Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium, home of the Charlotte 49ers baseball program, was named the “Top Ballpark in North Carolina” and finished No. 14 in the “2013 College Baseball Ballpark Rankings” by Stadium Journey.com.
In 2013, “the Hayes” broke the all-time attendance mark at Charlotte, with a total of 39,604 fans entering the gates for Charlotte’s record 40 home games. The 49ers extended their school record of 30,000-plus total fans to three seasons. Charlotte’s attendance ranked 49th in the country in overall attendance this season.
Prior to the start of the season, a $55,000 renovation was completed to augment the bullpen and cages areas; this added 2,200 square feet of practice space on the first-base side. The dugouts were expanded by 500 square feet each, giving both the home and visiting teams more room to observe the game and store equipment. Charlotte 49ers officials noted the changes were beneficial during the regular season and in hosting of the 2013 Atlantic 10 Conference Championships.
Hayes Stadium, which opened March 31, 2007, boasts a full-service concession stand, famous for its cheesesteaks, and restrooms on the concourse level in the stadium. The facility has 550 chair-backed seats on the lower level and 550 combined bleacher seats on either side of the press box. The Erik Walker Suite is the main hospitality room; it features indoor, stadium-style seating and a porch that opens up above the first-base side bleachers for outdoor viewing. The building also has a large conference room on the third-base side, with a TV booth, two radio booths and full operations room/press box.
The Bermuda grass surface plays fast, and the field dimensions are 335 feet down the lines, 370 to the power alleys and 390 to dead center field. Charlotte’s largest crowd of 3,326 occurred on April 22, 2008.
Since the park opened, Charlotte has posted a 156-60 mark (.722) at home; this includes a 79-30 (.725) mark against Atlantic 10 Conference opponents. The 49ers won 29 games at home in 2013, tying the school record set in 1998. The 49ers have won 20 or more home games in seven of the last eight seasons.
The 49ers won five A-10 regular season titles in eight years of league membership, advancing to three NCAA regionals in that span.
On July 1, the 49ers rejoined Conference USA, of which it was a charter member in 1995. The 2014 campaign starts Friday, Feb. 14, with Charlotte hosting at least 35 home dates for the season.