A new college tournament will hit the Minor League Baseball landscape next spring, when the Frisco RoughRiders (Class AA; Texas League) host the first Frisco College Baseball Classic. Running from March 3-5, this tournament at Dr Pepper Ballpark will feature four NCAA Division I programs: the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, University of Arizona Wildcats, University of Nebraska Cornhuskers, and Oklahoma State University Cowboys.
With more teams vying to make their ballparks into year-round destinations, college baseball tournaments have become a popular attraction around the minors, especially in the South, where early-spring weekends can be dedicated to college showcases. In fact, the RoughRiders have been in on this trend in the past, most recently hosting a game between Texas Tech and Oral Roberts.
By attracting this tournament, the RoughRiders solidify their ties to college baseball. It also appears that the Frisco community was fully on board with the idea.
The Frisco Classic aims to bring in the nation’s top teams in order to provide unparalleled entertainment and competition for the both the fans and athletes. Peak Sports MGMT has partnered with the RoughRiders, the City of Frisco, and the Frisco Chamber of Commerce in order to make this an event that will bring collegiate baseball fans into the Frisco area from surrounding states as well as surrounding cities and communities.
“The RoughRiders are thrilled to host the inaugural Frisco College Baseball Classic next March and look forward to a terrific multi-year partnership with this premier college baseball event,” said RoughRiders’ CEO and General Partner Chuck Greenberg. “Our involvement with the Frisco College Baseball Classic is a major step in our franchise’s new commitment to significantly expand the number of games we host annually at Dr Pepper Ballpark with the goal of being the top high school and college baseball destination in the State of Texas.”
“The City of Frisco is excited to have a collegiate baseball tournament of this caliber in our backyard”, said Frisco Mayor Maher Maso. “Frisco is a perfect place for this event as it enhances our reputation as a tourist destination while providing entertainment and economic benefits for our residents.”
As a Proud Supporter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, The Frisco Classic will also be collecting donations to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis through its ticketing website and other opportunities over the course of the weekend. Donations to the CF Foundation help increase awareness of this life-threatening genetic disease and support research efforts to find an ultimate cure for cystic fibrosis.
“It is exciting to bring something like this to the Frisco area,” says Peak Sports MGMT President Ryan Holloway. “From our understanding there has never been anything like this in the area, and to add to it, the caliber of teams that we are bringing in will surely make this first class event for everyone involved.”
The RoughRiders are hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the tournament at Dr Pepper Ballpark this morning at 10:00 CST.