Roberts hired as Mariners manager

The Grand Lake Mariners announced that hall of fame college baseball coach Mike Roberts will manage the Mariners starting in the 2026 season, per a press release from the team on Monday.

"Mike knows the game inside and out. He's a fixture in the baseball world, and we're thrilled to have him at the helm," Mariners President Bill Montgomery said in the press release. "He brings the winning touch to every team he's a part of, and we know he's going to do great things with the Mariners."

From 1978 to 1998, Roberts coached his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, guiding the Tar Heels to a 780-428-3 record with five Atlantic Coast Conference regular season championships and two College World Series appearances. Roberts also coached one season for North Carolina-Asheville and finished with an 806-460-3 record. Roberts was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2015 and has written two books on base stealing.

Roberts also had success coaching summer college league baseball, leading the Coutuit Kettleers to three Cape Cod League championships in 20 years as coach.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to join the Grand Lake Mariners organization. The leadership team has a grassroots love of the game. As a head coach, you want and need the support from people who understand the game as it is played on the field. My passion as a coach is teaching the fundamentals of baseball to young players and helping them mature on and off the field," Roberts said in the press release.