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Albemarle gets new summer baseball team with a unique name

The Wampus Cats are named after a mythological creature said to live in the Uwharrie Mountains of central North Carolina.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A new summer collegiate baseball team is coming to Albemarle: Introducing the Uwharrie Wampus Cats

The Wampus Cats will make their debut during the 2023 season against some of the best collegiate wood-bat teams in the Carolinas. Their opponents will include the Boone Bigfoots, the Carolina Disco Turkeys of Winston-Salem and the Wilmington Sharks. 

Albemarle's new team will play its home games at Don Montgomery Park, located along Highway 52 near downtown. Games will include entertainment, a wampus cat mascot, concessions and beer. The team's roster will include college players who are looking to improve their skills over the summer after the collegiate baseball season ends. 

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The Wampus Cats' name pays tribute to North Carolina folklore. The wampus cat is a cryptozoological creature that some believe inhabits the Uwharrie Mountains of central North Carolina. Unlike other feline mascots (Carolina Panthers, Davidson Wildcats, etc.), the Wampus Cats' name leans heavily into the mythology of the region. 

The team's Twitter account jokingly refers to the mascot as a "six-legged mythological creature you can pay $7 to see play baseball," and with that kind of pitch, who isn't intrigued?

"This particular new spin on the wampus cat is a cat that appears somewhat mischievous," a team news release says. "Like a trickster from folklore, but also endearing in his rule-breaking down to his beard stubble and is not scary for kids." 

The team's colors will be yellow, brown and orange with the Wampus Cats' head logo prominently featured in all branding. For longtime baseball fans, the team's uniforms draw inspiration from the 1980s San Diego Padres with other style choices from classic uniforms, including the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates. 

Albemarle's new team will compete in roughly 40 games beginning in May. Wampus Cat merchandise is now available on the team's website

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