Front Office Directory
Amarillo Sod Poodles Front Office: (806) 803-7762
HODGETOWN
Business Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Phone: (806) 803-7762
Office Fax: (806) 803-7760
HODGETOWN (deliveries)
715 S. Buchanan Street
Amarillo, Texas 79101
Box Office:
Phone: (806) 803-9547
Non-Gamedays M-F: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Non-Gameday Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Administration
Tony enters his first season as President and General Manager of the Padres Double-A affiliate, the Amarillo Sod Poodles, but brings with him over 30 years of success in the game of baseball.
Tony spent the previous 14 seasons as President and General Manager of the Brewers Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Under his guidance, the club saw all-time franchise attendance numbers averaging over 300,000 for eight consecutive seasons and set the franchise all-time season attendance mark of 350,074 in 2014. Following the 2011 season, the club was recognized with Baseball America's prestigious Bob Freitas Triple-A Organization of the Year Award which recognizes long-term organizational excellence and community involvement.
He joined the Sky Sox in 2004 after 15 seasons with the Birmingham Barons, where seven of those years he held the capacity of President and General Manager of the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox in the Southern League. While there, Ensor served as a member of the Southern League Board of Directors and the Southern League Rules and Competition
Committee. A highlight in Ensor's career was running the day to day operations of the Barons during the historic 1994 season when Michael Jordan played his only year of professional baseball.
The 2019 season begins his 21st season as a President and General Manager in professional baseball, presently sitting on the executive committee of the Texas League Board of Directors. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga graduate learned baseball from the ground up, literally. He began his baseball career as a Groundskeeper for the Chattanooga Lookouts for five seasons before becoming the Director of Stadium Operations for Birmingham in 1990.
Tony lives full-time in Amarillo with his wife Lynn and daughters Grace and Amaleigh. His son is in Colorado attending college at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. He is very active in the community and enjoys working with several local charities.
Ben Knowles, a product of Layton, Utah, is the Director of Finance for the Amarillo Sod Poodles.
Ben began his career in the professional sports and entertainment industry in 2013. He spent three seasons with the Utah Grizzlies hockey team of the ECHL as the Accounting Assistant.
In 2016, he transitioned into Minor League Baseball and worked the 2017 and 2018 seasons for the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox serving as the team's Director of Finance.
Ben received his Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Weber State University.
Lynn is the Executive Assistant to the President/General Manager and also oversees the operation of the Front Office. Although having been a fan of minor league baseball for many years, Lynn has also worked in various ball parks across two countries; Medicine Hat Blue Jays (Rookie League), Durham Bulls (Triple A), and The Chattanooga Lookouts (Double A). Lynn has an educational background in Human Services and currently resides in Amarillo with her husband, Tony and two daughters, Grace and Amaleigh. Their adult son resides in Colorado.
Robin joined the Sod Poodles in April 2019. She handles the paperwork for incoming new part-time employees as well as assist the Controller. She grew up in the Texas Panhandle and has called Amarillo home for the past 4 years. On her off time, she enjoys hiking in the Canyon and cheering on the Cowboys anytime, anywhere.
Ticket Sales & Service
Originally from Oregon, Jeff joined the Sod Poodles in May of 2018.
Prior to Amarillo, Jeff was in Reno for 4.5 years working his way from Account Executive to Outside Sales Manager. Prior to Reno, Jeff worked with the Salem Keizer Volcanoes for 2 seasons starting as an intern and becoming a hybrid sales/ticketing full-time employee.
Jeff oversees all aspects of the ticket sales department from hiring and training all ticket sales staff to developing strategy and plans to sell season tickets, group tickets, as well as single-game tickets. He is fond of saying his job is to "get butts in seats".
When not at HODGETOWN you can find Jeff relaxing on his recliner, at the movies, or exploring the Texas Panhandle.
Dustin joined the Sod Poodles in July of 2018, after spending four years with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, now known as the Rocky Mountain Vibes.Dustin is originally from Eudora, Kansas and is an avid Jayhawks fan as well as all professional teams from Kansas City.
He enjoys spending time with his wife Alli, golfing, doing trivia, and watching as many movies as he can find the time for! If you see Dustin on the concourse, please be sure to stop him to say hi as he loves to meet new people!
Prior to joining the Sod Poodles in September 2018, Nick served as the Ticket Operations Supervisor for the Reno Aces and started his career as a Ticket Operations Assistant for the El Paso Chihuahuas.
Nick graduated in May of 2017 from SUNY Cortland with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, cooking and spending time back home in Central New York.
Jacob joined the Sod Poodles in July of 2018. He is responsible for maximizing revenue via season seat memberships and group outings for companies and clubs/organizations.
Prior to joining the Sod Poodles, Jacob attended Indiana University in Bloomington, IN where he earned a bachelors degree in Sport Marketing and Management. His prior work experience includes a season long internship with the Indianapolis Indians as a Ticket Services Assistant.
Matt joined the Sod Poodles in July of 2018. Prior to joining the Sod Poodles, Matt worked for Memphis Redbirds AAA affiliate to the St. Louis Cardinals and Jackson Generals AA affiliate to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Tennessee. He previously attended the University of San Francisco where he earned his Master's of Sport Management degree. While he attended USF, he worked all across the industry working for the Oakland Athletics, Oakland Raiders, interning for the Summer Collegiate Baseball team-Fayetteville SwampDogs and the SPHL team Fayeteville FireAntz now called the Fayetteville Marksmen.
His focus on youth sports for the Texas Panhandle is to provide experiences to everyone that plays youth sports that can create memories with the Sod Poodles at HODGETOWN just as he did as a kid with his hometown teams.
In his off time, Matt can be found on the golf course, by the pool, or out hiking at Palo Duro Canyon.
Zak joined the Sod Poodles in January of 2019 after graduating from Orlando's Full Sail University with a Bachelor's degree in Sports Marketing & Media. As a group sales assistant, he coordinates all hospitality and group outings, among other responsibilities. Zak grew up playing hockey in his native Nashville, TN, and is a life-long Predators fan!
Michael joined the Sod Poodles in February of 2019 as a Box Office Attendant but now works as a Ticket Sales & Service Assistant.
He graduated from West Texas A&M University with a Degree in Sports & Exercise Science and is currently pursuing a Master's in Sport Management.
Michael grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is an Oklahoma Sooner fan.
Corporate Partnerships
Matt joined the Sod Poodles in September of 2018. He is responsible for helping grow the organization through corporate sales, sponsorships and premium business development.
Matt, a McKinney, TX native, spent the last eight years working in local news doing a number of different things, but mainly as a Sports Anchor at NewsChannel10. He made the transition behind the camera and into the advertising and marketing world in May of 2017, which ultimately helped him land his current position with the Sod Poodles.
Matt majored in Mass Communications - Sports Broadcasting while attending West Texas A&M University. In his spare time he likes to spend time at home with his wife Cassie and their two dogs Tyson and Pearl. When it come to sports, Matt roots for all things Rangers, Cowboys, Mavericks and Stars!
Kelly joined the Sod Poodles in February 2019. As the Corporate Partnership Activation Specialist, she is responsible for helping grow the organization through corporate sales, sponsorships, and premium business development.
She graduated from George Mason University in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management. Before coming to work for the Amarillo Sod Poodles she interned with 3 different minor league ballclubs around the country starting in her home state of Virginia with the Potomac Nationals, to the Tri-City Valley Cats in Troy, NY and most recently the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in Salem, OR. You may recognize her as the girl who is always dancing during and before each game, despite her complete lack of rhythm.
When she's not at a baseball game either for work or fun, Kelly loves hiking in Palo Duro Canyon, reading, and petting any animal she can get her hands on.
Marketing and Communications
Shane Philipps, a product of Temecula, CA, enters his fifth season in professional baseball as the Director of Public Relations and Baseball Operations for the Amarillo Sod Poodles.
Shane transitioned full-time to Amarillo last October, coming from Colorado Springs where he spent the 2018 season working as the Public Relations Director for the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Before his time there, he spent the 2017 season in Reno, Nevada working as the Communication Coordinator for the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Reno Aces.
Shane joined the executive office in professional baseball just before the 2015 season in the California League, working as the Public Relations and Digital Media Manager for the High Desert Mavericks, the then Advanced-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. In his two seasons with the team, he was responsible for managing the Mavericks' public relations duties as well as all social media platforms and website maintenance. He also served as the game-day media contact, on-field emcee and coordinated ticket packages and group/corporate outings.
Prior to beginning his career in baseball, Shane worked in various roles throughout the Southern California/Orange County region in sales, marketing and public relations.
Shane received his Bachelor of Science from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona in Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations and completed four associate degrees at Palomar College. He competed in baseball since the age of 4, playing through his four years of college as a left-handed pitcher, spending two years at Palomar College in San Marcos, CA and two years at NCAA Division II Cal Poly Pomona.
Shane enjoys spending time with family and friends, the beach, health/fitness, and has a great love for the sport of baseball. His passion for working in the industry stemmed from his childhood of going to Minor League Baseball baseball games and wanting to give back that fun, family-friendly experience back to this community.
Tess joined the Sod Poodles staff in September of 2018. As Director of Marketing, she is responsible for running the Sod Poodles social media, digital advertising, and email campaigns.
She graduated from the University of New Haven with her MBA with an emphasis in Sport Management in May of 2018. She also graduated with her undergraduate degree in Sport Management from UNH in May of 2017. She worked as a Marketing Coordinator for a women's semi-professional soccer team in Prato, Italy. She also interned with the Bridgeport Bluefish in Connecticut.
Moving from Boston, she is a fan of all things Patriots and Red Sox. Outside of the office, she enjoys watching Netflix, traveling the World, and spending time with her family.
In January 2019, Joe joined the Amarillo Sod Poodles front office staff to create the in-game fan experience for HODGETOWN in it's inaugural season. As the inaugural Manager of Video Production, Joe laid the foundation for HODGETOWN's event production and MiLB.TV broadcasts. During HODGETOWN's construction, Joe oversaw the installation of the ballpark's HODGEVISION video boards and audio infrastructure. Joe previously served on the production team for the Florida Fire Frogs in Kissimmee, Florida.
Originally from Long Island, New York, Joe served as Producer/Beat Reporter for the New York Islanders Radio Network from 2013-2016. In 2016, Joe graduated from Hofstra University with a Dual Degree in Business Management & Legal Studies. In 2018, Joe received his Masters in Business Administration from the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida.
Sam Levitt was named the inaugural "Voice of the Sod Poodles" prior to the 2019 season, arriving to Amarillo after spending two seasons with the Corpus Christi Hooks. Levitt handles all play-by-play duties for the club on radio and TV, while also hosting and providing content to the club's social media platforms.
The New York native spent three seasons working for the independent Gateway Grizzlies before beginning his time in the Texas League. He also calls college basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, and other sports for TV/digital platforms around the country.
Levitt graduated from Northwestern University in 2014.
Merchandise and Community Relations
Sierra joined the Sod Poodles in March 2018. She is responsible for community outreach initiatives, the Sod Squad team, and enhancing the fan experience.
Prior to this she was with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, starting her internship year in 2016 and continuing to stay within the Elmore Group. She graduated from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs in 2017 with a double major in marketing and sports management.
As a San Diego native she misses her trips to Disneyland.
Stadium and Field Operations
Wayne was a part of the HODGETOWN construction crew, and literally got to see, and be a part of, the build process from the ground up. He oversees the daily operations of the ballpark which includes maintenance, cleaning, event setup and breakdown, and game-day staffing. Before working for the Soddies, he worked for the Frisco RoughRiders, Lake County Captains, Mobile BayBears, Modesto Nuts, and Lake Erie Crushers. He comes from the Cleveland, Ohio area and has been a fan of all Cleveland teams and THE Ohio State Buckeyes since he can remember.
Zack recently graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelors of Sport Management Degree in 2018.
Prior to coming to Amarillo, Zack worked two seasons in summer collegiate baseball. First season was with the Southern Ohio Copperheads in the Great Lakes League, and last summer working in the Northwoods League with the Kalamazoo Growlers.
Diamond Creations Concessions
Michael Lindal is entering his 15th season with the Elmore Sports Group. He started with the Inland Empire 66ers in 2004-2009 as F&B Operations Manager and two summers with Rancho Cucamonga Quakes,2004-2005. Michael helped open up INTRUST Bank Arena (SAVOR) as Concessions Manager in Wichita, KS 2009-2011 and was with the San Antonio Missions for the last 8 years as the General Manager of Food and Beverage for the Diamond Creations.
Michael is a native of Clearwater, KS Graduated from Cowley College and Wichita State University . When Michael is not at Selling Hot dogs for a living he enjoys fishing, deer hunting, golf, WWE,concerts,karaoke, cooking and heading back home to Kansas.
Nicole joined the Amarillo Sod Poodles organization in January of 2019. She is the Suite Catering and Bar Manager at HODGETOWN. She has 20 years of hospitality management experience from fine dining establishments to casual bar and grill. Prior to college, she worked in her family's indoor soccer arena for many years. She was born and raised in Amarillo, attending both Amarillo High and Amarillo College. Her and her husband are proud to have raised their son in this community.
Tommy is born and raised in Amarillo graduating from River Road High School in 2010. This is his first year with Diamond Concessions and in professional baseball. Tommy oversees all concessions stands as well as Non-Profit Concessions Programs. Tommy is married to his wife Kelcy with a daughter McKinlee and a baby boy on the way. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, and spending time with his family.