Five County Stadium
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.
  Five County Stadium Location within North Carolina  Five County Stadium Five County Stadium (the United States) | |
| Location | 1501 NC Highway 39 Zebulon, North Carolina 27597 United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35°49′2″N 78°16′12″W |
| Owner | Wake County |
| Operator | Carolina Mudcats Professional Baseball Club, Inc. |
| Capacity | 6,500 |
| Field size | Left Field: 330 ft Center Field: 400 ft Right Field: 309 ft |
| 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 ($4.69 million in 2019 dollars[3]) |
| Architect | Odell Associates |
| Structural engineer | Excel Engineering[4] |
| General contractor | Richard Beach Builders, Inc |
| Tenants | |
| Carolina Mudcats (CL) (2012–present) Carolina Mudcats (SL) (1991–2011) | |
The stadium's name comes from its location – the stadium property is located in Wake County, but it is close to the intersection of the county lines between Wake, Franklin, Nash and Johnston Counties. Wilson County is also in the general area of the stadium.
US-264 passes by the stadium at a generally northwest-to-southeast angle (behind left and center fields), while State Highway 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
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 took the Mudcats name.
Images
field layout
The Mudcats (in white) play the Montgomery Biscuits
Outfield being patrolled by the visiting Montgomery Biscuits
View of the field from the first base stands, looking towards the left-field wall
References
- Northington, Tom (January 20, 1991). "Time Crucial for Triple-A Hopes". News & Record. Greensboro. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- "Five County Stadium". Triangle Source. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- "Five County Stadium". Trus Steel. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.