Tonight the Edenton Steamers kick off their 2022 season with their home opener coming this Saturday. The Steamers are an integral part of every summer, and their home opener is one of the most anticipated nights of the year in Edenton.
So, in celebration of another Steamers season, here are 7 things you should know about the Edenton Steamers.
The Steamers are kicking off their 25th season
This season marks the 25th season of the Edenton Steamers. For a quarter of a century, summer nights in June and July have been dominated by the Steamers, with the smell of hot dogs, popcorn, and fresh donuts wafting out over Edenton. It’s an Edenton tradition in the fullest sense.
The Steamers play in one of the most historic venues on the east coast.
Hicks Field, first built in 1939, is the oldest remaining wooden grandstand in North Carolina. Over its history, Hicks Field has played host to numerous different teams including minor league affiliates, high school teams, and since 1998, the Edenton Steamers. Hicks Field was added to the National Register of Historic Places and has been named one of the best summer collegiate baseball venues in America.
This year’s team has a lot of players familiar with Hicks Field.
Up and down the roster, the Steamers welcome back familiar players from previous successful seasons. And, the new head coach for the Steamers, Justin Hill, has been a longtime coach at nearby Currituck High School, coaching and even playing here. Hicks Field experience runs deeper than ever this year.
Steamers Alumni are sprinkled throughout major league baseball.
More than 110 former Steamers players have been drafted by Major League Baseball teams, with 21 of them making it all the way to the Major Leagues. When you come to a Steamers game, you are witnessing the next generation of professional baseball players developing their skills in their first wooden bat league.
The Pacific Coast League is one of the premier summer collegiate leagues in the country.
The PCL regularly brings many of the best collegiate players from the east coast to get game time and hone their skills with a wooden bat in the summer. Players from all over flock to the PCL because it’s their first “wooden bat league” giving them their first real opportunity to get extended playing time with the bats they’ll be using once they are drafted and begin ascending the ranks of professional baseball.
The best time for families is Friday
Every Friday home game features the $25 Family Meal Deal which includes 4 soft drinks, 4 hot dogs, 4 bags of chips, and 2 bags of donuts. And, Kids can run all that sugar off when they run the bases after the game.
This year’s roster features an Edenton native.
Davis Halstead currently plays at Hicks Field for the Edenton Aces and will be heading to Mount Olive in the Fall. This summer, however, he’ll be sticking around to patrol the outfield for the Steamers, just like he’s done for the Aces. You can be sure that those of us in Edenton will be rooting hard for Davis, and all of the Steamers!
If you are planning your trip to Edenton this summer, make sure you take in a Steamers game. Affordable tickets, exciting action, good food, and great times. It’s the perfect way to spend a summer evening.
