Sod Squad Returning To HODGETOWN For 2021 Texas Collegiate League

The Amarillo Sod Squad Texas Collegiate League baseball team will call Amarillo home again this summer with HODGETOWN set to host 22 regular-season home games spanning from May 28 to July 17. The Texas Collegiate League is Texas' first major collegiate summer wooden-bat league and has played 18 seasons.

"We are very excited to again partner with the Texas Collegiate League,” said Sod Poodles President and General Manager Tony Ensor. “Baseball has become a huge part of our culture in Amarillo and the best and most exciting baseball environment in the country has been built at HODGETOWN because of our great fans and community. We look forward to hosting and creating more local and nationwide opportunities for these college athletes and showcase some of the best talent college baseball has to offer!”

This year, the league will comprise six total teams including Amarillo (TX), San Antonio (TX), Brazos Valley (Bryan-College Station, TX), Victoria (TX), Acadiana (Lafayette, LA), and Baton Rouge (LA). Each club will be made up of active college players (upcoming sophomores to seniors) from different colleges and universities across the nation.

Each team will have a roster size of about 30 players and play a total of 44 regular-season games – 22 in their home city and 22 on the road – followed by a postseason. Sod Squad home games will be hosted at HODGETOWN during weeks when the Sod Poodles, Double-A affiliated team of the Arizona Diamondbacks, is on the road. A full combined schedule can be found HERE.

In Summer 2020, HODGETOWN hosted two Texas Collegiate League teams, the Sod Squad and Sod Dogs. The Sod Squad earned the North Division title after a 22-11 finish. The Sod Squad, managed by Brett Wellman, son of 2019 Texas League Manager of the Year Phillip Wellman, piloted the ‘Squad to the deciding game three of the North Division Championship, earning himself the TCL Manager of the Year. The two teams combined were represented by players from 32 different schools across the nation, including 31 Division I, 22 Division II, and six Division III and junior college athletes. Eight of the 14 total All-TCL North Division slots were represented by Amarillo players as well as the TCL North Player of the Year.

Season tickets for Texas Collegiate League season at HODGETOWN will go on sale beginning tomorrow, Thursday, March 25 at 10 a.m. Season ticket pricing for the Texas Collegiate League games in Amarillo starts at $210. Individual seat ticket pricing for Sod Squad games at HODGETOWN will range from $10 to $15 depending on location. Fans can purchase individual tickets starting in mid-April. For questions or more information, please call 806-803-9547 or email [email protected].

The TCL is currently represented by 250-plus players from 91 different colleges and universities. Some of the more nationally-recognized schools sending their standouts to the TCL include Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Cal State Fullerton, Dallas Baptist, Houston, Long Beach State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oral Roberts, Pacific, Rice, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas-Arlington, Texas State, Texas Tech, and Wichita State, among others.

The formation of the Texas Collegiate League was announced on September 24, 2003. The league is owned and operated by the Haddock Foundation, a section 501(c)3 organization. Gerald Haddock, a minority owner and General Counsel of the Texas Rangers from 1989-98 and a passionate baseball fan, became the league's Chair and CEO. Since the league was established, 88 alumni with ties to the Texas Collegiate League have been drafted by Major League teams or signed by professional independent baseball squads.

ABOUT THE TEXAS COLLEGIATE LEAGUE:

The Texas Collegiate League exists to provide the best summer league experience for the best professional prospects from colleges throughout the country. The league will allow those players with eligibility remaining to showcase and improve their skills in a wholesome, minor league-type atmosphere using wooden bats. The league is committed to providing quality, inexpensive entertainment in a small-town, intimate atmosphere that is distinctively Texan, while helping promote the game of baseball in the communities involved. For more information, visit www.texascollegiateleague.com.

ABOUT HODGETOWN:

HODGETOWN, located in the heart of downtown Amarillo, is the newest sports and entertainment destination in the Texas Panhandle with state-of-the-art facilities and an unprecedented commitment to quality and service. Voted as Ballpark Digest’s Double-A Ballpark of the Year in 2019, the venue features a full range of programming that includes professional and affiliated baseball as well as community-based events like high school and college games, fundraisers, private events, concerts, and much more. HODGETOWN was awarded the 2019 Texas Downtown Association President’s Award for “Best New Construction” in a city of more than 50,000 and the 2020 Texas Downtown Association President’s Award “Best Economic Gamechanger” in a city of more than 50,000 population. HODGETOWN attracts guests from all around the globe to downtown Amarillo annually. For more information, visit www.SodPoodles.com.