An era will end tonight for the Kannapolis Intimidators (Low A; Sally League), as the team hosts its final game at Intimidators Stadium.
Following the conclusion of the 2019 campaign, the Intimidators franchise–which previously announced plans to rebrand before next season–will move into a new downtown Kannapolis ballpark. Dubbed the Kannapolis Sports and Entertainment Venue (SEV), the new ballpark is being positioned as the anchor of the City of Kannapolis’s broader Downtown Revitalization Project. It should draw plenty of attention when it opens in April, but in the interim, the Intimidators are closing out their run at Intimidators Stadium.
When it opened as Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium in 1995, the ballpark became the home of the Piedmont Phillies, who had relocated from Spartanburg, SC. The franchise underwent a few name changes along the way–rebranding as the Piedmont Boll Weevils before the 1996 season, then later adopting the current Intimidators name prior to the 2001 campaign–while continuing to call the ballpark its home.
Thursday night’s game against the Hagerstown Suns will mark the last time that the Intimidators suit up at Intimidators Stadium. The team has several promotions planned to recognize the event, including a commemorative t-shirt giveaway to the first 1,000 fans in attendance, postgame fireworks, and all fans run the bases. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Tonight we celebrate 25 seasons of memories and baseball, as we take the field for the final time at Intimidators Stadium. pic.twitter.com/FMSOl0U3ex
— Kannapolis Intimidators (@Intimidators) August 29, 2019
Currently, the Kannapolis SEV is expected to host its first game on April 16, 2020. Kannapolis will take on the visiting West Virginia Power in that contest.
Image courtesy Kannapolis Intimidators.