Professional sports in North Carolina’s Triangle region reached a fever pitch in the 1990s. The Carolina Hurricanes, the only Big 4 sports team in the state, moved from Hartford to Raleigh. Meanwhile, the famed Durham Bulls – riding the national popularity of the movie Bull Durham – moved into the brand-new Durham Bulls Athletic Park and was soon elevated to Triple-A status.

But before all that came the Carolina Mudcats.

The Arrival of the Mudcats

Led by businessman Steve Bryan, the Mudcats joined the Double-A Southern League. While the team was new to North Carolina, the Mudcats name had been around for decades in Columbus, Georgia. Their logo, a catfish swimming through the letter “C,” quickly became iconic. Muhammad Ali, George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter were among many spotted wearing Mudcats hats.

Because the Durham Bulls held territorial rights across much of the Triangle, including Raleigh, the Mudcats settled as close as possible to the state capital without encroachment. They landed in Zebulon, a small town east of the Triangle near the intersection of five counties – Wake, Johnston, Nash, Franklin and Wilson – giving the ballpark its iconic name.

Construction delays forced the team to play briefly at Wilson’s Fleming Stadium, but on July 3, 1991, Five County Stadium officially opened. In front of 7,333 fans, well over the 6,500-seat capacity, the Mudcats dropped their first home game to the Greenville Braves, losing 6-5. From that day on, the Mudcats and their mascot, Muddy the Mudcat, became a beloved part of the region.

Big Names and Championships

One of the stadium’s most memorable moments came in 1994 and 1995, when Michael Jordan took a break from his NBA career to play baseball with the Birmingham Barons, a fellow Southern League team. His trips to Zebulon felt like a homecoming, just two hours from his hometown of Wilmington and an hour from his college days at UNC Chapel Hill.

The Mudcats earned their first Southern League championship in 1995, defeating the Chattanooga Lookouts. They captured their second title in 2003, topping the Huntsville Stars. Their Double-A tenure came to an end in 2011, when the franchise was sold and moved to Pensacola, becoming the Blue Wahoos.

A New Chapter in Zebulon

But baseball in Zebulon didn’t end there. In 2012, the Kinston Indians relocated here, adopting the Mudcats name and joining the Class-A Carolina League. This shift offered a better geographic fit and less travel for the team.

Over the years, the Mudcats have been affiliated with seven Major League organizations: the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves and, currently, the Milwaukee Brewers.

The End of an Era

Yesterday, the Mudcats played their final regular-season home game at Five County Stadium, falling 1–0 to the Delmarva Shorebirds. Their last home win came just days earlier in a 7-5 victory over the same team.

In 2023, the franchise announced it would relocate 24 miles east to Wilson, rebranding as the Warbirds beginning in the 2026 season. The move promises excitement for Wilson but also marks the end of an era for the thousands of fans who, for 35 years, filled the seats at Five County Stadium.

Fans will remember more than just baseball: buying iconic Mudcats gear at the cleverly named Tackle Box, grabbing food from Baitshop concessions, including Bright Leaf hot dogs from Smithfield’s Carolina Packers, sipping Olde Raleigh whiskey distilled just three miles away, and washing it all down with Pepsi born in New Bern, just over 100 miles southeast.

What’s Next for Five County Stadium?

The ballpark’s future remains uncertain, though sports of some kind are expected to remain in Zebulon after 2026. Thanks to its location off US 264 and NC 39 – where the Mudcats’ iconic water tower still rises above the landscape – its proximity to Raleigh and its connection to five counties, the stadium should continue to attract strong crowds.

Five County Stadium may not always look the same, and it may no longer house the Mudcats, but its history, iconic logo and the many future MLB stars who passed through its gates have left a lasting mark on the Triangle sports scene and Minor League Baseball as a whole.

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Take a listen to my interview with Chris Edwards, voice of the Mudcats.