Truist Point to host Big South Championships through 2025

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – As the 2023 college baseball season begins tomorrow, the Big South Conference has formally announced a three-year extension with the High Point Downtown Stadium Foundation to host the annual Big South Baseball Championship at the High Point Rockers’ home ballpark of Truist Point in High Point, N.C., through the 2025 season.  The stadium hosted the event for the first time in 2022, which was won by 2023 Big South preseason favorite Campbell.

“We value our relationship with the Big South and look forward to hosting the Baseball Championship for the next three seasons,” said Rockers president Pete Fisch.  “The community embraced the Big South Baseball Championship in 2022 and will continue to do so in the years to come.”

“Truist Point proved to be an outstanding venue for the Big South Conference Baseball Championships last year,” added Big South Commissioner Kyle Kallander.  “It was a wonderful experience for our student-athletes and fans. We are excited to build upon last year’s success by crowning the next three Big South Baseball Champions at Truist Point.”

The 2023 Championship will be a four-team, double-elimination tournament from May 25-27, with ESPNU scheduled to televise the Championship game on May 27 at 12:00pm.  Ticket pricing and seating availability will be announced soon.

The Big South has a neutral site location for its Baseball Championship within the league’s footprint of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia for the seventh time in the past eight years.  The $36 million facility opened in 2019 as the home of the new High Point Rockers baseball team of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.  The ballpark has a seating capacity of 4,500 and includes suites and loge boxes, plus a feast of food & beverage options, playgrounds for kids, along with a unique brew pub at The High Pint.  Truist Point also features the High Point University Vintage Seat Section — seats from legendary ballparks such as Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Rosenblatt Stadium, Fulton County Stadium, The Metrodome, Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium, Candlestick Park, Veterans Stadium, Camden Yards, Shea Stadium, Tiger Stadium and Durham Athletic Park.

The Big South Baseball Championship has been hosted at a neutral ballpark every year since 2016, with the exception of 2018, and the three-year extension will make Truist Point the longest-successive neutral host in tournament history.

Big South baseball enjoyed another successful 2022 campaign, as league champion Campbell won a game in the NCAA Regionals for the third consecutive time.  Five Big South student-athletes received All-America honors last season, while a conference-record-tying six Big South programs earned ABCA Team Academic Excellence Awards.  The Big South also had three players selected in the MLB Draft — including two in the First Round for the first time (Campbell’s Zach Neto and Thomas Harrington).  The Big South’s baseball history includes the 2016 NCAA College World Series National Champion, and five former players in the Major Leagues in 2022 — headlined by Cedric Mullins (Campbell) of the Baltimore Orioles.

ABOUT HIGH POINT DOWNTOWN STADIUM FOUNDATION

High Point Downtown Stadium Foundation is the registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operating High Point Baseball, Inc. and the High Point Rockers baseball team, a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The Rockers’ inaugural season came in 2019 in a brand new $36M downtown Truist Point.  Designed to enhance the rich baseball history in North Carolina, High Point Baseball is part of the fastest growing family sport in America. High Point Baseball is committed to providing superior customer service and quality, affordable family entertainment experiences for the Triad of North Carolina.

WHAT’S THE BIG SOUTH?

Founded in 1983, the Big South Conference has been an exemplary leader in college athletics, dedicated to developing student-athletes through the pursuit of excellence in the classroom, community and field of play.  The league’s growing presence as an NCAA Division I athletic conference is made evident by its multitude of athletic accomplishments, innovative marketing and media partnerships, increased television packages and most importantly, its commitment to fostering the academic, personal, social, athletic and leadership development of its student-athletes.  Comprised of 10 member institutions sharing a common geographic region and similar academic values and purposes, the Big South’s remarkable history of achievement is characterized by the league’s 19 championship sports and the profound academic and life successes of its more than 3,800 student-athletes.  This has evolved into the conference’s “Where Winners Are Made” mantra as part of a strategic emphasis on becoming the premiere non-FBS conference in the Southeast through its six Core Values of Academic Centrality; Athletic Excellence; Equity, Diversity & Inclusion; Integrity; Sportsmanship & Fair Play; and Student-Athlete Welfare.