Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico win 2023 Copa de la Diversión

LAS VEGAS -- The Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico were selected as the 2023 winner of MiLB’s season-long event series, Copa de la Diversión™.

The award, presented by Nationwide, was announced during Minor League Baseball’s Fall Business Meetings Awards Reception in Las Vegas. As a proud partner of Copa de la Diversión, Nationwide also provided the Isotopes/Mariachis with a $5,000 donation to further amplify initiatives in its community. As the Official Insurance Partner of Minor League Baseball and Copa de la Diversión since 2020, Nationwide has reinforced its commitment through this annual donation to the winner.

The cornerstone of MiLB’s Latina/o fan engagement initiative, Copa de la Diversión (“Copa”) established an innovative new platform authentically connecting MiLB teams with their diverse communities, embracing the culture and values that resonate most with U.S. Latina/os nationwide. A total of 91 MiLB teams participated in Copa in 2023 -- the most in the program’s six seasons.

In their six games as the Mariachis, the club saw a 35 percent increase in attendance over non-Mariachis games as they worked with the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Heritage Committee, Albuquerque City Council, Albuquerque Lowrider Community, Lowrider Bicycle Ministry and Albuquerque Police Department to create events that would resonate with the Albuquerque community. Their efforts were rewarded at the gates as the six Mariachis games sold an average of 10,776 tickets, while the remaining 68 games as the Isotopes sold an average of 6,510 tickets.

The Mariachis introduced new interactive community appearances for their players and front office staff members to include them in the “Mariachis Movement,” which taught participants about important Hispanic cultural traditions. The team also hired local artists to paint Mariachis-inspired murals throughout the ballpark and on July 1, they hosted New Mexico’s largest lowrider vehicle display inside and outside of Isotopes Park. The night featured a unique bobblehead giveaway, a 1959 Chevy Impala lowrider with the Mariachis’ mascot in the driver’s seat which saw the car and mascot bobble, and saw fans begin lining up at 5:30 a.m. to ensure they received one.

Additionally, the Mariachis welcomed the Latina/o community to Isotopes Park by creating a “red vs. green” Chile Night, which celebrated a major ingredient in New Mexican culinary items. That night, concession items on the first base side of Isotopes Park featured the red Chile sauce on select items and the menu on the third base side featured the green Chile sauce. Among the items available were red Chile Indian tacos, red Chile sopapilla burgers, green Chile mac & cheese and green Chile cheese fries.

The Mariachis were also the winners of the first two Copa championships in 2018 and 2019.

“We are extremely grateful to win the Copa de la Diversión award once again,” said Isotopes General Manager John Traub. “It has always been important for us to engage and embrace the Albuquerque and New Mexico communities in the most authentic ways possible, whether that’s through our Lowrider Night, Cinco de Mayo celebrations or bringing in traditional food, dancers and music performers. Thank you to all the fans and the Isotopes staff for making each Mariachis Night special.”

In 2024, the Mariachis’ Copa plans include a community-wide artisan series and a scholarship campaign that will benefit local youth and adults in their educational endeavors. The team is also planning to host another car show separate from a Mariachis game to promote the lowrider community and will host a Matanza (a cultural celebration of family, food and music).

“Congratulations to the Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico for setting a best-in-class example of how a true club-community partnership can intersect sport and culture in a very positive way,” said Jim McCoy, associate vice president of Sports Marketing for Nationwide. “On behalf of Nationwide, we’re pleased to recognize these efforts with a $5,000 donation in support of the Mariachis’ continued engagement with Albuquerque’s Hispanic community.”

“All 91 participating Copa teams did a wonderful job connecting with their local Latina/o fan bases again this year, but from the start of the Copa initiative, the Isotopes have truly set the bar when it comes to authentic activations with Latina/o fans in their community, and this year was no different” said Casey Brett, Major League Baseball’s Senior Vice President of Business Development. “The Mariachis have taken their commitment to their Latina/o fans to new heights, and they are very deserving of this recognition.”

Copa’s other finalists for the 2023 season included the Cascabeles de Wisconsin (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers), Dulces de Sugar Land (Sugar Land Space Cowboys), El Paso Strawberry Margaritas (El Paso Chihuahuas), Lehigh Valley Coquis and Lehigh Valley Mamajuana (Lehigh Valley IronPigs), Micheladas de Reno (Reno Aces), Monarcas de Eugene (Eugene Emeralds), Perros Santos de Charleston (Charleston RiverDogs), Round Rock Chupacabras (Round Rock Express), San Jose Churros (San Jose Giants), Soñadores de Hillsboro (Hillsboro Hops) and the Tumba Vacas de Wichita (Wichita Wind Surge).