Dell Diamond is the home stadium of the Round Rock Express, the Triple-A Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Texas Rangers major league baseball team. On April 16, 2000, the then-Double-A affiliate Express played their first home game at the stadium.[7]

Dell Diamond
Map
Location3400 East Palm Valley Boulevard
Round Rock, Texas
United States
Coordinates30°31′38″N 97°37′50″W / 30.5273°N 97.6305°W / 30.5273; -97.6305
OwnerCity of Round Rock
OperatorRyan Sanders Baseball LP
Capacity11,631
Record attendance13,475 (June 16, 2006)
Field sizeLeft field: 335 feet (102 m)
Center field: 400 feet (120 m)
Right field: 325 feet (99 m)
SurfaceTifTuf Bermuda grass[2]
Construction
Broke groundFebruary 26, 1999 (1999-02-26)[1]
OpenedApril 16, 2000 (2000-04-16)
Construction cost$25 million[3]
($44.2 million in 2023 dollars[4])
ArchitectHKS, Inc.
Project managerThe Madison Group, Ltd.[5]
Services engineerBlum Consulting Engineers, Inc.[6]
General contractorHensel Phelps
Tenants

Dell Diamond is built on 85 acres (344,000 m2) of former farmland on the east side of Round Rock, Texas,[8] a rapidly growing suburban city northeast of Austin. Nolan Ryan and his son Reid Ryan, part owners of the Express, originally wanted a stadium inside the city of Austin, but found a more attractive site in the City of Round Rock, with support from the city leadership. The city of Round Rock contributed $7.35 million to the $25 million cost of the facility. The city owns the ballpark and gave the Express a 38-year lease. Local-based computer technology company Dell contracted for naming rights in a deal that will cost the company $2.5 million over 15 years.

Events

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The stadium has also hosted several college games, including some early-season University of Texas contests in 2007 while the Longhorns' home field, UFCU Disch-Falk Field, was undergoing a major renovation project. A showcase neutral-site game was played on February 21, 2012, between the Baylor Bears and Texas State Bobcats.[9] Dell Diamond is also the designated site for the University Interscholastic League state baseball tournament. On February 13, 2016, the stadium hosted a rugby union match between Canada and USA Rugby, as part of the Americas Rugby Championship.

On June 25, 2007, Manny Parra, pitcher for the visiting Nashville Sounds, pitched a perfect game against the Round Rock Express at the ballpark.[10]

On July 11, 2001, the ballpark hosted the Double-A All-Star Game in which a team of National League-affiliated All-Stars defeated a team of American League-affiliated All-Stars, 8–3, before 12,046 people in attendance.[11]

In 2004, Nicole Richie & Paris Hilton "worked" at the stadium for the day. This was filmed as a part of a Season 2 episode of The Simple Life, their reality TV show. [12]

In October 2016, the stadium hosted the Traxxas Monster Truck Destruction Tour prior to the field's being resurfaced.

From September 2017 to mid-March 2018, the stadium was transformed into a set for the fourth season of television's Fear the Walking Dead.[13] As a result, the field had to be resurfaced again because vegetables had been planted on it and the grass had been killed with chemicals to attain a post-apocalyptic look.

Rugby union

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In 2019, the Austin Elite, of Major League Rugby, announced Dell Diamond as their home stadium for the 2019 season. Dell Diamond has also hosted international matches for the Americas Rugby Championship.

Date Visiting Score Home Competition Event Attendance
February 13, 2016   Canada 22–30   United States World Rugby ARC 7,415[14]
February 11, 2017   Brazil 3–51   United States World Rugby ARC [15]
February 23, 2019   Brazil 28–33   United States World Rugby ARC [16]
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References

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  1. ^ Davenport, Christian (February 27, 1999). "Nolan Ryan Breaks Ground from the Mound". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  2. ^ "Ballpark Profile - Round Rock Express Dell Diamond". MiLB.com. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  3. ^ Knight, Graham. "The Dell Diamond". Baseball Pilgrimages. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  4. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  5. ^ "Past Projects". The Madison Group, Ltd. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  6. ^ "Leisure-Recreation Facilities". Blum Consulting Engineers. Archived from the original on September 2, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  7. ^ Jacobs, Janet (January 14, 2000). "Dell Roots, Roots, Roots for the Home Team". Austin American-Statesman. p. A1.
  8. ^ "Ballpark Profile". Minor League Baseball. January 12, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  9. ^ Pirtle, Krista (February 23, 2012). "Baseball Takes Down Texas State with Four-Run Inning". The Baylor Lariat. Baylor University. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
  10. ^ "Nashville vs. Round Rock - June 25, 2007 - Box". Minor League Baseball. June 25, 2007. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  11. ^ Point, Michael (July 12, 2001). "A Night of Fireworks". Austin American-Statesman. Austin. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Bad Girls Club— the Simple Life Season 2 Episode 7 "Play Ball" as".
  13. ^ Maun, Tyler (May 10, 2018). "Round Rock promo rises from the grave". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  14. ^ "AMERICAS RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP - TX, 13 February 2016, 18:00 local, 02:00 GMT +1d". espnscrum. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  15. ^ "AMERICAS RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP - TX, 11 February 2017, 18:00 local, 02:00 GMT +1d". espnscrum. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  16. ^ "AMERICAS RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP - TX, 23 February 2019, 19:10 local, 03:10 GMT +1d". espnscrum. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
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