/3/2017 2011 SETH FRANKOFF RHP CHICAGO (NL) 6/9/2017 2007 CHRIS O'GRADY LHP MIAMI 7/8/2017 2011 RYNE HARPER RHP MINNESOTA 3/31/2019 2011 RYAN JEFFERS C MINNESOTA 8/20/2020 2017 ALEC BOHM IF PHILADELPHIA 8/13/2020 2016 10 All photo ownership rights reserved to respective photo owners. 11 12 A Shark of Many Faces: A Logo History Logos come and go in sports like foul balls from the bat of a pesky leadoff hitter. Some logos remain with their respective team for decades while others come and go like a shooting star. In 24 seasons of Sharks baseball, the club has utilized a handful of logos bearing the likeness of everyone’s favorite Carcharodon carcharias, Sherman G. "Sharky" Sharkington. From 1997-2000 Sharky resembled a very hungry and angry goldfish with a totally 1990's green and black color scheme. (Above, right). From 2001-2005 Sharky became much less serious and appeared to enjoy as much time on top of the waves surfing as he did within them as shown in the second logo down to the right. From 2006-2013 Sharky didn't appear in team logos. Like in the ocean, only his fin was visible as the club incorporated the dorsal appendage into a "W" for Wilmington. And, it was the first time the club used the "Beach Sky Blue" color instead of a seaweed green. (Third down on right.) In 2014, Sharky returned to team branding in our current look. Sharky looks effortlessly cool with a bat draped under his dorsal fin and a toothy smile. Or, he has a hungrier side and opts to chomp down on said bat for an afternoon snack after a swim. (Below) 13 Daily Promotions Two-For-Tuesday 14 15 What Host Families Do: Provide a home for a Sharks player and family-like support system during the season. Why Host a Player: Because it's a great experience for your family and the player! Hosting a player connects you directly with the team and allows you enjoy the company and on-field play of talented collegiate athletes and individuals. What are the perks? Lasting relationships with your player beyond their time as a Shark Season Tickets to Sharks home games Guaranteed Giveaway Items Invites to exclusive team events 16 17 The Wilmington Sharks are committed to the youth Sharky's in our community. Through the Sharky's Kids program, the Sharks partner with businesses, individuals and civic organizations to provide baseball experiences to underserved, underprivileged and disabled children and their families to Buck Hardee Field. Young fans receive admission to the game and a traditional baseball meal. Each $100 contribution provides tickets to 10 Sharky's Kids! Read Around The Wilmington Sharks are excited to provide second through the Bases fifth-grade school students the opportunity to become an All-Star Write the title of each book you read by the bases below. When you've read four books, ask an adult to sign this bookmark and bring it to a 2021 Sharks reader with our reading program. “Read Around The Bases” game (Sunday-Wednesday) for a free ticket. encourages literacy and reading comprehension inside and Reader Name: outside the classroom for traditional and non-traditional schools. What Did You Read? Our reading program is FREE, turn-key, incentive-based and aims 1 to help students discover the joy of reading. Students work 2 towards reaching HOME by reading four books in order to receive 3 FREE admission to one Sharks home games played on Sunday through Thursday in the 2021 season.