Pearland a Hotspot for Baseball

By: Justin Hart

Pearland has always been a baseball town! Organized baseball started in Pearland in 1957, when the Pearland Lions Club donated money for uniforms and equipment. The games were played on a field on N Grande Blvd, where Zychlinski Park now sits. They received their Little League charter around 1970 and Pearland has been a baseball juggernaut ever since. With 4 Little League World Series appearances in the last 12 years, Pearland Little League continues to set the bar for quality baseball in Pearland. The emergence of select ball or travel ball in the late 90’s, much of the talent is now spread around to many teams based out of Pearland. According to Perfect Game, one of the nations leading select/travel ball organizations, there are over 20 teams based out of Pearland. The Pearland Expos for example have multiple teams for every age group 7-11. In select ball, moderately competitive teams usually play in the AA division. The more advanced teams generally play in AAA and the elite teams play in the Majors division. There are certainly pro’s and cons to playing select ball. The pro’s include a more competitive game, generally with better coaching and training. Many select teams have paid, “professional” coaching, usually from a former collegiate player or professional player. Another Pro is better exposure, particularly in the high school age teams. The cons, include a bigger time committment, greater risk of burnout, and the time commitment could lead to not having time to play other sports. There are certainly many opinions and preferences for both recreational and select ball.

With youth baseball being so competitive in Pearland, high school baseball is equally, if not more competitive. The Pearland Oiler Baseball program also has rich history of success throughout the decades. The Oilers are a perennial playoff powerhouse in the states largest division of 6A. Simply making the team at Pearland is an accomplishment in itself. The Oilers have had 6 former players make it to the big leagues and play at least a game at the Major League level, including current Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong. They have had 17 former players compete at the Minor League level. Many have gone on to play college baseball. In 2007, Glenda Dawson High School opened and although they haven’t been around as long, The Eagles have produced some quality baseball talent. Chris Jefferson, a 2016 Dawson graduate was signed as an undrafted free agent with the Seattle Mariners and is currently pitching in AAA for the Tacoma Raniers.

Whether your kids play league ball, select ball or high school baseball in Pearland, rest assured that you live in the right community. Making the choice where your child plays can be a difficult one, but it’s important to remember that they are kids, baseball is a game and it should be treated as such.