El Paso’s Southwest University Park to host Triple-A championship game
Aug. 12 Afternoon Update: El Paso Chihuahuas officially announce via Twitter that they will host the Triple-A National Championship Game between the Pacific Coast League and International League champions in September 2015.
During the announcement, Randy Mobley, president of the International League, revealed that Southwest University Park was in the conversation to host the championship game for a long time.
“The team hadn’t even taken field for the first time,” Mobley said. “The ballpark had not even been completed when this conversation started.”
The Triple-A National Championship Game will be the first opportunity that Southwest University Park be showcased on a nationally-televised basis.
The game, which some refer to as the World Series of Triple-A baseball, although it is just one game.
It has been held every year since 2006.
“When the decisions were being made to bring a franchise to El Paso, I don’t think anybody, even the most farsighted, the most enthusiastic and positive were thinking we would have the kind of reception that this community has given,” PCL president Branch Rickey said.
Rickey added, because of that, El Paso was a natural choice for next year’s Triple-A baseball national championship game.
Minor League Baseball’s annual meetings will also take place during that time here in El Paso.
The game is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015 and will be broadcast live nationally on NBC Sports Network and likely will be replayed on the major league baseball network on a tape-delayed basis.
Ticket information has yet to be announced but is expected to be released early next season.
Chihuahuas Season Seat Holders will be given the first opportunity to purchase tickets.
10:56 a.m. Aug. 12 Story: A source close to the Chihuahuas has confirmed to ABC-7 that today’s big announcement will be that Southwest University Park will host the Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game in 2015 between the Pacific Coast League and International League champions.
The official announcement will be made at 1:30 p.m. today at a news conference in El Paso expected to be attended by El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser; Pat O’Conner, President and CEO of Minor League Baseball; Branch Rickey, President of the Pacific Coast League; Randy Mobley, President of the International League; Alan Ledford, President of MountainStar Sports Group; and Brad Taylor, General Manager of the El Paso Chihuahuas
Last week, Ballparks.com named Southwest University Park Ballpark of the Year for 2014.
The announcement was made in Aug. 6’s USA Today Sports Weekly by Joe Mock, president of Grand Slam Enterprises and frequent contributor to USA Today publications.
“The level of excitement over my in-depth review by fans in the El Paso area has even topped what I saw last year,” said Mock. “They constructed one of the great facilities in the sport.”
To read more of Mock’s review of Southwest University Park, visit http://www.baseballparks.com/ElPaso-1.asp.
The honor is given annually to a new or remodeled baseball stadium with the best combination of aesthetics, architectural design, attractive site selection and fan amenities.
