Minor League Baseball announced on Tuesday, Nov. 28 that Fayetteville’s Alpha Jones, of Fayetteville Woodpecker’s Segra Stadium has been named the Carolina League and Single-A Groundskeeper of the Year. The award winners across Minor League Baseball were selected using the results of surveys of league managers, players and executives throughout the 2023 season.

“We are very thankful for the hard work Alpha and the entire field staff put in throughout the season to make the diamond at Segra Stadium one of the best in the Minor Leagues,” said Woodpeckers General Manager Michelle Skinner in a press release. “The field has received compliments from fans and players since the first days of the ballpark in 2019, and that’s a credit to the pride Alpha takes in his work.”

Alpha joined the Woodpeckers as the Director of Field Operations in March of 2019. He previously served as the head groundskeeper at The DAP for the Durham Bulls in nearby Durham, North Carolina. Before his career in Minor League Baseball, Alpha was an Assistant Athletic Director at Longwood University in Virginia. He also gained field operations experience as a team lead managing the operation at WakeMed soccer park.

When not grooming the field, he enjoys playing the drums and saxophone, and cheering on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Astros. He and his wife, Beth, have two sons, Jordan and Marcus, along with two daughters, Jasmine and Justine. They also have three granddaughters, Laila, Lillian and Beatrice.

“We are pleased to recognize the winners of these awards as they work tirelessly behind the scenes to provide the best possible environment for our players and staffs,” said Major League Baseball’s Senior Vice President of Minor League Operations and Development, Peter Woodfork in a press release. “Their efforts are appreciated and do not go unnoticed by players and coaches throughout the Minor Leagues.”