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 did not share why it is stopping, but it comes amid the city’s three-year fight in court for 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.
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.
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The city says it plans to work closely with the team’s operator, Zawyer Sports, and the Atlantic League to ensure the stadium continues to support “the community’s long-term goals.”