The Express announced June 11 that they have been granted a temporary expansion team in the Texas Collegiate League. The TCL is a collegiate summer baseball league composed of 10 teams for the 2020 season.
The 30-game regular season will run from June 30-Aug. 2, Round Rock Express General Manager Tim Jackson said. Dell Diamond will host 15 games in the regular season, and the home opener is scheduled for July 7. Stadium capacity will be capped to 25%, per social distancing requirements for outdoor sports in the state of Texas.
Jackson said the team will have a 35-person roster. The amateur players will not be paid, he said.
In a nod to a local legend, the Express expansion team has been named the Round Rock Hairy Men. The story stipulates a young boy was separated from his pioneer parents, and grew up wild and unkempt with a very hairy exterior. His ghost is said to haunt the area to this day, Jackson joked during the press conference.
Major League Baseball will ultimately make the decision on whether and when the Express and other minor league teams will be allowed to start their 2020 season, Round Rock Express President Chris Almendarez said. Should the MiLB season be allowed to begin before the TCL season concludes Aug. 2, Express officials said a plan is in place to host both teams’ games.
“Given the uncertainty surrounding the 2020 Minor League Baseball season, we are moving forward with hosting other events at Dell Diamond in accordance with public health guidelines,” Almendarez said. “We are excited to give our fans the opportunity to come back out to Dell Diamond and cheer on some of the best collegiate players from Central Texas and beyond this summer.”
Tickets and a full schedule for games hosted in Round Rock will be available on the team's website beginning June 15 at 10 a.m.
