Macon Bacon

Lore & Background

In 2017, the Coastal Plain League and SRO Partners announced a Coastal Plain League franchise would come to Macon, with the Macon-Bibb County Commission approving the lease. A ten-year lease for Luther Williams Field was signed in July 2017, later extended through 2037. A naming contest drew over 1,500 submissions, with five finalists—Macon Bacon, Macon Soul, Macon Hits, Macon Heat, and Macon Noise—and the name Macon Bacon won by public vote. The team began play in 2018 after $2.5 million in renovations funded by a 2016 SPLOST. In November 2023, owner Steve Delay put the team up for sale; the purchase was completed in August 2024 by Macon Bacon Baseball LLC, led by Managing Partner Brandon Raphael and local investors.

Reader's Guide

The Macon Bacon quickly established itself as a notable franchise in collegiate summer baseball, earning the Coastal Plain League's Organization of the Year award in its inaugural 2018 season after selling out 11 of 23 home games and ranking second in league attendance. The team reached the league playoffs in its first season and advanced to the Petitt Cup Championship in 2019, finishing as runner-up. After an abbreviated 2020 season, the Bacon again reached the Petitt Cup in 2026, losing the series 2–1. The team's significance lies in its community engagement, consistent playoff appearances, and role in revitalizing Luther Williams Field through public-private partnerships. Its ownership transition in 2024 to local investors underscores ongoing local commitment.

Did You Know?

• The team's name was chosen from over 1,500 submissions in a public contest.
• The Macon Bacon sold out 11 of 23 home games in their first season.
• The team finished as runner-up in the Petitt Cup Championship in both 2019 and 2026.
• Luther Williams Field's lease was extended through 2037 in August 2024.

Origins & the Birth of a Franchise

The Macon Bacon's story began in 2017 when the Macon-Bibb County Commission revealed that a Coastal Plain League franchise would soon call the city home. Sports marketing firm SRO Partners was tapped to own the new team, which would take the field starting in the 2018 season. That same July, a ten-year lease for Luther Williams Field was signed, running through the end of 2027. The team's name was not simply assigned; it was chosen by the public. A naming contest drew more than 1,500 submissions, and after narrowing the field to five contenders—Macon Soul, Macon Hits, Macon Heat, Macon Noise, and Macon Bacon—a community vote crowned the Bacon as the winner. Before the inaugural 2018 season, a roughly $2.5 million renovation of Luther Williams Field was completed in partnership with Macon-Bibb County, funded through revenue from a 2016 special-purpose local-option sales tax. Additional upgrades followed ahead of the 2019 and 2020 seasons, ensuring the ballpark continued to evolve alongside the franchise.

Post-Season Heartbreak and Hard-Fought Runs

The Macon Bacon's playoff history is a tale of heartbreak and hard-fought resilience. In their debut 2018 postseason run, the team was eliminated in the first round on August 5, falling 4-15 to the Savannah Bananas—a painful introduction to the CPL's upper bracket. The following year brought a far more satisfying result. The Bacon reached the Petitt Cup, the league's championship series, for the first time, facing the Morehead City Marlins in a best-of-three. Game 1 saw Macon drop a 3-0 shutout, but they roared back with an 11-4 victory in Game 2. Unfortunately, a 2-6 loss in Game 3 sealed the runner-up finish, a 1-2 series defeat. The abbreviated 2020 season offered a different kind of redemption: Macon defeated the Savannah Bananas 6-5 in the CPL Championship. Then in 2026, the Bacon returned to the Petitt Cup after dispatching the Forest City Owls in the West Divisional Championship. They won a thrilling 3-2 Game 1 at home before falling 8-7 to the Wilmington Sharks in Game 2 and being outscored 11-0 in Game 3, once again finishing as runners-up.

Ownership Shifts and Coaching Turnover

The Macon Bacon has seen significant changes in both ownership and on-field leadership since its founding. Originally owned by SRO Partners, the franchise underwent a major transition when owner Steve Delay announced in November 2023 that the team was being put up for sale. By August 2024, the sale was complete, with Macon Bacon Baseball LLC taking over. The new ownership group includes Managing Partner Brandon Raphael alongside local investors Dr. Daniel Erthal, Ron Shipman, and Jonathan Pitts. That same month, the team's lease at Luther Williams Field was extended through 2037, securing the franchise's long-term home. On the coaching side, the Bacon cycled through several managers in its early years. Danny Higginbotham helmed the squad in 2018 and 2019 before departing for a position at Des Moines Area Community College. Jimmy Turk, then an assistant at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, took over in September 2019. Kyle MacKinnon was named head coach for 2021, and former assistant Kevin Soine assumed the role heading into 2022.

A Community Built One Home Run at a Time

From the very first pitch, the Macon Bacon made a measurable mark on the local community. In their 2018 debut season, the team sold out 11 of 23 home games at Luther Williams Field, a remarkable achievement for a brand-new franchise. That effort earned them the Coastal Plain League's Organization of the Year award. They finished second in the CPL in total attendance and ranked tenth across all summer collegiate baseball leagues, drawing an estimated 47,000-plus fans to the ballpark. The ballpark itself became a community project: the roughly $2.5 million renovation completed before the 2018 season was funded through revenue from a 2016 special-purpose local-option sales tax, meaning local voters directly bankrolled the improvements. Further upgrades were added before the 2019 and 2020 seasons, reflecting a sustained commitment to the venue. The naming contest that produced the Bacon moniker—drawing over 1,500 community submissions—also underscored how deeply the project was woven into Macon's identity from day one.

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