Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium is a baseball venue in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States. It is home to the New Hanover High School Wildcats baseball team, as well as the Wilmington Sharks of the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer baseball league.[1] The stadium, which seats 1,200 with standing room for several hundred more fans, is part of the multi-purpose sports complex known as Legion Stadium, which was also home to the Wilmington Hammerheads professional soccer team.[2]
The Shark Tank | |
 Sign at entrance to Buck Hardee Field | |
  Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium Location within North Carolina  Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium (the United States) | |
 Interactive map of Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium | |
Former names | Legion Stadium |
|---|---|
| Address | 2149 Carolina Beach Road Wilmington, North Carolina |
| Coordinates | 34°12′13″N 77°56′13″W / 34.203584°N 77.93699°W |
| Capacity | 1,200 plus standing room |
Field size | Left field: 336 ft (102 m) Center field: 366 ft (112 m) Right field: 339 ft (103 m) |
| Tenants | |
| Wilmington Sharks (CPL) 1997–present Wilmington Hammerheads (PDL) 2003–2009, 2011–2016 | |
The baseball field's dimensions are 336 ft. down the left field line, 366 ft. to dead center field, and 339 ft. down the right field line.[1]
The field is located at 2149 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington, NC.[3]
Naming
editOn September 22, 1981, the baseball field at Legion Stadium was renamed in honor of Buck Hardee, an area American Legion baseball coach. Hardee won five American Legion state championships in his time as coach of Post 10 Legion baseball.[4] Because it is home to the Sharks, the park is often colloquially known as "The Shark Tank."[5]
Renovations
editIn the summer of 2009, Coastal Plain League President Pete Bock stated his wish that the field be upgraded. Any improvements would come in addition to minor renovations by the Sharks' ownership over the past few seasons. Bock said he believed new seating would be beneficial to the park. The city of Wilmington responded with interest in minor renovations to the facility.[6]
References
edit- 1 2 "Team Information". Coastal Plain League. Archived from the original on April 10, 2010. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
- ↑ "Legion Stadium". Wilmington Hammerheads FC. Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. Retrieved December 9, 2009.
- ↑ "Directions". Wilmington Sharks. Archived from the original on March 3, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2009.
- ↑ "Field Named for Hardee". Wilmington Morning Star. September 23, 1981. Archived from the original on January 10, 2026. Retrieved December 9, 2009 – via Google News.
- ↑ "Sharks to Host Boy Scouts Ballpark Campout". Coastal Plain League. April 29, 2009. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
- ↑ "CPL: Buck Hardee Field must be upgraded". Ballpark Digest. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2009.
