On Tuesday, January 23rd, the New Bern City Council voted to approve a 9-year lease to Historic Kafer Park in partnership with New Bern Baseball, LLC. The ownership group plans to upfit Kafer Park to allow for collegiate-level play in the Summer 2024 season. The New Bern Southpaws will play their home games there, starting May 25th for their inaugural opening night.
The Southpaws name is derived from New Bern's deep cultural connection with our grizzly friends. New Bern is sister cities with Bern, Switzerland. The city proudly flies their flag with bears on it and if you walk around downtown you will find a collection of bears decorated to represent different parts of the culture downtown. Aside from the bear mascot, the term 'Southpaws' is also a play on words, referencing the baseball term meaning left-handed pitcher.
If you're interested in catching a game this summer, you can find Kafer Park at 603 George Street in New Bern, NC. The official schedule is now available here. Merchandise for the Southpaws is available for pre-order now on their fan shop.
The Southpaws will participate in the Northeastern Division of the Old North State League. The Southpaws will face off with neighboring teams: Jacksonville Ospreys, Kinston Wingmen, River City Skippers, Edenton Steamers, and Tarboro River Bandits. The Old North State League is a summer collegiate baseball league located across the state of North Carolina. It has grown to be one of the largest leagues in the country.
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