Round Rock Express to Host Austin Black Senators Tribute

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express are set to pay homage to the Austin Black Senators, one of the earliest professional baseball teams to call Central Texas home, on Saturday, July 31 at 6:05 p.m. as the Oklahoma City Dodgers (Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate) visit Dell Diamond.

The Austin Black Senators were a Texas Negro League baseball team based in Austin mainly in the 1920s and 1930s. Although very little was recorded or captured by local media at the time, the club was reported to have rostered and competed against some of the most exceptional talents to ever play the game. The team was rumored to have formed in the 1910s as an independent team and some accounts continue the club’s playing days into the 1940s and beyond.

One of the team’s brightest stars was infielder Willie Wells, who competed in an era where the color of his skin barred him from joining Major League Baseball. A native Austinite, Wells became a legend in the Negro Leagues as well as in professional leagues across Canada, Cuba, Mexico and Puerto Rico. During his time in Mexico, Wells became affectionately known as “El Diablo” because of his acrobatic play at shortstop.

During his 20-plus year career on the diamond, including the 1923 and 1924 seasons with the Austin Black Senators, Wells distinguished himself as one of the best shortstops of his era. Wells is credited with inventing the batting helmet by fashioning a hard hat for protection after a hit by pitch in 1942. He was also a mentor to younger players, including Jackie Robinson, who Wells taught how to master the double-play pivot at second base.

The power-hitting infielder finished his career at age 42, owning a .334 batting average in the Negro Leagues, a .323 average in Latin Leagues and a .392 average against major leaguers in exhibition games. He was an eight-time Negro Leagues All-Star and was inducted into the Cuban and Mexican Baseball Halls of Fame. He was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1997.

Wells’ daughter Stella, who accepted his nomination into the National Baseball Hall of Fame prior to her passing, created a memorial scholarship at Huston-Tillotson University that the Nolan Ryan Foundation and Round Rock Express will re-establish for the 2022 academic school year. Applications will be accepted and specifics will be announced in the spring of 2022 through Huston-Tillotson University.

Thanks to the Round Rock Black History Organization and Chisholm Properties, the Express will transform into the Black Senators on July 31, complete with red and black pinstripe uniforms, stirrups and ballcaps emblazoned with the Texas Negro League club’s block “A” lettering. The team’s jerseys will be auctioned off during the game, with all proceeds benefiting the Willie Wells Memorial Scholarship endowed by the Nolan Ryan Foundation.

Round Rock’s Austin Black Senators tribute caught the attention of local rapper, producer and singer-songwriter Kydd Jones, who collaborated with the Express on a unique Austin Black Senators and Willie Wells line of merchandise that will be sold both online and at the Railyard Team Store at Dell Diamond. A portion of proceeds from sales will benefit the Round Rock Black History Organization, a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to educating the citizens of Round Rock and Williamson County about the contributions of African Americans to the culture of Central Texas and the United States.

After the game, Jones will perform a live concert as part of the St. David’s Summer Concert Series, presented by Dell Technologies. Once all uniformed players and coaches clear the field, fans will be invited onto the outfield to enjoy the show up close. After performing at SXSW 2019, Jones then guested on Grammy-winning guitarist Gary Clark Jr.'s set during the first weekend of Austin City Limits Music Festival and was announced as a Creative Ambassador for the City of Austin by Mayor Steve Adler.

In the days leading up to July 31, the Round Rock Express will also unveil a mural at Dell Diamond featuring Willie Wells and the Austin Black Senators. Tickets for Austin Black Senators Night at Dell Diamond are available now via RRExpress.com.

Single game tickets as well as full season and mini season membership plans are on sale now. For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!