For baseball fans, Friday night in Zebulon will be the end of an era.
On Friday, the Carolina Mudcats begin their final home series of the 2025 season, which will be the last time the team plays at Five County Stadium.
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"It's getting to see them one more time at the best place, where they started," said Abigail Pittman, who's been coming to see the Mudcats for over 20 years.
"I mean, I grew up doing this kind of thing," Pittman said. "My dad used to bring me out here. I always enjoyed those nights."
Pittman's story was the same as many who went to Friday's game to see the Mudcats play in Zebulon one last time. The team is expecting record-breaking attendance this weekend, with over 4,000 people coming to wish them luck during their final homestand.
"It's a chance to say one final goodbye to this place. For a lot of people, this has meant so much," said Chris Edwards, another Mudcats fan.
In 2023, it was announced that the Mudcats would move to a new $69 million stadium in Wilson near Whirligig Park, and would be renamed the Wilson Warbirds. Wilson town leaders broke ground on the stadium in May 2024.
The Wilson Warbirds released new renderings of their stadium in July, which is still on track to be ready for the first pitch of the 2026 season.
In February, Zebulon and Wake County leaders told WRAL News they are seeking proposals from qualified entities to lease and operate Five County Stadium and the surrounding property after the Mudcats leave.
The Mudcats will play the Delmarva Shorebirds Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. The first 500 fans in attendance for each game will get a memorabilia mystery bag. Friday and Saturday will carry a fireworks show after the game.