CELINA, Ohio (WLIO) — A major name is coming to the Grand Lake Mariners next summer.

Former North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Mike Roberts has been named the Mariners' head coach for the 2026 season, bringing decades of high-level baseball experience to Celina.

Roberts played at North Carolina before spending time in the Kansas City Royals minor league system, eventually returning to Chapel Hill to lead the Tar Heels for more than 20 years.

His résumé includes:

— 2 College World Series appearances

— 5 ACC regular season championships

— Over 800 collegiate coaching wins

Following his UNC tenure, Roberts spent time at UNC Asheville and became a longtime manager in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League. He also worked as a base running consultant for the Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

A 2015 inductee into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Roberts is also the author of two books on base stealing.

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