A Hometown Dream People were excited – and for good reason. Back in 2017, city leaders and league folks stood in front of cameras and crowds to show off the Griffins’ name and logo. The branding, put together by a Dallas-Fort Worth design firm, showed a fierce, winged creature meant to stand for strength, speed and a nod to the city’ s founder, Garrett Burgess Griffin Royse.
The name wasn’ t just picked from a hat. Locals helped choose it through a contest that brought in over 900 entries. The finalists? Rattlers, Wranglers, Buntings, Recaps, Railheads – and
Griffins. The public voted and Griffins won. Two Rockwall residents, Adi Bryant and Dawn Cade who suggested the name, were awarded season tickets for life.
Only problem? That“ life” never really started.
Big Plans, But No Groundbreaking
The stadium – The Ballpark at Royse City – was supposed to seat 4,000 and cost $ 11 million. It was going to be right off I-30 and Farm-to- Market Road 2642, across from where Buc-ee’ s now stands.
But it wasn’ t just about baseball. City officials and community boosters dreamed of a whole entertainment district – restaurants, family spots, even nightlife – all on a 107-acre development that could’ ve helped put Royse City on the map.
But while the vision looked great on paper, behind the scenes, things weren’ t going smoothly.
The league – created by sports promoter Mark Schuster and Ventura Sports Group, – had trouble getting its teams off the ground. Other franchises were announced in Waco( BlueCats) and Joplin, Missouri( Miners) but neither made it to Opening Day. In Joplin, the team defaulted on its lease. In Waco, the stadium never made it past the planning stage. Another team – this one Dallas-based – was supposed to play at once-treasured but now mostly forgotten Reverchon Park but that didn’ t go anywhere either.
In Royse City, things started to stall too.
Stuck in Place
By early 2019, Schuster was calling the stadium situation“ in limbo.” The city’ s development corporation had backed the project early on but when funding didn’ t come through, they pulled out. The land deal never closed. Nothing got built.
Eventually the Griffins’ website went down. Social media updates stopped. The hype faded
And just like that, the Southwest League was done.
What’ s Left Behind Starting a new baseball league is always a gamble. These kinds of projects rely on private money, ticket sales and strong support from the community. When one piece falls apart, the whole thing can unravel fast – and quietly.
The Griffins didn’ t fold. They never really got going. What’ s left is a cool logo, a few memories and an idea that never turned into a real team.
Royse City is still growing and there’ s been other development in the area but the Griffins are now just part of a“ what could’ ve been” story – something folks around here might remember if you bring it up.
A Missed Chance
For a short time, the Griffins were more than just a team. They felt like a turning point – a symbol of pride and progress for a city looking to make a name for itself.
The idea had wings. The timing felt right. They just never took the field.
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