How we got here
The Story
Two teams, two exits and one beautiful ballpark. Here’s what happened, and why the next chapter could look different.
Gastonia did something a lot of cities only talk about: it built a beautiful, city-owned ballpark downtown and brought professional baseball home. CaroMont Health Park opened in 2021 as the anchor of the FUSE District, and for a few summers it delivered exactly what was promised: fireworks nights, packed Friday games and a downtown that felt alive.
Chapter one: the Honey Hunters (2021–2023)
The Atlantic League’s Gastonia franchise was named the Honey Hunters in a community naming contest, in part to honor Ransom Hunter, the first freed slave to own property in Gaston County. The team got good quickly: 88 wins and a Manager of the Year award in 2022, then a division title in 2023.
Then it fell apart off the field. In November 2023 the Atlantic League terminated the team’s membership, citing significant unpaid debts to the league, and the operating company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy weeks later.
Chapter two: the Ghost Peppers (2024–2026)
A new operator stepped in for 2024, playing that season as the Gastonia Baseball Club before fans picked a new name: the Ghost Peppers, complete with Peppy, a six-foot ghost pepper mascot. On September 30, 2026, ownership announced the team was ceasing operations, describing a strategic shift toward arena-based sports and entertainment. The league and the City said they would work together to look for a new team or operator for the ballpark.
The pattern
Two different teams, two different owners, one result. In both cases the future of Gastonia baseball depended on a single operator’s finances and priorities. When the business stopped working for them, the community that bought the tickets, the jerseys and the outfield signs had no seat at the table.
A ballpark is a public investment. Maybe the team should be one too.
Chapter three?
That’s the question behind this site: what if the next team belonged to Gastonia? Communities from Green Bay to Rochester have shown that when the owners are the neighbors, the team doesn’t leave because a spreadsheet somewhere else says it should.
One idea on the table goes further: keeping CaroMont Health Park busy year-round with events beyond baseball, so the team and the park don’t depend on 60 home dates a summer. We’re exploring whether Gastonia can do the same: listening first, gathering the facts and counting how many people want in.
This page will be updated as we learn more. Join the list to get the inside story first.
Sources
- Gastonia Honey Hunters, Wikipedia
- Gastonia Ghost Peppers ceasing operations, WCCB Charlotte, Sept. 30, 2026
- Ghost Peppers fold after two seasons, WBTV, Sept. 30, 2026
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