Wayne County native Rob Wooten has agreed to purchase the Eastern Carolina Athletic Park (ECAP) located in Goldsboro.
For the past 10 years, ECAP was owned by another former athlete, Ralph Britt. Britt, a former football player for the Wolfpack and Steelers, is a current farmer and entrepreneur in the Mt Olive area.
“The Britt family was honored to be a part of the community and deeply expresses their thanks to ECAP’s members and employees,” stated Britt. “We loved our time there but look forward to what Rob and his team will build.”
Rob Wooten, currently of the Cincinnati Reds and C35 Sports Academy said, “This is a tremendous opportunity to get back to my roots. ECAP was instrumental in my development as a young player. From the day it opened until the day I left for UNC, there was not a week that went by where I wasn’t in the park working on my craft. I am deeply humbled and honored that Mr. Britt has agreed to make this happen. We are very excited to get to work.”
Video courtesy of C35 Baseball. Recorded in 2019.
Wooten, partnering with his brother, Elliott Barnes, will immediately begin with upgrades to the facilities and rebrand the park as the C35 Sports Complex. C35 Sports Complex will retain and develop strong ties to the community while focusing on building a world-class sports experience.
Currently located in Goldsboro, ECAP sits on approximately 60 acres along the Little River and boasts seven athletic fields and a 15,000 sq. ft. field house, along with a restaurant nestled under a press box. For over 20 years, ECAP has hosted hundreds of baseball & softball tournaments and events.
About Rob Wooten
Rob was a local star baseball player at CB Aycock before moving to play for the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, earning All-America honors along the way. In June of 2008, Rob was selected in the 13th round of the Major League Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. Over his 12 year career, Rob played with the Brewers, Braves, and Reds organizations. After retiring in 2020, Rob accepted the role of pitching coach with the Cincinnati Reds organization where he currently remains.
Former MLB player and founder of C35 Baseball Rob Wooten coaching local athletes. Photo courtesy of C35 Baseball ~ 2019.
About C35 Baseball
In 2018, Rob saw a need for youth baseball instruction done his way. He founded C35 Baseball in Pinehurst, NC as a non-profit with the aim to teach baseball at an early age in a safe and controlled environment. Over the following years, C35 has grown from just a few players to 25 baseball and softball teams consisting of athletes between the ages of 9-17 spread across the Carolinas. Demand for C35 instruction is strong and significant growth is expected.
Feature photo of former MLB player Rob Wooton by Jonathan Daniel.
Contributed.
