Hickory, NC- The Hickory Crawdads will join the Carolina League following the 2024 season, entering an exciting and historic competition across the Carolinas and Virginia that dates back to 1945.
The move will allow the ‘Dads to square off against some old familiar foes as well as play some teams for the first time. The “Battle of the Backroads” rivalry with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (formerly the Intimidators), the closest MiLB team to the ‘Dads by mileage, with just 65 miles between the stadiums, will continue.
Other members of the Carolina League include: the Augusta GreenJackets, Carolina Mudcats, Charleston RiverDogs, Columbia Fireflies, Delmarva Shorebirds, Fayetteville Woodpeckers, Fredericksburg FredNats, Lynchburg Hillcats, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, and Salem Red Sox.
The switch in classification will have a significant impact on the number of miles traveled for road games by the Crawdads in future years. The Crawdads currently have five teams at least 470 miles away, while the in the new league alignment, the longest distance Crawdads will travel starting in 2025 is the 470 miles to Delmarva.
The move will return the Crawdads to their roots as a Single-A team, a classification they held from the team’s inception in 1993 through 2020, when they were moved to the Rangers’ High-A team.
The switch from High-A to Single-A will not otherwise affect the Professional Development License with Major League Baseball that will run through the 2030 season.
The Crawdads will continue to be members of the South Atlantic League for the duration of the 2024 season, with no changes to the previously announced game dates or opponents.