After considering 1,300 names suggested by the public, The city of Fayetteville has announced the name of their minor league baseball team as the Woodpeckers. The name and mascot was revealed Sunday at a launch party at Festival Park in Fayetteville.

The Woodpeckers was chosen from a list of top five names, all with local ties, which included Fatbacks, Fly Traps, Jumpers, and Wood Dogs. The name is a salute to the endangered red cockaded woodpecker and it’s resilience in the Sandhills.

A rendering of the future minor league baseball stadium.

Construction is underway in earnest on Fayetteville’s Minor League Baseball stadium. With a new stadium now being built in the heart of Fayetteville, baseball fans will be able to watch big league prospects from across the country and Latin America “play ball” in our own backyard. 

Set to open next April, the $37.8 million, 4,800-seat downtown stadium will be the new home of the Houston Astros’ Class A-Advanced affiliate. 

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For the past two seasons, the team has  played their home games at Jim Perry Stadium on the campus of nearby Campbell University. Known as the Buies Creek Astros, they are part of the 5-team Southern Division of the Carolina League.

As part of the agreement to fund and build the stadium, the City of Fayetteville required  the Houston Astros to committed to a 30-year lease. The site for the stadium is behind the Prince Charles Hotel and the Airborne & Special Operations Museum. 

Article and photos by John Patota, Sandhills Sentinel Sports Reporter.

 

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