4 things to look forward to throughout Round Rock Express season
ROUND ROCK (KXAN) — As the weather warms up, spring has arrived and that brings about baseball season.
In Round Rock, excitement is in the air for opening weekend at Dell Diamond for the Round Rock Express.
Expectations are sky high for this squad — the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers —that’s stacked with tons of talented players who hope to get called up to the major leagues this year.
With this in mind, we came up with a list of what to look forward to during the 2023 season.
Opening Weekend
The Express start their season tonight at 7:05 p.m. against the Albuquerque Isotopes — Colorado Rockies affiliate —at Dell Diamond.
This evening marks the first time since 2016 that the squad starts its season at home on a Friday. The first 2,000 fans in attendance tonight will receive a free ball cap.
After the game concludes, the first Friday Fireworks show of the season will take place from the field.
With this in mind, team officials expect tons of fans in the stands throughout the three-game set.
New Food Items
The newest food items for the 2023 season were unveiled earlier this week.
Round Rock Express communications manager Rylan Kobre says their options for everyone.
"Vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian whatever you want, we have something for you,” he said. “You could come here for every single game of the season and could get something new at the ballpark"
Some of the food items include:
- Far East Bowl
- 3 Little Pigs
- Teriyaki Beef Skewers
- Goodstock Burger
- Hot Chick
- New York Hot Dog
Giveaway Schedule
Over 13 giveaways are on tap for 2023, including five jersey giveaways and five bobblehead giveaways. This Saturday, the first 1,500 fans in attendance will turn back the clock when they receive a powder blue Fauxback Jersey.
Bobblehead collectors can sleep well at night knowing they will have four opportunities to collect a bobbling Nolan Ryan this season.
The Nolan Ryan Bobblehead Series will feature a bobblehead of Ryan from each of the four teams he played for. All four bobbleheads connect and the interlocking design displays his legendary pitching mechanics when they are put together.
The four dates are slated for Friday, June 2 (New York Mets), Saturday, June 24 (California Angels), Friday, July 7 (Houston Astros) and Friday, July 21 (Texas Rangers).
Talented Team
The Express’ roster on Opening Day includes 13 of the 31 players that have logged MLB service time during their careers. According to MLB.com, five of the top 30 prospects in the Texas Rangers organization are featured on the roster. Twenty returning players from last year are also on the team.