HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – The Hickory Crawdads and Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) are going to battle on April 2 in an exhibition game at L.P Frans Stadium.
CVCC RED HAWKS
VS.
HICKORY CRAWDADS
April 2
L.P. Frans Stadium
The Crawdads, entering their first season under the ownership of the Texas Rangers, announced the match-up on Tuesday via a press release.
The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start with the gates opening at 5 p.m.
All seating for the game will be general admission and free compliments of the Catawba County Partnership for Children, which will be on site on game day to accept donations for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
The Partnership is a program actively working to ensure children are prepared for success by the time the reach kindergarten. More than 5,000 children are currently enrolled.
Concession stands and the Catawba Farms Crawdads Café will be open during the exhibition, which will be the debut of a new-look Frans Stadium. The stadium has undergone a series of off-season 
renovations, including a brand new video board, a new playing surface, new outfield walls and new protective netting behind home plate.
The exhibition game will give fans their first look at the Hickory lineup for the 2018 season in the South Atlantic League (SAL).
Hickory opens its regular-season schedule April 7, playing four games in Greensboro before then playing three games at Delmarva, Md.
The Crawdads’ home opener is April 12 against West Virginia and begins the club’s 26th season at Frans Stadium.
Tickets for the season go on sale Friday and will be available on Saturday at Spring Fling. Group tickets, luxury suites and party patios are on sale for all 70 home games.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call the club office at (828) 322-3000 or visit the office from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.