Five County Stadium
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| Location | 1501 NC Highway 39 Zebulon, North Carolina United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35°49′2″N 78°16′12″W / 35.81722°N 78.27000°W |
| Owner | Wake County |
| Operator | Carolina Mudcats Professional Baseball Club, Inc. |
| Capacity | 6,500 |
| Field size | Left field: 330 ft (100 m) Left-center field: 365 ft (111 m) Center field: 400 ft (120 m) Right-center field: 365 ft (111 m) Right field: 309 ft (94 m)[5] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | January 19, 1991[1] |
| Built | 1991 |
| Opened | July 3, 1991[2] |
| Renovated | 1999 |
| Expanded | 1999 |
| Construction cost | $2.5 million ($5.59 million in 2023 dollars[3]) |
| Architect | Odell Associates |
| Structural engineer | Excel Engineering[4] |
| General contractor | Richard Beach Builders, Inc |
| Tenants | |
| Carolina Mudcats (SL/CL/LAE) 1991–present | |
Five County Stadium is a baseball stadium located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh. It is the home of the Carolina Mudcats of the Carolina League. The ballpark, which was opened in 1991 and extensively renovated in 1999, has a capacity of 6,500.
The stadium's name comes from its location – the stadium property is located in Wake County, within 5 miles (8.0 km) of Franklin, Nash, Johnston, and Wilson counties.
US 264 passes by the stadium at a generally northwest-to-southeast angle (behind left and center fields), while NC 39 skirts the east side of the property (right field). Parking lots surround the field on the other sides, and a large grass field, often used as a campground, lies behind home plate.
History
[edit]When Columbus Mudcats owner Steve Bryant moved the club to North Carolina in 1991, he wanted a new facility that was deemed to be outside the territories of other minor league clubs in the state (including the Carolina League's Greensboro Hornets, which he also owned) while also being easily accessible by the public. A site was chosen in Zebulon, which was as close to Raleigh as the Mudcats could get without infringing on the territorial rights of the Durham Bulls. To construct the ballpark quickly, the builders opted for metal seating rather than the traditional concrete. The 1999 renovation replaced most of the metal with concrete.
The Double-A Mudcats moved to Pensacola in 2011, and the Carolina League's Kinston Indians moved to Zebulon and continued as the Mudcats at Class A-Advanced[6][7] until being reorganized to Low-A for the 2021 season.[8]
The Mudcats will play their final season in Five County Stadium in 2025. In 2026, they will move to Wilson, North Carolina.[9]
Images
[edit]-
field layout -
The Mudcats (in white) play the Montgomery Biscuits -
Outfield being patrolled by the visiting Montgomery Biscuits -
Five County Stadium at sunset during a game in August 2023
References
[edit]- ^ Northington, Tom (January 20, 1991). "Time Crucial for Triple-A Hopes". News & Record. Greensboro, North Carolina. Archived from the original on October 22, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- ^ "Five County Stadium". Triangle Source. Archived from the original on April 14, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "Five County Stadium". Trus Steel. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
- ^ "Five County Stadium". Carolina Mudcats. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ Reichard, Kevin (August 27, 2012). "Mudcats Owners: We're Happy With Move to Carolina League". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
- ^ Moody, Aaron (September 11, 2011). "Mudcats' Season Ends On Low Note". The News & Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina. p. 6A – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
- ^ Hill, Benjamin (November 22, 2024). "Brewers' Single-A club set to soar into new digs with high-flying team name in 2026". MLB.com. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
External links
[edit]
- Five County Stadium Views Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues
- Ballpark Reviews