Buies Creek had never hosted professional baseball before 2017. And after 2018, they probably never will again. But due to a unique arrangement established by the Houston Astros, a Carolina League team was allowed to set up shop here while awaiting a new ballpark to be constructed in Fayetteville (about 45 minutes to the south). Apparently the Astros simply wanted a good facility for their players and didn’t care about drawing fans. Because of this, for the baseball purist, it doesn’t get much better than this. Located on the campus of Campbell University, Jim Perry Stadium is also the home of the college team (the Camels). While the field dates back to the 1940’s, a new grandstand was built in 2011 and additional renovations (including an artificial turf field) were completed before the 2017 season.
Hits
- Finding a pure baseball experience is near impossible in today's minor league world, but Jim Perry Stadium offers something very close. Other than walk-up songs for the home team, there is nothing obscuring the atmosphere. No mascot, no sound effects, no between inning contests. For the most part, just the natural sounds of the game can be heard. How refreshing …
- Everything is cheap. General admission tickets are just $5, programs are free, parking is free. Clearly this is a barebones operation just looking to break even.
- A beautiful video board sits behind the right field fence. Many other minor league ballparks, nevermind college fields, have a video board as nice as this one.
- The ballpark is extremely intimate and access to the players is easy for fans. Love how you can literally stand right next to the bullpen on the first base side.
Misses
- Too much netting! All seats are protected by netting which means that there are no clean sightlines.
- While I understand the reasons why artificial turf is installed, I still don’t care for it. The game just doesn’t quite feel the same when it is not played on real grass.
- Because the ballpark is just being used as a temporary home, there is almost no Buies Creek Astros branding to be found anywhere in the ballpark.
Eats
- A single concession stand on the first base side is where a majority of the food items can be purchased from. A couple of carts setup behind home plate also sell pretzels and ice cream.
- Only the basic concession items are available - i.e. hot dogs, nachos, chips, and candy. As expected, prices are cheap.
- Patio-style tables and chairs (with umbrellas) are setup both on the first base side at field level and on top of the third base grandstand. These are available for anyone to sit in.
Jim Perry Stadium offers a no-frills baseball experience unlike one that can be found anywhere else in the minors. If you need mascot races, sound effects, and screaming on-field DJ’s to entertain you, then you probably shouldn’t come to a game here. Because all you will find is a baseball and all the natural sounds that go along with it.
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