L. P. Frans Stadium
L.P. Frans Stadium is a stadium in Hickory, North Carolina. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Hickory Crawdads Class A Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League. It was built in 1993 and has a fixed seating capacity of roughly 4,000.
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| Location | 2500 Clement Boulevard Hickory, North Carolina, US |
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| Coordinates | 35°44′57″N 81°22′43″W |
| Owner | Hickory Baseball, Inc. |
| Operator | Hickory Baseball, Inc. |
| Capacity | 5,062 (4,000 fixed seats) |
| Record attendance | 5,283 |
| Field size | Left Field: 330 feet (100 m) Center Field: 401 feet (122 m) Right Field: 330 feet (100 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | September 21, 1992[1] |
| Opened | April 16, 1993[2] |
| Construction cost | $4.5 million ($7.96 million in 2019 dollars[3]) |
| Architect | Lescher and Mahoney CBSA Architects, Inc. |
| Services engineer | Brittain Engineering, Inc.[4] |
| General contractor | Wayne Brothers, Inc.[5] |
| Tenants | |
| Hickory Crawdads (SAL) 1993–present Catawba Valley Stars (GSL/CVCL) 2009–present | |
Location
L.P. Frans Stadium is located three miles (4.8 km) from I-40 in Winkler Park. It was built on land donated by Elmer Winkler in 1993 and named after the local Pepsi-Cola bottler who partially funded the stadium's construction.[6]
Improvements
Improvements made to the stadium after the 2013 season brought a brand new VIP section, a picnic pavilion, and three outdoor party patios. A completely renovated Crawdads Cafe, suites, and concourse were also a part of the improvements.[7] Following the 2017 season, another round of renovations was announced. The renovations included a new HD video board, a new playing surface, renovated dugouts, replacing the outfield walls, and removing the support poles holding up the protective netting to improve sightlines.
References
- "Sox Shift to Hickory". Chicago Sun-Times. September 22, 1992. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
- "Want to See Crawdads' Opener? Cross Your Claws and Get in Line". The Charlotte Observer. April 16, 1993. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
- Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- "Clients & Projects". Brittain Engineering, Inc. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- "Kudos!" (PDF). Wayne Brothers, Inc. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- Knight, Graham (July 21, 2002). "L.P. Frans Stadium". Baseball Pilgrimages. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- Tinkelenberg, John (December 2, 2013). "Home-Field Advantage". Hickory Daily Record. Retrieved May 30, 2014.