Ed Price Field - High Point Hushpuppies

Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FAN FARE Score: 2.14

Ed Price Field 2920 School Park Road High Point, NC 27265

High Point Hushpuppies website

Ed Price Field website

Capacity: 500

Home of the Hushpuppies

The Old North State League is a summer collegiate baseball league consisting of 24 teams, mostly in North Carolina. It is a summer collegiate wood bat league where college players play over the summer after their season ends. One team in the league, the High Point Hushpuppies, plays their home games at Ed Price Field. This is part of the High Point Athletic Complex, which also includes several other fields used by various teams and groups.

Food & Beverage 1

There is one concession stand at Ed Price Field, serving a very basic selection of candy, chips, popcorn, bottled water, and soft drinks. At least the prices are reasonable, with nothing more than $3, but it's best to eat before or after the game. Food and drink can also be brought into the stadium, and we saw some fans openly consuming alcoholic beverages, but as this is a municipal park and North Carolina has notoriously strict alcohol laws, we are not sure this is entirely legal. Despite the team name, no hushpuppies are for sale here, which is slightly disappointing.

Atmosphere 2

Ed Price Field is built into a hill in the woods of the complex. After walking through the gate (more on that later), fans can either put their own chairs on the top of the hill, as many do, or walk down stairs or a ramp to get to the bottom of a tall set of bleachers, then walk up and sit there. You will be watching through a chain link fence instead of netting, but it does not inhibit the view too much.

There is not much going on here other than the game itself - no on field promotions or anything like that. Music is played between innings, but during play you can hear all the chatter on the field. The scoreboard in left-centerfield is not used for Hushpuppies games, but the PA announcer announces the score at the end of every half inning, which helps a bit.

Neighborhood 2

High Point is one of three major cities in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina, along with Greensboro and Winston-Salem. It is a medium-sized city with a lot to offer, but unfortunately Ed Price Field is in a residential neighborhood about a ten minute drive from Downtown. If you head down there to Main Street, Sweet Old Bill's is popular with locals, as are Frady's Taphouse and Eatery and Tom's Place.

Fans 3

The Hushpuppies draw decently well considering this is a low-level league in a small, obscure ballpark and the myriad of other baseball teams in the High Point area and throughout the Piedmont Triad. They will either set up chairs at the top or bottom of the hill or sit in the bleachers. Many of them know the players personally and follow the team all season long. It is a great community feel at a Hushpuppies game, although outsiders will feel welcome as well.

Access 2

High Point is located along I-85 and I-74, about halfway between Durham and Charlotte. Depending on traffic, it could take you between an hour and 90 minutes to drive from either the Raleigh-Durham area or Charlotte to get to High Point. It is part of the Piedmont Triad, which also includes the nearby cities of Greensboro and Winston-Salem.

Getting to the field itself involves driving along several residential streets, and once you are in the complex, it is not immediately clear where to go from there. You will need to park in the lot in between the baseball and football fields, then walk down an unsigned path through the woods to a gate where staff will be standing. You can buy tickets in advance, or buy them at the gate with cash or card.

However, since the team never sells out, and you will have to wait in the same line regardless, we suggest buying at the gate to save the $1.75 convenience fee. You will also get a physical hard ticket if you do this, which is always a plus. You will then continue down the path and either set your chair up at the top of the hill or walk down to the bottom of the bleachers and back up to your seat.

Restrooms are located behind the concession stand and are of a sufficient size for the crowd.

Return on Investment 3

Tickets to Hushpuppies games are just $10. Concessions are very reasonably priced as well, if limited. A visit here certainly won't break the bank, but there is not enough here for it to be more than an average value.

Extras 2

One star for the real physical tickets, which are sadly far too rare today.

The concession stand also sells a limited amount of Hushpuppies merchandise.

Final Thoughts

A High Point Hushpuppies game is a decent fan experience on a summer's night. While this isn't the elaborate fancy experience you will get at most other baseball stadiums in the Piedmont Triad and throughout North Carolina, this is small, friendly community baseball up close and personal. High Point locals who are fans of baseball will want to check this out at some point.