ZEBULON – The Carolina Mudcats proudly present Negro Leagues Tribute Night on Saturday, July 23, at Five County Stadium. Part of Minor League Baseball’s “The Nine” initiative, and in partnership with the Buck Leonard Association, Negro Leagues Tribute Night will see the Mudcats play the Down East Wood Ducks and will begin with a 5:00 p.m. first pitch.
Ticket options, including single-game tickets, group options, and luxury suite packages in the US Foods Club Level are all on sale now at www.carolinamudcats.com, (919) 269- 2287, and the Five County Stadium front office in Zebulon.
Negro Leagues Tribute Night is highlighted by a Negro Leagues inspired souvenir t-shirt giveaway for the first 1,000 fans with paid admission. Negro Leagues Tribute Night will also include pre-game and in-game tributes designed to celebrate the legacy of Negro League teams and players, specifically Rocky Mount, NC native Buck Leonard who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, 50 years ago, in 1972.
To help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Leonard’s induction into the Hall of Fame, the Buck Leonard Association will bring “UNDFEATED: The Buck Leonard Experience” to Five County Stadium for Negro Leagues Tribute Night.
Developed in partnership with Dr. Derek Ham and his students at the NC State University School of Design, the interactive exhibit tells the life story of Walter “Buck” Leonard with the help of four unique augmented reality features.
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UNDEFEATED also provides an exclusive opportunity for guests to see Barnstormers: Determined to Win – a Virtual Reality experience where players face-off against Negro Leagues baseball legends Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Buck Leonard, while bearing witness to the unique challenge of playing baseball during the time of racial segregation.
Developed by Dr. Ham and produced by his company Logic Grip in partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Barnstormers earned a 2022 invitation to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and recently won Best VR Experience at Australia’s Ignite Film Festival. With partner Learning Lab 360, Barnstormers is brought on-location in mobile VR Labs, equipped with state-of-the-art Oculus™ VR headgear.
Created with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Programming in mind, UNDEFEATED becomes the new flagship program of the Buck Leonard Association “Sports & S.T.E.A.M. Collective”, which provides active-learning opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math for historically marginalized and at-risk youth in Rocky Mount and the surrounding area.
The objectives of the program are to present Negro Leagues baseball history in a way that engages and entertains, while inspiring young learners to pursue education and career paths in technology, and all guests to learn more about Negro Leagues baseball and its unsung heroes.
The Carolina Mudcats are the officially licensed Carolina League, Class-A, affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. First established in 1991, the Mudcats have provided affordable family fun for over 30 years at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C. Follow the Mudcats online at www.carolinamudcats.com, and on social media at facebook.com/carolinamudcats, twitter.com/carolinamudcats, tiktok.com/@carolinamudcats and instagram.com/carolinamudcats.