With Opening Day on the horizon, the Round Rock Express are
set to embark on a new era in the club’s storied history. The 2019 season
brings about a new affiliation, new branding and a renewed commitment to the
Central Texas community. In conjunction with the team’s historic 20th
anniversary season, the Express announced last September that the club is
reaffiliating to become the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, reuniting
with their parent club from 2000-2010.
The Express were founded as a Double-A franchise in 2000 by
Ryan Sanders Baseball, a group made up of Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, his sons
Reid and Reese, Houston businessman Don Sanders, and his sons Bret and Brad. The
team joined the ranks of Triple-A in 2005.
As the newest member of the Houston Astros family, an
organization chock-full of top prospects, there should be no shortage of top
talent making their way through Round Rock in 2019. Six Astros farmhands appear
in MLB.com’s Top 100 Prospects list. Pitchers Forrest Whitley (#7), Josh James
(#62), Corbin Martin (#81) and J.B. Bukauskas (#97) as well as outfielders Kyle
Tucker (#8) and Yordan Alvarez (#44) all have a chance to suit up for the
E-Train in 2019.
To celebrate the team’s 20th anniversary, the Express
unveiled new logos, a new color scheme and a new set of uniforms that embodies
the heart and soul of the Round Rock community. The team’s primary E-Train logo
has been enhanced to more authentically represent the historic trains that came
through Round Rock along the Chisholm Trail. The center of the E-Train is also
a tribute to the iconic “Lone Star” that Texas is proudly known for. Fans will
also enjoy a new “double-R” mark as well, a cattle brand nod to the Ryan
family’s love of ranching. The double-R is the focal point of a new custom
Express team font that fans can expect to see in 2019.
The new look kicks off the Express’ 20th anniversary
season, featuring a 20-year logo showcasing the iconic round rock that the city
is named for perched in front of an Astros’ rainbow-inspired sky commemorating
the dawn of a new affiliation.
The team has returned to its original navy and a new shade
of deep red along with silver. The redesigned home white uniforms feature navy
trim and showcase the team’s “Express” lettering across the chest and a 20th
season sleeve patch. The new navy home cap features the reimagined E-Train. On
the road, the club will don traditional gray uniforms with “Round Rock”
displayed across the chest and navy caps featuring the new double-R logo. Two
alternate looks include a navy two-button henley and a white pinstripe uniform.
The Express open their historic 20th anniversary season on
the road against the New Orleans Baby Cakes (Miami Marlins affiliate) on
Thursday, April 4 before returning to Dell Diamond on Tuesday, April 9 for a
five-game series against the Nashville Sounds (Texas Rangers affiliate). Single
game tickets, season memberships and flex plan ticket packages are on sale now.
For more information on the Express, visit RRExpress.com or
call (512) 255-2255. Keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and
Twitter, and join the conversation during the team’s historic 20th anniversary
season using #20STROng.