Construction is underway in earnest on Fayetteville’s Minor League Baseball stadium.
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. In August, the City of Fayetteville plans to announce the team’s name.
After considering 1,400 names suggested by the public, only the Fatbacks, Fly Traps, Jumpers, Wood Dogs and Woodpeckers have been selected as possible team names, all with local ties.
A rendering of the future minor league baseball stadium
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 photographs by John Patota, Sandhills Sentinel Sports Reporter.
