GASTONIA, N.C. — City leaders announced Wednesday that the Gastonia Ghost Peppers will cease operations, leaving the city without a minor league baseball team once again.
The Ghost Peppers played the last three seasons at CaroMont Health Park in Gastonia.
The team cited financial challenges.
This comes amid the city’s three-year court fight over land just outside the stadium, including a parking lot that fans haven’t been able to use. The land is owned by the owner of the former Honey Hunters baseball team.
Channel 9’s Ken Lemon obtained new documents between the team and the city.
On Wednesday, Zawyer Sports, the owners of the Gastonia Ghost Peppers baseball team, sent a letter to the city of Gastonia. It said the group “has faced and continues to face, significant and sustained financial challenges that have made it impossible to continue operating on a viable basis.”
Mayor Richard Franks told Channel 9 all isn’t lost.
“There will be baseball next year. There should be baseball next year,” Franks said.
He said two months ago, Zawyer Sports raised concerns, and he connected the group with a local organization, but nothing came of it.
He said now that Zawyer Sports is out, the local group is back, and the two sides are discussing plans that involve more than baseball games.
“Knows the ins and outs of doing festivals. The ins and outs of doing concerts,” Franks said.
He said the last two owners of Gastonia baseball teams couldn’t hit a home run at the park because their event planning was lacking.
He said the local group wants to take over, but the city can’t wait for a request-for-proposals process.
“We can have baseball, but if we have to go through an extended RFP and all this good stuff, we are not going to get what we need,” Franks said.
A former municipal attorney said local governments normally must use an RFP process, but there are exceptions.
Lemon reached out to the Ghost Peppers with more questions about their exit. He had not heard back by late Thursday afternoon.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Gastonia Honey Hunters file for bankruptcy, stalling city’s plans for new team
- Honey Hunters owner countersues Gastonia over financial problems
The Honey Hunters’ membership in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball was pulled in 2023 because the team had more than $1 million in debt.
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
