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  • Writer's pictureJoseph Oakes

Jim Perry Stadium - Campbell Fighting Camels



Photo by Joseph Oakes, Stadium Journey


Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29

Jim Perry Stadium 76 Upchurch Ln Lillington, NC 27546

Year Opened: 1940's / Rebuilt in 2013 Capacity: 1250

 

Home Of The Camels

Jim Perry Stadium, formerly Taylor Field, dates back to the 1940s when Campbell was a junior college. The stadium is named for Jim Perry, former Campbell player and Cy Young Award winner in 1970. However, the stadium as it stands today was constructed in 2011-12. These renovations included a new grandstand and press box, new dugouts, a ticket booth, a restroom, and concession facilities.


The stadium was officially dedicated on March 26, 2013, as Campbell defeated Duke 6-3. More upgrades took place in 2017, which included the Jim and Daphne Perry Pavilion above the third base dugout which has new chairback seating, a viewing deck, locker rooms, and offices for the baseball staff.


Jim Perry Stadium served as the home of the Houston Astros Class A affiliate in 2017-2018 while their new ballpark was being built in Fayetteville, NC. With this agreement, the Astros provided a new synthetic turf surface and a new 35 x 42-foot video board for Jim Perry Stadium. The ballpark now seats 1250 fans and is one of the nicest ballparks in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).

 

Food & Beverage 4

 For what is a relatively small ballpark, Jim Perry Stadium offers a good variety of concessions. These offerings include chicken sandwiches, beef hot dogs, pizza, nacho, hot pretzels, popcorn, peanuts, chips, and cotton candy. There are a couple of items that you should try: the Creek Dog, an all-beef hot dog topped with cole slaw, BBQ sauce, and crispy onions; as well as the certified Angus beef cheeseburger. Both of these are grilled on-site and are delicious!

 

Beverage options include Pepsi products and bottled water. As Campbell is a Baptist-affiliated University, there are no alcoholic beverages offered.

 

Atmosphere 3

 Jim Perry is a brick facility that has grandstand seating running from dugout to dugout. The three sections behind the plate are chairback, while the sections directly adjacent to the dugout are benchback. Above the Campbell dugout on the third base line is the Jim and Daphne Perry Pavilion with four rows of chairback seating and a viewing platform with picnic tables and umbrellas. There is additional seating in an area called “the Hump”, which is tiered seating on a grass hill down the right field line and in the outfield. There is a large video board in right field, that shows the line score and other in-game graphics. However, there are no video replays shown. One thing that we noticed in our recent visit was that the PA announcer is extremely quiet when announcing batters. The playing surface is all turf, and a large Camel logo is in the centerfield.

 

If you have a choice, we recommend sitting in the chairback seats above the third-base dugout. They are elevated and offer a great view of the field. However, if you are attending an afternoon game, the sun will be in your eyes, so you may want to sit somewhere else.

 

Neighborhood 2

 Campbell University is located in the tiny town of Buies Creek, NC, between the larger towns of Lillington and Dunn on US 421. Its population is just over 2,000. Other than a couple of fast food places on campus (Chick-fil-A, Moe’s Southwest Grill), there is not much else to choose from. If you are looking for somewhere to eat or stay, our recommendation is to take the short drive to Dunn. It is located on I-95 and has a few restaurants and hotels to choose from. The larger cities of Raleigh and Fayetteville are approximately 30 miles away in either direction and offer many more activities if you desire.

 

Fans 4

 Campbell baseball is in the midst of its most successful run in program history, making the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five seasons. Therefore, fan support is at an all-time high. While games may not always sell out, one can expect a crowd of 800-1000 for most games. Games against local rivals ECU, UNC, and NC State almost always sell out, so we recommend buying tickets for these games ahead of time.

 

Access 5

 Access to Jim Perry Stadium is a breeze. Since Buies Creek is such a small town, there is almost no traffic when approaching Campbell’s campus. The stadium sits on campus adjacent to Gore Arena so it is not hard to find at all. Parking is plentiful in the lot behind the scoreboard.

 

The ticket office and main entrance are located on the first base side. Once inside the stadium, there is a sidewalk that goes around the stadium. The restrooms and concessions are also located on the first base side. The concession line can get backed up for games with big crowds. There is a large walkway in front of the grandstand seating, and there are a few places for the handicapped to sit. There is also a grass walkway on the third base side that leads to tiered seating on a grass hill around the right field foul pole.

 

Return on Investment 4

 Tickets for most games range from $7-$15, while games against local rivals such as UNC and ECU are $10-$20. Children 12 and under can get in for free if they sit on “the Hump”. Concession prices are not bad and parking is free. Overall not a bad deal for a team that is always near the top 25 and making NCAA regionals.

 

Extras 1

 One extra point for the several Camel graphics around the ballpark, and the “Woop Woop” (from the Geico camel commercial) when Campbell hits a home run.

 

Final Thoughts

While Jim Perry Stadium is a relatively smaller college stadium, it is the perfect size for Campbell baseball. In the baseball-rich state of NC with several ranked programs within a couple of hours of Buies Creek, Campbell Baseball is carving out its niche with the recent success of the program. We recommend a trip to Buies Creek to see the Campbell Camels!

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