GASTONIA, N.C. – The Gastonia Ghost Peppers professional baseball team is shutting down operations immediately and withdrawing from the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, parent company Zawyer Sports & Entertainment announced Wednesday.
The decision marks the end of the franchise’s run at CaroMont Health Park. Team owners cited a strategic shift in their business model toward arena-based sports and entertainment portfolios as the primary reason for the sudden closure.
“This was not a decision we made lightly,” Zawyer Sports & Entertainment said in a statement. “We are incredibly grateful to the employees, players, partners and community leaders who have given so much to the Ghost Peppers and helped make this organization part of Gastonia.”
The Ghost Peppers played in the Atlantic League, an official MLB Partner League. Despite the team’s departure, ownership officials stated they are actively working alongside city administrators and league executives to find a new team or operator to fill the vacancy at the municipally owned CaroMont Health Park.
City officials confirmed Wednesday they are working directly with the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball to find a new use for CaroMont Health Park following the sudden announcement that the facility’s management group is suspending all operations.
“The City of Gastonia will work collaboratively with Zawyer Sports and the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball during this transition period to ensure that the stadium continues to be used in a manner that supports the City’s and the community’s long-term goals,” city administrators said in an official statement.
It was also noted that no additional details regarding the immediate future of the taxpayer-funded stadium are available at this time.
Details regarding ticket refunds for upcoming events or future seasons were not immediately released by the ownership group.
