With the baseball season drawing to a close and their 50th season in the books, the Rockhounds baseball team is a pillar of the sports community in Midland, Texas. The Rockhounds are a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Oakland A’s, a partnership that began in 1999. As a minor league team, they set out each season to develop talent for the major league teams, and the Rockhounds have a history of bringing prospects through the program to help players develop and grow.
Earlier this month, we took a few moments to speak to the Rockhounds’ General Manager, Monty Hoppel, and he shared some team history and their community engagement. Monty joined the team in 1989, marking this year as his 32nd season with the Rockhounds. The team has won seven total Texas League championships, and for six of those, Monty has been right there with the team. With wins in 1975, 2005, and 2009…the Rockhounds took a run and won four consecutive years from 2014 – 2017.
Previously affiliated with other major league teams, when the team joined forces with the Oakland A’s, they renamed themselves to develop their own identity. Many submissions came in via a naming contest, and one name stood above the rest – the Rockhounds. In a region abundant with natural resources, this name, which is a slang term for geologists, rose to the top…and even gave a name to their mascot…a hound named Rocky!
Much like Coterra, the Rockhounds team likes to give back and engage with the community they call home. Each year, the team sends Rocky to various community events and often gives tours of their base.
Their facility is located next to a football/soccer stadium, and a few years ago, they put a fence around the common area between the two facilities and created a space for outdoor community events… with that, the Coterra Energy Pavilion was born. In addition to the pavilion, Coterra is also the proud sponsor of the National Anthem at Rockhound games.
The Rockhounds are in charge of marketing and securing events in the Pavilion, and they see a variety of unique engagements each year. This has become an asset to the community and is often used for pre-game activities, concerts, and fireworks shows.
Although the season has ended, it’s never too late to learn more about the Rockhounds and their upcoming activities. Visit their website, or follow them on social media:
