Fayetteville Woodpeckers
The Fayetteville Woodpeckers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and play their home games at Segra Stadium. From 2017 to 2018, the team was known as the Buies Creek Astros and played at Jim Perry Stadium on the campus of Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina.
| Fayetteville Woodpeckers | |||||
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| Minor league affiliations | |||||
| Class | Single-A (2022–present) | ||||
| Previous classes |
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| League | Carolina League (2022–present) | ||||
| Division | South Division | ||||
Previous leagues |
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| Major league affiliations | |||||
| Team | Houston Astros (2017–present) | ||||
| Minor league titles | |||||
| League titles (1) | 2018 | ||||
| Division titles (2) |
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| Team data | |||||
| Name | Fayetteville Woodpeckers (2019–present) | ||||
Previous names | Buies Creek Astros (2017–2018) | ||||
| Colors | Black, red, gray, white | ||||
| Ballpark | Segra Stadium (2019–present) | ||||
Previous parks | Jim Perry Stadium (2017–2018) | ||||
Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | Houston Astros | ||||
| Manager | Ricky Rivera | ||||
History
Buies Creek
The Houston Astros began to scout locations for a baseball stadium to locate a team in Fayetteville in April 2016.[1] In August 2016, a two-team expansion to the Carolina League was approved, with the first franchise assigned to Kinston, North Carolina.[2]
The Fayetteville City Council approved plans to build a new stadium by 2019. This required the team to find a temporary location to play the 2017 and 2018 seasons.[3][4] On November 17, it was announced the team would play at Jim Perry Stadium on the campus of Campbell University in Buies Creek and be known as the Buies Creek Astros for their first two seasons.[5][6] The Astros signed a 30-year lease agreement with the city of Fayetteville in December 2016.[7]
The Buies Creek Astros replaced the Bakersfield Blaze at the Class A-Advanced level, but are not the continuation of the Blaze. The Blaze folded along with the High Desert Mavericks after the 2016 season, contracting the California League and expanding the Carolina League. The Mavericks were replaced by the Kinston-based Down East Wood Ducks.[8]
The Astros won the 2018 Carolina League championship.[9]
Fayetteville
A name-the-team contest was launched to select a name for the team upon its move to Fayetteville. The finalists, selected from over 1,400 suggestions, were "Fatbacks," "Fly Traps," "Jumpers," "Wood Dogs," and "Woodpeckers."[10] The chosen name, "Woodpeckers," was selected in honor of the red-cockaded woodpecker which was once plentiful in Fayetteville but is now an endangered species.[11] The team's colors are black, gray, and red.[12]
The Woodpeckers won in their first game, defeating the Potomac Nationals on the road by a score of 15-0 on April 4, 2019.[13] The Woodpeckers played their first home game at Segra Stadium on April 18, 2019, versus the Carolina Mudcats.[14] Fayetteville was defeated by Carolina, 7–5, before a sellout crowd of 6,202 people.[15]
In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Woodpeckers were organized into the Low-A East.[16] In 2022, the Low-A East became known as the Carolina League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.[17]
Roster
| Players | Coaches/Other | |||
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Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
60-day injured list
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References
- Barksdale, Andrew (April 27, 2016). "Houston Astros looking to bring Class A-Advanced club to Fayetteville". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
- Barksdale, Andrew (August 18, 2016). "Houston Astros exec: Deal with Fayetteville 'exciting, step in the right direction'". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
- Barksdale, Andrew (August 17, 2016). "Fayetteville council says yes to Astros baseball stadium agreement". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
- Kaplan, Jake (October 5, 2016). "Astros searching for temporary home for new Carolina League affiliate". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
- Wild, Danny (November 17, 2016). "Astros headed to Buies Creek in 2017". MiLB.com.
- "Houston Astros announce Buies Creek Astros as temporary Carolina League High A Affiliate for 2017-18 seasons". Campbell University Athletics. Campbell University. November 17, 2016. Archived from the original on November 18, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
- "Astros sign lease deal with Fayetteville: Carolina League affiliate will relocate from Buies Creek for 2019". MiLB.com. December 13, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
- Glaser, Kyle (August 22, 2016). "Bakersfield, High Desert Set To Contract". Baseball America.
- Obley, Patrick (September 12, 2018). "Astros win Carolina League championship". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- Jacobs, Chick (June 23, 2017). "Fayetteville Fatbacks? Ball team name ideas are ... interesting". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
- Reichard, Kevin (November 4, 2018). "New for 2019: Fayetteville Woodpeckers". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
- Woolverton, Paul (May 22, 2018). "Fayetteville baseball team colors announced". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- Batten, Sammy (April 5, 2019). "Batten: Spectacular, memorable debut for Woodpeckers". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- Sheridan, Maura (April 18, 2019). "Mudcats Spoil Segra Stadium Debut". Fayetteville Woodpeckers. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
- "Box Score: Carolina vs. Fayetteville - April 18, 2019". Minor League Baseball. April 18, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
- Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
- "Historical League Names to Return in 2022". Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
