Hickory Crawdads

The Hickory Crawdads came into existence in 1993 when local businessmen Don Beaver, Luther Beaver, and Charles Young purchased the Gastonia Rangers and moved the franchise to Hickory. L.P. Frans Stadium, funded in part by a generous donation from the daughters of local Pepsi bottler Lee Polk Frans, opened for the inaugural season and has remained the team's only home.

The Crawdads began as a Chicago White Sox affiliate (1993-1998) before switching to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1999. The Pirates partnership proved fruitful: the 2002 squad won the South Atlantic League championship, and the 2004 team repeated the feat. During this era, the Crawdads developed a reputation as one of the SAL's best-run small-market operations, consistently drawing enthusiastic crowds to the intimate foothills ballpark.

The franchise cycled through the Pirates affiliation through 2008, establishing Hickory as a reliable stop for young talent on its way to the majors. The community embraced the Crawdads, and the team became a source of civic pride for the Catawba Valley region.

The Texas Rangers began their affiliation with the Crawdads in 2009, beginning the franchise's longest-running partnership. The Ranger years brought a fresh wave of talented prospects to Hickory and produced the team's third league championship in 2015.

The 2015 championship season was a signature moment for the Rangers-era Crawdads, capping a run of competitive play that showcased some of Texas's most exciting young talent. The combination of the Rangers' deep farm system and the Crawdads' community-first approach made Hickory one of the most respected operations in the South Atlantic League.

After the 2017 season, the Rangers took the partnership a step further by purchasing the Crawdads directly from the Beaver family. The sale ended 25 years of founding-family ownership but ensured the franchise's future in Hickory under the Rangers' stewardship. The 2019 season was the last before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 campaign.