Macon Bacon open season Thursday, at home Friday; Central Georgians dot the roster

          The Macon Bacon begin the home season for Coastal Plain League baseball on Friday, after taking on Savannah Thursday night, with plans for 100 percent capacity at Luther Williams Field.

          The Bacon welcome Florida at 7 p.m., with fireworks afterward. Savannah visits town on Saturday.

          Here’s the schedule.

          This is the 25th season for the CPL, which returns to a four-division structure, although the league website hasn’t been updated that way, with 15 teams stretching from Virginia to Georgia.

           Joining Macon in the South are Lexington County and newcomer Spartanburg. Tri-City, Va. is a newcomer that was part of the 2019 plan.

          Teams play a 44-game schedule with non-league exhibitions planned as well.

          Kyle MacKinnon is the Bacon’s head coach this season. The Ontario native is associate head coach at McPherson College in Kansas, and coached last summer in the Northwoods League.

          Visit here or call 478-803-1795 for ticket information. The team has introduced mobile ordering for concessions, and encourages contactless payments.

          A variety of health and safety measure regarding COVID-19 remain in place, with masks encouraged.

          Of the 45 players listed Thursday on the roster, nine played their high school ball in Central Georgia, with others from Mercer, Georgia College, and Middle Georgia State.

          Trippe Moore of Mary Persons and UGA; Hunter Varnadoe of Veterans and Middle Georgia State; Brandon Bellflower of John Milledge and Georgia College; Malik Bond of Rutland; Alex Muns of East Laurens; Dawson Brown of Tattnall and Georgia Tech; Bo Fricks of FPD; and Cam Jones of Houston County.

          From Mercer: Fred Wilson, Ryan Archibald, and Alex McKay. From Georgia College: Bellflower; From MGSU: Varnadoe and Ryan Wilson.

          The roster includes two from Georgia and Georgia State, and one from Georgia Tech, as well as players from Cincinnati, Dallas Baptist, Rutgers, Iowa, and Marshall.