GoMart Ballpark

GoMart Ballpark is the current home field for the Charleston Dirty Birds, a baseball team in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The stadium, which opened in April 2005, is located in the East End of Charleston, West Virginia. It seats 4,500 fans and cost $25 million to build. The dimensions of the field are as follows: left field – 330 feet, center field – 400 feet, right field – 320 feet.

In an effort to preserve professional baseball in Charleston, plans were set in motion in the early 2000s to construct a new stadium that would replace the aging Watt Powell Park. On March 18, 2004, ground was broken on a new downtown ballpark located on Charleston's East End, marking a new chapter for baseball in the city after 56 years at Watt Powell Park in Kanawha City.

Watt Powell Park, though rich in history, was no longer viable under the financial and structural demands of modern Minor League Baseball. Several local and state groups worked to ensure baseball's continued presence in Charleston. Political support and collaboration with the West Virginia Economic Development Grant Committee played a critical role, while a community organization known as WVWINS mobilized residents and businesses to back the project. Shortly thereafter, Appalachian Power acquired the naming rights for the new $25 million stadium, which would become known as Appalachian Power Park.

The move to the new facility coincided with a rebranding of the city's baseball team. Charleston had fielded numerous professional clubs over the years under different names, including the Statesmen, Senators (1912–1961), Indians (1962–1964), and Charlies (1971–1983). After a brief absence from affiliated baseball, the city saw the return of the sport with the Charleston Wheelers (1987–1994) and later the Charleston Alley Cats (1995–2004), members of the South Atlantic League.

In 2005, the team debuted as the West Virginia Power, a name reflecting the state's diverse energy resources. The Power played their first game at Appalachian Power Park on April 14, 2005, defeating the Hagerstown Suns 8–3 before a crowd of 5,354 fans. The ballpark quickly became one of the more modern and popular facilities in Minor League Baseball at the time.

The ballpark gained further prominence when it hosted the 2009 South Atlantic League All-Star Game, branded the All-Star Jamboree. The event featured a range of festivities, including whitewater rafting and zip-lining excursions for players, a concert, guided coal mine tours, and a Home Run Derby competition, which was won by West Virginia Power slugger Calvin Anderson. The All-Star Game itself was played in front of a sellout crowd.

A decade later, the ballpark again served as the host site for the 2019 South Atlantic League All-Star Game, further solidifying its reputation as a premier minor league venue.

In November 2022, the stadium was renamed GoMart Ballpark after local convenience chain GoMart purchased the naming rights.