LOCAL

Diggin' in: Gastonia 's new professional baseball team, stadium set for grand debut

Joe L Hughes II
The Gaston Gazette
Spectators look on during Sunday's exhibition game at CaroMont Health Park featuring the Gastonia Honey Hunters and High Point Rockers.

On one of his many strolls Sunday around CaroMont Health Park, David Martin stopped for a moment to survey a scene he’s been looking forward to at Gastonia’s new 5,000-seat multi-purpose facility.

“It’s been a blast, I love what I do,” he said. “I like doing a little bit of everything. I want to see fans having a good time, and I’d say that’s the case (Sunday). They are enjoying the atmosphere, the experience. I’m super excited with what we have here.”

For Martin, the chief operating officer for the Gastonia Honey Hunters, the expansion franchise set to join the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, Sunday’s exhibition game against the High Point Rockers was only a side dish for the main course in store starting this week. 

After months of anticipation, the Honey Hunters will make history Thursday night when they begin play at CaroMont Health Park. The ALPB club will host the Lancaster (Pennsylvania) Barnstormers, with the first pitch at 6:50 p.m.

Prior to that, however, franchise owner Brandon Bellamy, Gastonia Mayor Walker Reid and other dignitaries will officially christen the $28 million ballpark for play in pregame ceremonies starting at 6 p.m.

Though home plate, dugout and bullpen box seats are sold out for Thursday’s opener, general admission tickets remain available online at gohoneyhunters.com and at the stadium box office. 

To start the 2021 baseball campaign, the Honey Hunters will welcome 2,000 fans to the stadium for games. Approximately half of that number showed up for Sunday’s exhibition contest, giving Martin a glimpse of what Thursday may have to offer.

“We expect the atmosphere will be even more electric than it is today,” Martin added. “With the fan base, our plan is to entertain, entertain, entertain. We’re going to be doing a ton of giveaways, fireworks on Friday nights, we’re currently talking to some character companies about coming out and doing entertainment on certain nights.”

CaroMont Health Park is 304 feet from home plate to the left field wall, a chain link fence adding height to a short porch. The centerfield wall is 400 feet from home plate, with 326 feet needed to clear the wall in right field.

Part of the ALPB, the Gastonia franchise will play 120 games in its debut season — 60 of them at home — which runs from late May into October. 

Fans stand for the National Anthem on Sunday during the Gastonia Honey Hunters' exhibition game at CaroMont Health Park in Gastonia.

A taste of home

Though not exactly a cold, refreshing bottle of Sun Drop, Reilly Hovis took a piece of his hometown with him wherever baseball happened to take him next.

A place where his love for the game took root, the Gastonia native’s inner child leapt a few months ago as construction crews frantically worked to put the finishing touches on what was the FUSE Stadium project.

“My family still lives in the area, and as a kid I grew up playing at Sims Legion Park,” Hovis said in March. “I played baseball at Forestview, about 10 minutes from the stadium so it was always pretty cool to have that in your backyard.

“But I’ve driven by the new stadium, obviously kept up with the news stories and kept up with the biddings. 

Hovis won’t have to wait much longer to get a firsthand experience, the Forestview product among the Honey Hunters’ first signings in March.

“I haven’t played in Gaston County since I left high school. This will be awesome to be part of,” Hovis said. “I’m just excited for the city of Gastonia. This team, this stadium are going to be a great asset to the city and I can’t wait to get the ball rolling.”

In addition to Hovis, others in the Honey Hunters’ barrage of arms include Carl Brice, Jamie Callahan, Alexis Candelario, Kaleb Earls, Jay Gause, T.J. Goco, Donnie Hart, William Kirwan, Chris Lee, A.J. Merkel, Jailen Peguero, Ian Schweppe and Robby Scott.

Catchers Alec Allred, Ermindo Escobar and Luis Touron will be joined in the dugout by infielders Alexis Gomez, Jordan Howard, J.C. Pena, William Salas, Emmanuel Tapia and Tregra Williams. Outfielders Will Johnson, Mike Papi, Boog Powell, Josh Sale, Osvaldo Santilien, Jake Skole, Colton Whitehouse and Miles Williams round out the Honey Hunters’ roster.

The club will be managed by retired big league pitcher Mauro ‘Goose’ Gozzo. In six years, he made 48 career appearances with three teams (Cleveland Indians, 1990-91; Minnesota Twins, 1992; Mets, 1993-94). Gozzo finished with a 7-7 career record.

At the minor league level, the Honey Hunters manager made 349 appearances with 79 wins lumped among them. In 1,134.2 innings, Gozzo struck out 692 batters while earning a 3.83 ERA.

Prior to joining the Honey Hunters, Gozzo served as field manager and pitching coach for the New Britain Bees, a former ALPB franchise. He’s also served as a private instructor and coached a nationally-ranked travel baseball team for the past nine years based out of his home state of Connecticut.

Gozzo said he hopes to build a roster that is strong up the middle, pitch well and fundamentally sound in the field.

You can reach Joe Hughes at 704-914-8138, email jhughes@gastongazette.com and follow on Twitter @JoeLHughesII.