It's now official...

Greenblood94 · July 15, 2004

Texas Collegiate League to expand to Denton in 2005

The Texas Collegiate League announced Thursday an agreement to add an expansion franchise in the City of Denton, Texas.

The TCL has entered into an agreement with an investor group headed by Jim Leslie, a Dallas-based entrepreneur and investor, for the league’s ninth franchise. The team will begin play in the summer of 2005.

“The Texas Collegiate League is very pleased to reach an agreement to bring a team to Denton,” commented TCL Chairman Gerald Haddock. “We feel that Jim Leslie’s group will be a solid addition to our league in an outstanding market.

“We are excited about the growth potential for the Texas Collegiate League as we expand to 10 total teams for 2005,” Haddock added. “We have made steady progress in this first year and the TCL’s future is very bright.”

Leslie has been instrumental in the start up of over 50 companies in a number of industries during his career. A former President of a national real estate company that grew in excess of 35% per year during his tenure, he is currently Chairman of Ascendant Solutions, Inc., a diversified financial services firm. Leslie also serves on several boards of both public and private companies.

The ownership group includes John Hampton, the area director of the Greater Denton Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the head baseball coach at Denton Calvary Academy. Hampton is expected to be active in baseball operations for the new franchise.

Leslie and his group are currently working with the University of North Texas on an agreement that would result in the development and construction of a new baseball complex on the UNT campus. The facility would serve as the home of Texas Collegiate League team as well as be utilized by the University.

The Texas Collegiate League expects to add a 10th team by the fall that would also begin play in 2005. The eight teams in operation in this first year of the league are the Colleyville-Grapevine LoneStars, Coppell Copperheads, Highland Blue Sox, and McKinney Marshals in the Tris Speaker Division and the Graham Roughnecks, Granbury Generals, Mineral Wells Steam, and Weatherford Wranglers in the Rogers Hornsby Division.

Texas’ first major summer wooden bat league, the TCL is comprised of over 200 of the nation’s top collegiate baseball players from 75 schools. Each team will play a 54-game schedule in 2004 culminating in the playoffs Aug. 9-14 and a Futures Game at Ameriquest Field in Arlington on Sunday, Aug. 15.

NT80 · July 16, 2004

Leslie and his group are currently working with the University of North Texas on an agreement that would result in the development and construction of a new baseball complex on the UNT campus. The facility would serve as the home of Texas Collegiate League team as well as be utilized by the University.

CAV · July 16, 2004

So what's a good mascot name for the new team in Denton? Mean Green is already taken!

NT80 · July 16, 2004

So what's a good mascot name for the new team in Denton? Mean Green is already taken!

The Denton Albino Squirrels?

DeepGreen · July 16, 2004

The Denton Albino Squirrels?

And I use to respect you NT80.

Mad Hatter · July 16, 2004

How about the Denton Grackles (aren't those the annoying birds that roost in the University's oak trees and crap all over the place?)

Edited July 16, 2004 by Mad Hatter

Baby Arm! · July 16, 2004

How about borrowing from Necessary Roughness? The Armadillos!

Denton Dillos? <_<

Greenblood94 · July 16, 2004

Current TCL teams:

Colleyville-Grapevine Lone Stars

Coppell Copperheads

Graham Roughnecks

Granbury Generals

Highland Park Blue Sox

McKinney Marshalls

Mineral Wells Steam

Weatherford Wranglers

With the other TCL adopting mascots with Texas themes or local history themes, I looked on the City of Denton website for ideas. The problem is, the only thing that seem to be truly indicative of Denton were music shows; the Arts & Jazz festival, the Blues festival, and the International Latino Art & Music festival. I'm not sure that will translate to a baseball mascot very well. The "Denton Jazz" or "Denton Sounds" just doesn't do it for me.

I'll keep trying...

UNTLifer · July 16, 2004

How about the Denton Crickets. I'm sure they'll move over from Fouts and infest the baseball stadium.

DeepGreen · July 16, 2004

How about the Denton Crickets. I'm sure they'll move over from Fouts and infest the baseball stadium.

You beat me to it. I say the Denton Crickets too!

user posted image

untbowler · July 16, 2004

How about Denton H.O.A.'s

CAV · July 16, 2004

I favor the Denton Outlaws since the new stadium will be only miles away from where Sam Bass and his gang hid from the law in the 1870's.

Here is a description of the area. I am surprised there are no cell or communication towers on this undeveloped piece of land.

PILOT KNOB (Denton County). Pilot Knob is a 900-foot-high protrusion located (at 33°09' N, 97°12' W) southwest of Denton on the eastern edge of the Grand Prairies,qv one of three major physiographical regions in Denton County. The knob, capped by dark brown arenaceous ironstone, consists mostly of sandstone. Centuries of running water have formed three cement-like sandstone ledges which, from a distance, resemble a ship's lookout; hence the name Pilot Knob. Because it was one of the highest points in north central Texas, Pilot Knob was used as a lookout station or signal point by members of the Caddo Indian confederacy, by Spanish and American pioneers, and later by Texas Rangers.qv At one time Sam Bassqv used it for a hideout. In the 1890s it became a favorite picnic spot for family outings.

Edited July 16, 2004 by CAV