Former UNC Wilmington and Wilmington Sharks star outfielder John Raynor made his Major League debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday afternoon.

    Raynor, who was acquired from Florida in the Rule 5 Draft, entered the game with one out in the bottom of the ninth, and drew a walk from Dodgers pitcher Jonathan Broxton. The Pirates fell to the Dodgers, 10-2.

    With his debut, Raynor becomes the 35^th alum of the Coastal Plain League to make it to the Majors, and the first to do so during the 2010 season. Furthermore, he is the third former Shark player to make his debut, joining Oakland’s Landon Powell and former Cleveland pitcher Tom Mastny.

    In 2005, Raynor started 32 games for the Sharks. In that time, he batted .282 with five doubles and two home runs. He scored 18 runs and drove in another nine. Furthermore, he went on to be named the starting center fielder for the National All-Stars, who defeated the American squad, 5-3. The night before the All-Star game, he won the CPL All-Star Home Run Derby at Wilson’s Historic Fleming Stadium.

    Taken in the ninth round of the 2006 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Raynor spent that season in low-A Jamestown, where he was a mid-season All-Star. In 2007, he was promoted to Greensboro (A), where he batted .333 with 57 RBIs, and was named the South Atlantic League’s Most Valuable Player. The next year saw him again promoted, this time to Carolina (AA). While with the Mudcats, he batted .312 with 51 RBIs and 104 runs scored. Numbers like those again saw him rewarded as he was named a Southern League mid-season and post-season All-Star. Last season, Raynor spent the season with Triple-A New Orleans and finished the season with a .255 average and 34 RBIs.

    The Coastal Plain League is the nation's hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Heading into its 14th season, the Coastal Plain League features 15 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com.