HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – L.P. Frans Stadium — already one of the top playing venues in South Atlantic League (SAL) baseball — is getting a $1 million update.
The Texas Rangers, who have purchased the Class-A Hickory Crawdads, announced the improvements in a press release by the Crawdads on Tuesday after officials from the Rangers, Crawdads and the City of Hickory spoke at the stadium.
The Rangers will provide the initial funding of approximately $1 million for the 2018 stadium improvements with the City of Hickory reimbursing the club that amount over the next two years.
Texas officials also announced the team plans to make future stadium improvements in areas such as food service and maintenance equipment. That will be fully funded by the Texas organization.
The stadium improvements, scheduled to be completed by April when the SAL season begins, will come for the 26th season of minor league baseball in Hickory, and the Rangers announced they have also signed a new stadium lease with the City of Hickory extends through 2022 and includes an option through 2027.
L.P. Frans Stadium will have $1 million in improvements added for the 2018 baseball season, the Texas Rangers officials announced on Tuesday in Hickory. The Rangers, the parent club of the Hickory Crawdads, purchased the franchise. Frans Stadium opened in 1993.
“The Texas Rangers are proud and honored to have acquired a franchise that thrived under the stewardship of Don Beaver and his ownership for the last quarter century,” Neil Leibman, Chairman of the Texas Rangers Ownership Committee and the new president of the Crawdads, said in the press release. “We are so pleased to be able to announce a series of improvements to one of the South Atlantic League’s finest parks that will allow fans and players to have an even better experience at LP Frans Stadium.”
Liebman’s comments came at L.P. Frans Stadium, which was originally built in 1993 when minor league baseball returned to Hickory.
These improvements will be made at the stadium:
— A new stadium video board in right-center field that’s expected to measure 16 feet high and 54 feet in length. The current board at L.P. Frans is 12 feet high and 20 feet in length.
— An entirely new playing surface, including new infield and outfield sod, new dirt in the infield and on the warning track, and a new irrigation system.
— New protective netting behind home plate and down the right-field line that will eliminate many of the current large structure poles that have caused problems with sightlines.
— A totally rebuilt outfield wall with new padding that will run from foul pole to foul pole. The height of the outfield wall will remain at eight feet.
— Renovated first and third base dugouts to include new flooring, steps, and benches as well as rebuilt bat and helmet racks.
For information on tickets for 2018 Hickory Crawdads home games, call (828) 322-3000 or go to crawdad@hickorycrawdads.com.