South Carolina Just Broke Ground On Its First Minor League Ballpark In Spartanburg Since 1926

South Carolina is about to add a sixth minor league baseball team into the mix, which will mean you can catch a game with one of the current teams in the state including the Columbia Fireflies, the Charleston RiverDogs, the Greenville Drive, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, and the (North) Augusta GreenJackets, and soon also a Spartanburg team. This will bring minor league baseball back to Spartanburg for the first time since 1995 when the Phillies moved to Kannapolis, North Carolina. With the new team coming to town, the city broke ground in November 2023 on a new minor-league ballpark in downtown Spartanburg that will be the team's home.

Pictured above is a throwback of Duncan Stadium, which was the home stadium for the Phillies. It opened in 1926 and has been an important place for memorable moments in baseball through the years. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016 and currently serves as home to the Spartanburg High School baseball team.

Renderings for the new stadium, which will be called Fifth Third Park, provide just a glimpse of what the park will be like. Part of a $500 million project, new apartments, a hotel, retail, offices, and a parking deck will also be built. The goal is to keep prices for watching baseball low so it's affordable for the average fan and family.

Tyson Jeffers, the General Manager of the Spartanburg Professional Baseball Club, says the vision for the project is to continue adding different pieces as it evolves over time to make sure every year there’s something new and fresh for people coming back to see.

A special ground-breaking ceremony was held to commemorate the official start of the build process.

The Spartanburg community is excited to welcome minor-league baseball back and to anticipate how this will bring people together and benefit the city.

The stadium will be home to the Texas Rangers Single-A Affiliate, currently known as the Down East Wood Ducks.

A new team name and branding have been determined but will not be announced until April 2024. It's not yet known if they will move to High A from Low A to compete with the Greenville Drive, a minor-league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

Grab a stadium seat and get ready for some great baseball in Spartanburg! Don't miss Wade's Family Restaurant in Spartanburg for a good meal while you're in town.

Do you have any guesses as to what the team name might be?