Wilson, North Carolina
⚾ Wilson Warbirds

Ask any fan of the sport and they’ll tell you North Carolina is known as a cradle of baseball. While the state doesn’t host an MLB franchise, it’s home to the American Legion World Series in Shelby, hosts USA Baseball along with the Division II World Series in Cary and contains 11 minor league teams overall. The newest one – the Wilson Warbirds – resides in a town that is anything but new to America’s Pastime, with the city of Wilson having hosted the game for over a century.

The tale begins in 1908 when the Wilson Tobacconists – later shortened to Tobs – emerged. 31 years later, the team moved into historic Fleming Stadium and from 1997 to 2025, a rebooted summer collegiate version of the the Tobs competed in the Coastal Plain League. They would win the circuit’s Petitt Cup before moving to nearby Smithfield and, while Fleming Stadium and the NC Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame next door still exist, a new era of baseball in Wilson is now underway.

Wilson Ballpark was built as the new home for the Single-A Carolina Mudcats, who relocated to downtown in 2026 after spending 35 seasons at Five County Stadium in nearby Zebulon. The Mudcats rebranded as the Wilson Warbirds, a name which pays tribute to both the area’s World War II aviation heritage as well as veteran Vollis Simpson, who became known for creating wind-powered kinetic sculptures called “whirligigs”. These sculptures are featured prominently in a park next door and can be seen just beyond the outfield at Wilson Ballpark.

The 5,000-seat ballpark made its debut on April 14, 2026, with a sellout crowd on hand as the Warbirds claimed victory, 7-5, over the Hill City Howlers. The ballpark features a large team store, a 360-degree concourse, a right-field picnic area, luxury suites, a year-round children’s play area and a ballpark club and lounge facility that can hold up to 250 people.

Arguably, the most unique feature is a five-story, 116-room hotel in left field. The ground floor hosts team offices and player facilities, while many of the rooms boast views of the diamond. Like many new stadiums across the country, the ballpark will be the centerpiece of a mixed-use development that will include retail, offices and apartments, making it a destination adjacent to Wilson’s reinvigorated downtown.

Take a listen to my interviews with the Warbirds’ broadcast crew!

Chris Edwards

Ben Mihailovich