Brady Ballard enters his 20th season in professional sports and his fourth year with the Hooks.

Brady's prior stints include General Manager at the Spring Training home of the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals, the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, and Vice President of Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach.

The Marion, Illinois native was named 2013 Executive of the Year in the Advanced-A Florida State League as General Manager of the Daytona Cubs. Ballard began his career in 2004 with the Double-A Jacksonville Suns.

Brady currently serves on community boards for Visit Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi Sports Commission and Goodwill Industries of South Texas. Additionally, he previously served as the Event Chair for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer in Vero Beach.

Ballard received a degree in Economics in 2001 from the University of Illinois, where he was a two-time All-Big Ten Academic Team and Third-Team All-Big Ten outfielder.

Brady lives in Corpus Christi with his wife Gina, their son Dash, and daughter Hannah. Away from Whataburger Field, he enjoys golf, exercising, yard work, family time, and fishing in the Coastal Bend.

Maggie, who joined the organization in 2017, oversees all corporate partnerships for the Hooks.

Maggie moved to Corpus Christi in 2003 to attend Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Prior to joining the Hooks, Maggie worked for 12 years for Lamar Outdoor, selling billboards and other signage in the area. She worked closely with the Hooks in her position at Lamar, and she and her family loved attending Hooks games as fans. When the opportunity came to work for the club, Maggie knew it would be a great fit.

Maggie is the proud mom of her son, Hudson and daughter, Ryan. Family is the most important thing to Maggie and her husband, Morgan. In their free time, you will find them spending time together, at Little League baseball games, gymnastics or by their pool.

Becca joined the business development team in February 2024 after working two seasons as a member of the Hooks promotions crew.

A graduate of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Becca owns a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. In addition to her coursework, the East Texas native served in multiple leadership roles with Zeta Tau Alpha while at the Island University.

Becca roots for all teams out of the Lone Star State, especially the Texas Longhorns and Dallas Cowboys. A big baseball fan, she is particularly torn when the Astros and Rangers battle for the Silver Boot.

Away from Whataburger Field, Becca enjoys spending time with friends and family, including her dog Bear. She also loves to start her day on the beach at sunrise, though that snooze button is mighty tempting during a Hooks homestand!

Pat became a Hook in January 2022 following a three-year stint with the Southern Illinois Minors Baseball Team. During his time in Marion, Ill., Pat served as a box office manager and an account executive before being promoted to group sales coordinator. His work history also includes director of ticket sales for the Tucson Sugar Skulls, a professional indoor football team in Tucson, Ariz.

Originally from Munster, Indiana, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Pat graduated from Indiana University-Bloomington with a major in Sports Marketing and Management and a minor in Business.

His favorite teams are the Chicago Bulls, Green Bay Packers and, of course, the Hooks! Pat is excited to make his home in Corpus Christi, while exploring what the Coastal Bend has to offer.

Anissa, who joined the ballclub in time for the 2021 campaign, is currently in her second role with the Hooks, moving from the promotions crew to our ticket sales and services team.

Born and raised as a Pirate in Sinton, America, Anissa played varsity softball at Sinton High School, where she graduated in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Relegated to online classes, she earned an Associate in Arts Degree in Business Administration at Del Mar College in 2021.

Away from the ballpark, Anissa enjoys traveling and spending time with friends. The Corpus Christi resident is an ardent supporter of sushi and buffalo wings, sometimes on the same night. On the playlist: throwbacks, Reggaeton, and country.

A Corpus Christi native, Darren entered the 2024 season in his current role after previously serving as a retail associate and customer service representative.

Darren attended Mary Carroll High School, totaling two seasons on the varsity football squad. Keeping his local ties, Darren continued his studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, graduating in 2023 with his degree in Sports Management.

The Islander graduate is a lover of the NFL, MLB & NBA, but keeps his roots firm in The Lone Star State as a fan of the Cowboys, Spurs, Longhorns and Astros.

Makenna, who joined the Hooks in September 2025, leads the charge in planning and executing special events at Whataburger Field.

An Oaklyn, New Jersey native, Makenna earned a bachelor's degree in Recreation & Sport Management at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina and received a master's degree in Sport and Entertainment Management from the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

Makenna was ushered into the Philadelphia sports scene at an early age. While growing up in a military family, she played softball, basketball, rowing, gymnastics, and all-star cheerleading.

In addition to sports, Makenna enjoys trying new places to eat and going out with friends. She is also an all-star at laying out on the beach and couch surfing. Whatever it takes to binge a book or show!

Michael, who joined the club in 2007, serves as the primary play-by-play voice of Hooks Baseball, calling games with Gene Kasprzyk. Michael also assists in media relations and helps manage cchooks.com.

The Orange native graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Radio-Television degree in May 2006. He then finished the year as a broadcast intern with the Houston Astros.

In Huntsville, Michael served as sports director of the student radio station, calling four seasons of Bearkat Baseball and three seasons of Bearkat Football. He was also a student assistant for the university's sports information department, as well as a stringer at The Huntsville Item.

He currently provides play-by-play for CCISD football broadcasts in the fall and is the public address announcer for Texas A&M - Corpus Christi basketball.

Michael, his wife, Miranda, and their children, Joseph and Sophia, make their home in Corpus Christi.

Courtney transitioned to Creative Services in 2020, serving as the team's graphic design guru. She's been with the Hooks since 2012, first as an intern before moving into a full-time position as Community Relations Coordinator in December 2013. In that time, she oversaw community appearances, donation requests and held the honor of being Rusty Hook and Sammy Seagull's boss.

A South Texas native, Courtney was born a stone's throw away from Whataburger Field at Christus Spohn Shoreline Hospital, grew up in Calallen and graduated from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with a degree in Sports Management and Marketing. She left the Coastal Bend for year to play softball at Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas, but returned home to attend TAMU-CC.

Courtney doesn't mind paying extra for guacamole.

Val’s tenure with the Hooks began in April 2021 as a member of the club’s gameday production crew.

An Alice Coyote, Val graduated from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, where they earned a bachelor’s degree in Media Arts with an emphasis in Media Production. When not at the ballpark, Val enjoys doing freelance creative video for various sports organizations across Texas. Their other hobbies include golfing, watching horror films, and seeing how many pieces of sushi they can eat in one sitting.

You can also catch Val on Hooks social’s hosting their “What’s On Deck” segments, a fun and informative series highlighting upcoming Hooks games and promotions around the Coastal Bend.

Val’s passion for the fan experience drives everything they do, ensuring that everyone, whether a die-hard fan or a first-time visitor, has a memorable and engaging time at the ballpark.

“I’ll see you at the ballpark!”

Samuel Guzman, who joined the Hooks in 2023 as a member of the gameday production staff, became the club’s chief videographer in January 2025.

A South Texas native, Samuel graduated from Gregory-Portland High School where he was a member of the Wildcats baseball team.

Samuel earned a radio-television-film degree while minoring in business at the University of Texas at Austin.

In addition creating cool stuff for Hooks fans, Samuel enjoys traveling with a camera, watching movies, running, and taking walks. And he’s always on the lookout for live music.

Brett, who joined the Hooks in August 2015, directs all ballpark operations and event staff at Whataburger Field.

A native of Reno, Nevada, Brett played two years of baseball at Feather River College in Quincy, California, helping the Golden Eagles win back-to-back conference and regional championships. Brett moved on to the University of Nevada-Reno for a Marketing degree before earning a Master's in Sport Management from the University of San Francisco.

Brett stayed in the Bay Area after college, interning with the San Francisco Giants' Guest Services Department in 2013. He then became a Ballpark Operations Assistant during the 2014 World Series season.

When not engulfed in baseball, Brett enjoys a multitude of other sports, including golfing, basketball, and wakeboarding, as well as wishing that his beloved Oakland Raiders would win their first Super Bowl since 1983.

Eric, who joined the front office in time for the 2017 campaign, has worked as a retail associate and retail coordinator before this current role with the Hooks. His operations duties include oversight of Hook, Line & Sinker, the club’s official team store.

A big-time sports fan, Eric backs the Astros, Spurs and Seahawks. The Corpus Christi native enjoys spending time with family, going to concerts, and sampling the best food and drink the Coastal Bend has to offer.

Eric and his better-half Jenna have a son, Joe Anthony and a daughter, Emily. Their cat Luna runs the show!

Marcus joined the Hooks as a visiting clubhouse manager in 2017 and was promoted to home clubhouse manager prior to the 2018 season. The Sioux Falls, SD native handles all operations inside the Hooks clubhouse and equipment room. During the offseason, he assists in various construction and maintenance projects around Whataburger Field.

Marcus started his career in baseball as a bat boy for the independent Sioux Falls Canaries before ultimately being promoted to clubhouse manager for his hometown team. He transitioned to affiliated baseball in 2015, working alongside his brother (Matt) as a clubhouse assistant for the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers.

Marcus has two brothers (including a twin) and two sisters. On 10/10/20, he married the former Jorden Klaevemann of Taft, Texas. Marcus and Jorden, who met at Whataburger Field, have a son, Jackson, and make their home in Portland. Outside the ballpark, Marcus enjoys going to concerts, the beach, playing golf, and spending time with family.

Sam joined the Hooks as the Head Groundskeeper at the end of May 2025. Hailing from Snoqualmie, Washington Sam grew up playing baseball, golf, and track and field. Sports and outdoor activities have always and continue to be an important facet of day-to-day life for Sam.

With over a decade of experience in the turf industry, Sam began his journey in high school, working on the grounds crew for TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. He worked for several other golf courses while in his undergraduate program and graduated from Western Washington University with a Major in Anthropology and minored in Communications in 2019.

After a brief stint selling property and liability insurance, Sam decided to go back to school to pursue a master’s degree in Turf management at Penn State. During this time, he worked as an assistant superintendent at several golf courses including Anthem Golf and Country Club in Phoenix, Arizona.

Sam graduated from Penn State with a master’s degree in Turf Management in May 2025. Outside work, He and his Fiancée, Emily, love to adventure, or sit out in the sun by the pool with their dogs, PJ, Ollie, and Goose.

Mike has been working with the Hooks since the inaugural 2005 season, supervising the cleaning of Whataburger Field.

Born in Munich, Germany, Mike was restaurant manager of the Corpus Christi International Airport from 1989-99. The Taft native also served in the Navy for six years as an Aerographer's Mate.

During his slim time spent away from Whataburger Field, Mike enjoys fishing and football.

Jessica joined the Hooks in 2014 and helps keep the club's finances in order. Hitting the decade mark, it's been noted as the best decade of her professional life with excitement to the next decade and beyond. Prior to coming on board, she worked in non-profits and also held Hooks season tickets.

A native of Corpus Christi, Jessica graduated from Howard Payne University in Brownwood with a degree in communications (2002) and received her MBA from St. Edward's University in Austin (2010).

In her journey through CCISD, she attended Club Estates Elementary, Tom Browne Middle School and Carroll High School.

She and her husband Daniel, a plein air painting enthusiast, live in Corpus Christi with their daughter Lindsey. The family of three also has three dogs in Paige, Dot and Kit. If her family attended Hogwarts, Jessica would be a Ravenclaw, Daniel a Slytherin and Lindsey a Hufflepuff. While we can't know for sure (because dogs can't take computer quizzes), it's thought that Paige is a Hufflepuff, Kit a Gryffindor and Dot is a Slytherin.

Jessica's best friend, Suzanne Shockley, has been the mastermind creating the amazing couture for Rusty and Sammy.