Named in honor of the city’s hydroelectric power history, the Roanoke Rapids Static is hoping to recharge baseball on the field and off this summer.

“We want to thank you for letting us be a part of the community,” said Jacob Dixon, general manager of the team, which will play in the collegiate development Old North State League. “Our mission is to create a family-friendly atmosphere at the ballpark and to also make an impact on youth at the same time.”

Speaking at Tuesday’s Roanoke Rapids City Council meeting, Dixon said the team plans to have a youth camp and have the Static take part in community activities. “We just want to build the community up, and our goal is to have a longstanding relationship and partnership with Roanoke Rapids for years to come.”

There will be family nights and other theme nights during the season, which starts in May. “There’ll be all kinds of nights just to have fun at the ballpark and to develop these college players. This is a big deal, especially because the Old North State League is an established league, which is great for our area.”

A former college baseball player, Dixon told the council, “It would have been amazing to come play in a summer league at this level in my hometown. A big deal for us is the support of the community through sponsors and host families to bring these young adults from out of town to be able to have a safe place to stay.”

“We’re glad it has moved to the point where it is,” Mayor Emery Doughtie said. “I think the community is looking forward to having it.”

Dixon affirmed City Manager Kelly Traynham’s explanation of the team’s name. “It has to do with the origins of hydroelectric power being generated here in Roanoke Rapids,” she said.

Dixon said the team’s logo, an electric eel, also serves as a nod to the Roanoke Rapids Dam and how it still serves as a source for generating power.

“It’s growing on us,” Traynham said of the name. “We are also pleased that they incorporated the black and gold colors that are the city’s official colors, but highlighting it by adding the blue.”

The colors, Dixon said, will be complementary to Doyle Field, which is home to the Roanoke Rapids High School baseball team.

The Static will continue a longstanding tradition of baseball in the Roanoke Rapids area that includes the Romancos, an industrial league team sponsored by Rosemary Manufacturing Company from the late 30s to early 40s, and the Roanoke Rapids Jays — originally known as the Blue Jays — which played in the Coastal Plain League from around 1947 to 1952.

The competition is expected to be high-level, Dixon said after his presentation — play that could be reminiscent of the Jays, who saw players go to Major League Baseball, including reliever Ted Abernathy and Duke Maas, a pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees.

“Every one of these guys is trying to make it to the next level,” Dixon said. “Every one of them is pre-professional. They’re trying their best to make it.”

All players are recruited, and Dixon said he is hopeful that the Static will come on strong. “Our roster is looking pretty good even though we were behind the eight ball because of getting started late with all the legal stuff. But we’re actually coming on strong and I think we’re going to have good luck.”

The team will feature some local players who are playing at Barton, Wesleyan, and Chowan.

The team will play a 20- to 30-game schedule that ends with an opportunity to be in the playoffs.

Beyond the play on the field, there will be fundraising efforts and events to get the community involved with the team, especially the youth. “We’re big about the youth. I really want to get the youth involved with it and kind of rally around the whole community.”

Dixon was contacted about a possible team in Roanoke Rapids. “I’m in baseball. I love baseball. When they contacted me, I was all about it. I’ve been around baseball for as long as I can remember.”

Jaime Hernandez, an assistant with the team, said, “We’re big into the youth. That’s our main focus.”

Dixon said they are looking for a cultural change. “That’s the whole point of why we both have kids in Little League. We want to go parallel with this and have these guys so the kids can look up to them.”

There will be a youth camp where the college players will instruct the younger players.

Hernandez said one of the issues in Roanoke Rapids is that young players go out of town to get their training, such as metric-based, biomechanical, and kinematics.

Dixon said, “We have the potential to do the same thing for the whole community. We want to bring this community up to the standards it should be. There’s no reason why we can’t compete with the surrounding areas.”

“We’re hoping this kind of sets the table,” Hernandez said, explaining that when the community comes together, the younger children can train in Roanoke Rapids.

“This is very special to us,” Dixon said. “We love the community. We don’t want to do it in any other community. This is our community.”

Hernandez said another goal is to keep the younger players here. “It almost seems like a trend for people to say they’re joining some other program and be proud of that instead of taking advantage of what we’ve got here.”

Across the street from the Lloyd Andrews City Meeting Hall is the former Trail Life building, which is now being converted into a players' lounge. 

Victory Baptist Church was instrumental in helping the team secure the building, which is next to the Jo Story Senior Center, Dixon said.

It will not only be a place for players to unwind; it will be used as a coaches' meeting place, a place for fundraisers, and a point of contact. “It will be a location to come to get some things going for the kids.”