Round Rock renews naming rights

ROUND ROCK, Texas -- Round Rock Express Baseball and Dell Inc. announced Thursday a 10-year renewal of their agreement for naming rights to Dell Diamond, home of the Texas Rangers Triple-A affiliate, located on U.S. Highway 79 in Round Rock. Dell has been the Express stadium naming rights partner since the franchise's inception, and the extension keeps the venue's name as Dell Diamond through the 2023 season.

"Dell has been a valued partner with the Express since day one, and this extension ensures our partnership well into the next decade," Express owner and CEO, Reid Ryan, said. "Moving forward, we are committed to maintaining Dell Diamond as the premier stadium in Minor League Baseball, providing a fan-friendly, family-oriented venue. We will be making several upgrades to the stadium, and Dell's continued support will make that possible."

Dell Diamond will undergo considerable fan-experience upgrades this offseason. Most notable of the upcoming changes will be a new larger LED high-definition video scoreboard in left field. The nearly 100-by-43-foot structure will be complimented by LED HD video display panels stretching 100 feet along both the left-field and right-field walls, as well as a new auxiliary scoreboard and information center to be positioned above the right-field Fireball Grill.

Plans also call for the introduction of 63 premium luxury seats located in the top 10 rows directly behind home plate. The premium seating section will feature expanded seating and leg room, as well as dedicated wait-service to guests seated in those rows.

"Dell moved its corporate headquarters to Round Rock in 1996, just a few years before the Express located there," Dell vice president of corporate responsibility, Trisa Thompson, said. "So, in many ways, we've grown together in Round Rock and seen the area grow significantly around us. We're proud of our long association with a positive, community-oriented organization such as the Round Rock Express and are happy to continue it for many more years."

Other new fan-oriented changes will include the replacement of two regular seating rows with four-seat table tops conveniently positioned on the concourse level atop Section 123 on the first-base side, as well as the addition of assistance railing centered up and down the steps of each reserved-seating section. Throughout the ballpark, the new-look Dell Diamond will feature refreshed branding treatment of Dell's name and marks, including new signage on the facility's marquee and main entrance along Highway 79 and in a prominent display atop the new video scoreboard.

The Express will also participate with Dell in several other community partnerships that will benefit various local charities. Additionally, Dell will provide free Junior Sluggers program memberships to 300 disadvantaged youths in the area. Junior Sluggers focuses on providing children ages 13-and-under with exclusive team and social experiences throughout the season. The Express will also maintain a Dell Diamond-themed entertainment and activity room in the Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, in which Express players, coaches and front office personnel will visit patients.

A member of the Pacific Coast League, the Round Rock Express will begin the 2013 season April 4 with an eight-game homestand that includes a pair of four-game series against the Omaha Storm Chasers and Iowa Cubs. Season ticket and group outing packages are available through the Express ticket office at (512) 255-2255 or at www.RoundRockExpress.com online.

Round Rock Express Baseball, owned and operated by Ryan Sanders Baseball, LP, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and a member of the Pacific Coast League.