 | |
 Interactive map of Five County Stadium | |
| 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 85%, Town of Zebulon 15% [3] |
| Operator | Capitol Broadcasting Company |
| 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)[6] |
| 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 ($5.77 million in 2024 dollars[4]) |
| Architect | Odell Associates |
| Structural engineer | Excel Engineering[5] |
| General contractor | Richard Beach Builders |
| Tenants | |
| Carolina Mudcats (SL/CL) 1991–2025 | |
Five County Stadium is a baseball stadium located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, that was opened in 1991 and extensively renovated in 1999. It has a seating capacity of 6,500 people. The ballpark was the home of the Carolina Mudcats of the Carolina League from 1991 to 2025. It will be home to a Capitol Broadcasting Company owned Coastal Plain League team starting in 2026.[7]
The stadium's name comes from its location in Wake County, which is 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]Carolina Mudcats (1991–2025)
[edit]When Columbus Mudcats owner Steve Bryant moved the club to North Carolina in 1991 as the Carolina Mudcats, he wanted a new facility that was deemed to be outside the territories of other minor league clubs in the state (including the South Atlantic 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.[8][9] They remained at that level until being reclassified to Low-A for the 2021 season.[10]
The 2025 season was the Mudcats' 35th and final season of play at Five County Stadium. They are expected to relocate to Wilson, North Carolina, as the Wilson Warbirds in 2026.[11][12] Carolina's final home game was a 1–0 loss to the Delmarva Shorebirds played on August 31, 2025, with 5,877 people in attendance.[13][14]
Images
[edit]-
A diagram of the field -
The Mudcats (in white) play the 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.
- ^ "Wake County found a new operator for the Zebulon-based Five County Stadium. County Commissioners and town leaders picked a familiar name to run it". September 3, 2025. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
- ^ 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". TrusSteel. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
- ^ "Five County Stadium". Carolina Mudcats. Minor League Baseball. Archived from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Fans invited to help name new CPL team that will bring Australian players to Five County Stadium". WRAL-TV. November 6, 2025. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Reichard, Kevin (December 18, 2023). "Wilson Approves New Carolina Mudcats Ballpark". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
- ^ Hill, Benjamin (November 22, 2024). "Brewers' Single-A Club Set to Soar Into New Digs With High-Flying Team Name in 2026". Major League Baseball. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ^ "Carlina Mudcats Schedule". Carolina Mudcats. Minor League Baseball. Archived from the original on September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
- ^ "Gameday: Shorebirds 1, Mudcats 0 Final Score (08/31/2025)". Minor League Baseball. August 31, 2025. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
External links
[edit]
- Five County Stadium Views Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues (archived)
- Ballpark Reviews