For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 6, 2002
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Director of Athletic Media Relations, (956) 381-2240

UTPA BASEBALL TEAM TO PLAY REYNOSA BRONCOS IN BORDER BASEBALL SERIES 

EDINBURG, TX-The University of Texas-Pan American has reached a two-year agreement to have their baseball team play three exhibition games against the Reynosa Broncos of the Mexican League. The game will mark the start of the Border Baseball Series.

The UTPA Broncs will host Reynosa in the first game of this series Friday evening, March 15^th at 7:30 p.m. at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium. Next season, the agreement calls for the teams to play a home-and-home exhibition series, with one game at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium, and the other at Reynosa’s Adolfo Lopez Mateos Park.

The game will come at an opportune time for both teams. The Broncs have nine days between scheduled games against Notre Dame at the Round Rock Express College Classic Sunday, March 10^th and at home against Kansas on Tuesday evening, March 19^th. Reynosa is scheduled to open its 2002 season with a road game against the Owls of the Two Laredos in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico Wednesday, March 20^th. The Mexican League is in Class AAA, the highest classification in the minor leagues.

“Only in Edinburg can South Texans enjoy professional baseball and major college baseball at the same time,” said Edinburg Mayor Joe Ochoa. “Both the Reynosa Broncos and the UTPA Broncs have a rich heritage of championship-caliber athletics.”

Ochoa noted that the $6.5 million Edinburg Baseball Stadium is ranked as one of the best facilities in the nation for minor league and college baseball.
 “The Border Baseball Series provides an excellent opportunity for the UTPA athletic department, its baseball program and the Reynosa Broncos baseball club to share an outstanding athletic event with the entire Rio Grande Valley and northern Mexico communities,” said UTPA Director of Athletics William J. Weidner. “The UTPA Athletic department is proud to be a partner with the city of Edinburg and the Mexican consulate in bringing about this very special athletic event.”

Roland Arriola, Vice President for External Affairs at UTPA, said that professional baseball generates a significant economic return for the All-America City.

“During the Edinburg Roadrunners’ first season, we attracted more than 150,000 baseball fans who spent several million dollars in the city,” said Arriola, who also serves as president of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. “Professional and college sports help improve the quality of life for our citizens and generate business for our community.”

”This is a great opportunity,” said Luis Manuel Lopez Moreno, the Consul of Mexico in McAllen. “This is the latest partnership between Edinburg and major Mexican cities to bring our two great regions together.”

The Broncs met Reynosa in an exhibition game two years ago. Reynosa won, 6-3, before an overflow crowd of 4746 at Jody Ramsey Stadium.
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