L.P. Frans Stadium – Hickory Crawdads
- Gregory Koch
- Jun 8
- 4 min read
Photos by Gregory Koch and David Welch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71
L.P. Frans Stadium 2500 Clement Blvd NW Hickory, NC 28601
Year Opened: 1993 Capacity: 5,062
Hickory, Dickory, Dock, the Crawdads Really Rock
Minor League Baseball in Hickory, North Carolina has a long and storied history going back to 1936. However, after 1960, the city did not have a baseball team for over 30 years, until the Hickory Crawdads came to town in 1993. Named for a local crustacean, the team plays their home games at L.P. Frans Stadium, named for a local Pepsi bottler whose daughters helped fund the construction of the stadium.
From 1993 to 2024, the Crawdads played in the South Atlantic League, moving from Low-A to High-A when the league changed levels as part of the restructuring in 2020. However, in 2025, when the Rangers' Low-A affiliate, the Down East Wood Ducks, moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina, the Rangers elected to move the new Spartanburg team up to High-A with its new stadium, and move Hickory down to Low-A. Beginning in 2025, the Crawdads compete in the Carolina League.
Food & Beverage 4
Concessions at L.P. Fans Stadium are above average, packing as much as they can into a small stadium. All the usual classics are here, including hot dogs, burgers, chicken tenders, and personal pizzas (from Domino's.) Although Pepsi products are sold here, the fresh squeezed lemonade is a fan favorite and is better than anything you might get in a bottle. Local North Carolina favorite Cheerwine is also available in bottles at select stands. This is something we would like to see more often at ballparks in North Carolina to represent the local soda brand.
Note that L.P. Frans Stadium is a cashless facility, so the stands only take credit cards. If you have cash, you can exchange it for Crawdads Cash at fan services and pay with that.
Atmosphere 4
LP. Frans Stadium is a fine looking ballpark with a gorgeous brick exterior. Fans enter through a gate behind home plate, and the concourse runs from one end of the seating bowl to the other. Unfortunately, most of it does not have a view of the field. Additionally, while much of the seating bowl will be in the shade for late afternoon games, the concourse itself will be in brutal sunlight. It can be quite annoying to walk out onto it on your way to the restroom or concessions after sitting in the shade for some time.
All seats at the stadium are chairbacks with an excellent view of the action, albeit through a net. There is a large scoreboard in right-centerfield which also shows player stats. The Crawdads have a myriad of promotions on and off the field, which often relate to each other. For instance, when Stadium Journey visited, the Crawdads were playing as their alternate identity, the Goat Karts, so several of the promotions were goat-themed, including baby goats frolicking in a pen outside the ballpark, and a contest where three (human) kids had to do the best goat impressions that they could. The Crawdads have a mascot named Conrad, who rather appropriately is a crawdad.
Neighborhood 2
The Crawdads play in Hickory, North Carolina, in the eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. L.P. Frans Stadium is located in between the local airport and a Pepsi bottling plant, so there is not much in the immediate vicinity, but if you head back to Route 321, which you would be taking to get in, you can find a few, mostly chain options. Still, Hickory is one of the smallest, most remote markets in minor league baseball, so there is very little going on here.
Fans 3
Hickory has a small but loyal fan base. Although they only draw a couple thousand fans a game, those who do show up come early and stay for the whole game. Many of them are season ticket holders or at least come to a lot of games a season. A Crawdads game is a community experience for the fans, something which sadly seems to be lost across most of affiliated minor league baseball nowadays as the game becomes more corporatized.
Access 3
Hickory is located at the intersection of I-40 and US Route 321. Route 321 is an expressway to the south of Hickory until you get to the Gastonia area about an hour to the south, but if coming from the north, it will involve steep mountain grades across the Blue Ridge and heavy traffic. There is a large parking lot adjacent to the stadium, with an overflow lot next to that which necessitates taking a flight of stairs down to the closer lot. Parking costs $5, and only credit cards are accepted.
Once inside, the concourse is wide and restrooms are sufficient.
Return on Investment 5
Crawdads tickets start at just $12 with the most expensive seats being just $14. We recommend getting seats in the 200 sections behind home plate for $13, as these offer the best view while still being in the shade the vast majority of the time, except the rare morning start. Parking is just $5, and concessions are affordable as well.
Overall, a Crawdads game is an outstanding value, but bear in mind this is a cashless facility.
Extras 5
Look for the statues of a pitcher, catcher, and batter outside the stadium, always a popular photo op.
A second star for the kids' play area on the third base concourse, featuring a merry-go-round, bouncy castle, and more.
Scorecards are available at the fan services table, a rarity nowadays as keeping score is a lost art. If your scorecard has a certain player's signature on it, you can win a prize.
The team store behind home plate sells an extensive selection of Crawdads gear, including their alternate identities, the Hickory Goat Karts, the Hickory Dickory Docks, and the Llamas de Hickory.
The restrooms are cleverly labeled Crawdudes and Crawdettes, though they are also labeled conventionally in case you can't figure out which one is which.
Final Thoughts
A Hickory Crawdads game may be small town baseball in a remote location, but it is still a worthwhile experience. L.P. Frans Stadium is gorgeous architecturally, and the Crawdads do a good job with promotions and fan engagement. It is disappointing they do not draw bigger crowds, but given its location, there may be little they can do about that.
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