Gastonia Ghost Peppers
The Gastonia Ghost Peppers are a professional baseball team based in Gastonia, North Carolina, which began play in 2024. They compete in the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball. The Ghost Peppers play their home games at CaroMont Health Park, which opened in 2021. The team was known as the Gastonia Baseball Club in 2024 before becoming the Ghost Peppers in 2025.
History
In November 2023, the Atlantic League terminated the membership of the Gastonia Honey Hunters, citing significant unpaid debts to the league, and announced the intent to field another team in Gastonia, North Carolina, in 2024. In February 2024, new owners of a yet-to-be-named Atlantic League team to play at CaroMont Health Park were announced. The city and Zawyer Sports & Entertainment signed a 15-year stadium lease agreement. The new team hired the manager |general manager] and manager of the Honey Hunters, as well as other coaches.The Gastonia Baseball Club played their first game on April 25, 2024, a 3–2 loss to the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. Their first win came the next day against the same opponent, 7–3, allowing no hits until the eighth inning.