The Brazos Valley Bombers’ newest opponent will take them southwest to Interstate 10, the longest continuous untolled freeway in North America. Owners of the Victoria Baseball Club, LLC announced today that their new franchise will be located in Weimar, Texas and they will play their games at the historic Veterans Memorial Park. The team will be named the Texas Tomcats.

The team’s new general manager, Blake Koch, voiced his excitement with the decision, “I’ve had my heart set on the Weimar area since the first day I saw the facilities and community support there. Weimar and the surrounding areas have a rich history of baseball that I believe will fuel this franchise to be successful on the field and in the community for many years to come.”

The nickname “Tomcats” was created by the minds of several local citizens.  The high school mascot in Weimar is the Wildcats, so the “cat” theme and identity is maintained.  The “Tom” in Tomcats is after Tom Strickland, who has been a mainstay in Weimar baseball for many years.  Also, the local Veterans Hall owns the rights to the field, so the Tomcats nickname can be seen as a tribute to the local veterans by interpreting the name to represent the F-14 Tomcat fighter plane.  The Tomcat was the United States Navy’s primary maritime air superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor, and tactical reconnaissance platform from 1974 to 2006.

“I really like the uniqueness of the nickname,” Koch stated.  “I feel that everyone from the local communities can identify with some aspect of it.”

With the addition of Weimar and Victoria the past two years, the Bombers have been joined by two southern-based teams in a league that previously had been dominated by northern Texas teams like McKinney, Coppell and Kilgore. The league continues to expand and eventually will evolve into a format that features two divisions, allowing for a South and North Champion.

The Bombers continue to gear up for their fourth season of Texas Collegiate League play, and look to make a strong push for the franchise’s first championship.

The Brazos Valley Bombers are a summer collegiate baseball team located in Bryan, Texas. Founded in 2007, the team plays in the six-team Texas Collegiate League, which plays a 56-game schedule from early June to mid-August. As a summer collegiate team, the Bombers attract some of the top college baseball players from around the country as they prepare to embark their professional careers. Like minor league teams throughout the country, the Bombers offer affordable, family-friendly entertainment for fans of all ages. For more information on the Bombers, visit the team’s official web site at www.bvbombers.com.