COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) -It’s a day nearly a year in the making for the Columbus Clingstones, as the team officially takes the field for its first practice. After months of anticipation, the Fountain City finally gets to put faces to the names of its new team.
For the Clingstones, the journey of the 2025 season is just beginning.
“We were all sitting in the coaches’ office, just itching to get out on the field,” said Clingstones Manager Cody Gabella. “It will be awesome to see our guys play another team in another uniform. It’s going to be great. It’s a higher level of competition, and it’s good for the fans to see and get exposed to the highest level possible.”
The team is looking forward to its first game in front of a home crowd, and the players are eager to start the season.
“We’ve been looking forward to it since we broke camp,” said Clingstones pitcher and Braves’ No. 9 prospect Drue Hackenberg. “Knowing we can build a good fan base here and that it’s a great area to put a team, playing in front of them is what gets us as players going. It’s going to be exciting.”
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Clingstones right-handed pitcher and former Auburn Tiger, Blake Burkhalter, who grew up just down the road in Dothan, is excited to play in an area he’s familiar with.
“I’m excited to be back in town,” said Burkhalter. “My family is excited, and I’m looking forward to a good year.”
Gabella added that the team’s goals for the season go beyond just playing games.
“As far as this year, there are memories to make,” he said. “One of my goals is to get a lot of players out of here. As a staff, we want to get guys to Gwinnett and to the big leagues.”
For the Clingstones, it’s not just about the first practice — it’s the beginning of something special, a journey that promises to be one for the history books.
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