Fayetteville Woodpeckers

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Fayetteville Woodpeckers
Founded in 2017
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fay Woodpeckers.png Fay Woodpeckers cap.png
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
ClassLow-A (2021–present)
Previous classesClass A-Advanced (2017–2020)
LeagueLow-A East (2021–present)
DivisionCentral Division
Previous leagues
Carolina League (2017–2020)
Major league affiliations
TeamHouston Astros (2017–present)
Minor league titles
League titles (1)2018
Division titles (2)
  • 2018
  • 2019
Team data
NameFayetteville Woodpeckers (2019–present)
Previous names
Buies Creek Astros (2017–2018)
ColorsBlack, red, gray, white
       
BallparkSegra Stadium (2019–present)
Previous parks
Jim Perry Stadium (2017–2018)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
Houston Astros
ManagerRay Hernandez

The Fayetteville Woodpeckers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Low-A East and the Low-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and play their home games at Segra Stadium. From 2017 to 2018, the team was known as the Buies Creek Astros and played at Jim Perry Stadium on the campus of Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. They were members of the Carolina League from 2017 to 2020.

Team history[]

Buies Creek[]

The Houston Astros began to scout locations for a baseball stadium to locate a team in Fayetteville in April 2016.[1] In August 2016, a two-team expansion to the Carolina League was approved, with the first franchise assigned to Kinston, North Carolina.[2]

The Fayetteville City Council approved plans to build a new stadium by 2019. This required the team to find a temporary location to play the 2017 and 2018 seasons.[3][4] On November 17, it was announced the team would play at Jim Perry Stadium on the campus of Campbell University in Buies Creek and be known as the Buies Creek Astros for their first two seasons.[5][6] The Astros signed a 30-year lease agreement with the city of Fayetteville in December 2016.[7]

The Buies Creek Astros replaced the Bakersfield Blaze at the Class A-Advanced level, but are not the continuation of the Blaze. The Blaze folded along with the High Desert Mavericks after the 2016 season, contracting the California League and expanding the Carolina League. The Mavericks were replaced by the Kinston-based Down East Wood Ducks.[8]

The Astros won the 2018 Carolina League championship.[9]

Fayetteville[]

A name-the-team contest was launched to select a name for the team upon its move to Fayetteville. The finalists, selected from over 1,400 suggestions, were "Fatbacks," "Fly Traps," "Jumpers," "Wood Dogs," and "Woodpeckers."[10] The chosen name, "Woodpeckers," was selected in honor of the red-cockaded woodpecker which was once plentiful in Fayetteville but is now an endangered species.[11] The team's colors are black, gray, and red.[12]

The Woodpeckers won in their first game, defeating the Potomac Nationals on the road by a score of 15-0 on April 4, 2019.[13] The Woodpeckers played their first home game at Segra Stadium on April 18, 2019, versus the Carolina Mudcats.[14] Fayetteville was defeated by Carolina, 7–5, before a sellout crowd of 6,202 people.[15]

In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Woodpeckers were organized into the Low-A East.[16]

Roster[]

Fayetteville Woodpeckers roster
  • v
  • t
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 45 Jose Betances
  • 41 Whit Drennan
  • 26 Freylin Garcia
  • 29 Kevin Holcomb
  • 11 Ernesto Jaquez
  • 37 Alfredi Jimenez
  • 44 Peyton Plumlee
  • 43 Fabricio Reina
  • 18 Julio Robaina
  • 31 Alex Santos
  • 46 Jayson Schroeder
  • 47 Jonathan Sprinkle
  • 30 Misael Tamarez
  • 48 Diosmerky Taveras
  • 50 Heitor Tokas
  •  1 Luis Vega

Catchers

  • 17 Nathan Perry
  • 23 Nerio Rodriguez

Infielders

  • 22 Yohander Martinez
  • 20 Yeuris Ramirez
  •  3 Ronaldo Urdaneta

Outfielders

  • 16 Jordan Brewer
  • 10 Kenedy Corona
  • 35 Justin Dirden
  •  9 Cesar Gomez

Manager

  • 12 Ray Hernandez

Coaches

  • 21 Sean Godfrey (hitting)
  • 19 Todd Naskedov (pitching)
  • 15 Joe Thon (development)

60-day injured list

  • -- Garrett Gayle
  • -- Ryan Gusto
  • -- Zack Matthews
  • 38 Christian Mejias
  • -- Manny Ramirez

Injury icon 2.svg 7-day injured list
* On Houston Astros 40-man roster
~ Development list
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
± Taxi squad
† Temporarily inactive list
Roster updated July 20, 2021
 Transactions
→ More rosters: MiLB • Low-A East
 → Houston Astros minor league players

References[]

  1. ^ Barksdale, Andrew (April 27, 2016). "Houston Astros looking to bring Class A-Advanced club to Fayetteville". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  2. ^ Barksdale, Andrew (August 18, 2016). "Houston Astros exec: Deal with Fayetteville 'exciting, step in the right direction'". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  3. ^ Barksdale, Andrew (August 17, 2016). "Fayetteville council says yes to Astros baseball stadium agreement". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  4. ^ Kaplan, Jake (October 5, 2016). "Astros searching for temporary home for new Carolina League affiliate". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  5. ^ Wild, Danny (November 17, 2016). "Astros headed to Buies Creek in 2017". MiLB.com.
  6. ^ "Houston Astros announce Buies Creek Astros as temporary Carolina League High A Affiliate for 2017-18 seasons". Campbell University Athletics. Campbell University. November 17, 2016. Archived from the original on November 18, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  7. ^ "Astros sign lease deal with Fayetteville: Carolina League affiliate will relocate from Buies Creek for 2019". MiLB.com. December 13, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  8. ^ Glaser, Kyle (August 22, 2016). "Bakersfield, High Desert Set To Contract". Baseball America.
  9. ^ Obley, Patrick (September 12, 2018). "Astros win Carolina League championship". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  10. ^ Jacobs, Chick (June 23, 2017). "Fayetteville Fatbacks? Ball team name ideas are ... interesting". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
  11. ^ Reichard, Kevin (November 4, 2018). "New for 2019: Fayetteville Woodpeckers". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  12. ^ Woolverton, Paul (May 22, 2018). "Fayetteville baseball team colors announced". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  13. ^ Batten, Sammy (April 5, 2019). "Batten: Spectacular, memorable debut for Woodpeckers". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  14. ^ Sheridan, Maura (April 18, 2019). "Mudcats Spoil Segra Stadium Debut". Fayetteville Woodpeckers. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  15. ^ "Box Score: Carolina vs. Fayetteville - April 18, 2019". Minor League Baseball. April 18, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  16. ^ Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Retrieved February 12, 2021.

External links[]

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