Gardner and Lawrence Promoted to General Manager

ZEBULON - The Carolina Mudcats today announced the promotion of both Eric Gardner and David Lawrence to General Manager with Gardner overseeing baseball and stadium operations, while Lawrence will head business development and brand marketing.

Gardner and Lawrence take over for former Vice President and General Manager Joe Kremer who recently retired after 30 years as the only GM in franchise history. Both Gardner and Lawrence are native North Carolinians and both bring a wealth of leadership experience to the club as it enters the 2021 season.

The Tarboro, N.C. born Gardner is entering his 26th season with the Mudcats. He originally began his tenure with the team in 1996 as a college intern and quickly rose through the ranks while working in stadium operations, tickets, and concessions before being named Assistant General Manager in 1999.

Gardner graduated from Barton College with a degree in Sports Management in 1997. He and his wife Dorothy reside in Knightdale, N.C. with their children Eli (16), Aaron (12), and Charlotte (9).

Lawrence is a native of Washington, N.C. and is in his fourth season with the Mudcats. He first joined the Mudcats before the 2018 season after spending over 22 years in local and regional sports sponsorship sales, much of it centered on college athletics. Lawrence previously worked as General Sales Manager in National Sales for Hudl and as the Regional Sales Manager for the David Glenn Show, NC Sports Network and NC News Network at Curtis Media Group. His extensive sports background also includes General Manager of Texas A&M Sports Properties and sponsorship sales positions with Tar Heel Sports Properties and Wolfpack Sports Marketing.

Lawrence graduated from Appalachian State University with his B.S. in Communications and minor in Marketing in 1990. He then earned his M.S. in Sports Administration from St. Thomas University in Florida in 1992. He and his wife Heather live in Clayton, N.C. with their son Tabor (10).

The Mudcats additionally announced promotions for front office members Amy Peterson, Mitchell Lister and Greg Young.

Peterson is in her fifth year with the Mudcats and has been promoted to Manager of Merchandise and Office Operations. She first joined the franchise in 2017 and was later named the Carolina League’s Female Executive of the Year in 2018.

Lister has been promoted to Manager of Tickets and Business Development. He is entering his second season with the Mudcats after originally joining the club ahead of the 2020 season as Manager of Group Sales and Business Development.

Young, the 2018 Carolina League Broadcaster of the Year, is in his seventh year with the Mudcats and has been promoted to Director of Marketing and Broadcast Media. Young has been the club’s broadcaster since the 2015 season.

“We are grateful for the leadership of David and Eric during a challenging year and look forward to a fantastic summer of baseball with fans returning to the stands,” said Tyler Barnes, Senior Vice President of Affiliates for the Milwaukee Brewers, parent club of the Mudcats. “We congratulate them as well as their staff on these recent promotions and know they have been working on creative initiatives to enhance the fan experience at Five County Stadium.”

The Carolina Mudcats are an officially licensed affiliate, and are owned and operated by the Milwaukee Brewers. First established in 1991, the Mudcats open the 2021 season in the newly-formed Low-A East League on Tuesday, May 4 at Five County Stadium versus the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. Ticket information is available at carolinamudcats.com and by calling (919) 269-CATS (2287).