Lancaster JetHawks Founded in 1955 Lancaster, California
Team Logo Cap Insignia
Class-level
Single-A Advanced
Minor league affiliations
California League South Division -
Major league affiliations
Houston Astros (2009-present) Boston Red Sox (2007-2008) Arizona Diamondbacks (2001-2006) Seattle Mariners (1993-2000) Co-op (1988-1992) San Diego Padres (1977-1987) Minnesota Twins & San Diego Padres (1975-1976) Cleveland Indians (1966-1974) Pittsburgh Pirates (1963-1964) Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-1962) Brooklyn Dodgers (1956-1957) New York Giants (1947-1949)
Name
Lancaster JetHawks (1996-present) Riverside Pilots (1993-1995) Reno Padres (1982-1987) Reno Silver Sox (1955-1964, 1966-1981, 1988-1992)
Ballpark
Clear Channel Stadium (1996-present) UC-Riverside Sports Center Moana Stadium
Minor league titles
League titles	2008
Division titles	2008 First & Second Half 2007 First & Second Half
Owner(s)/Operated by: Peter A. Carfagna and family
Manager: Wes Clements
General Manager: Larry Thornhill

The Lancaster JetHawks are a minor league baseball team in Lancaster, California, USA. They are a Class-A Advanced team in the California League, and currently serve as the Class-A Advanced farm team of the Houston Astros.

[edit] Team History

Prior to moving to Lancaster, the team was located in Riverside, California, and was known as the Pilots. Notable players to play for the JetHawks include Jose Cruz, Jr. and Brandon Webb. While in Riverside, the team played at UC-Riverside Sports Center. The Pilots' previous owners chose Lancaster over Palm Springs, California in a lucrative offer.

In November 2005, the original owners of the JetHawks during their first 10 years in Lancaster, Clutch Play Baseball, LLC sold the team to a group led by majority investor Peter Carfagna of Cleveland, Ohio. One of their first acts was to replace the original scoreboard at the stadium with a more advanced video board. For the first time, this allowed for video replays and other views from cameras around the field. For the 2006 season, the JetHawks' manager was former Major Leaguer Brett Butler.

On September 29th, 2006, the Boston Red Sox announced a two-year affiliation agreement with the JetHawks after losing their previous Carolina League affiliation in Wilmington. Since the Fenway Sports Group purchased the CL's Salem Avalanche franchise after the 2007 season, with the stated intent of moving the Red Sox's High-A affiliation there once the 2007-2008 agreement term lapsed, the JetHawks were forced to find a new major-league affiliate before the 2009 season. Their new affiliate is the Houston Astros.

On August 25, 2008, the JetHawks announced its new general manager, Antelope Valley native Larry Thornhill. Thornhill, a former JetHawks broadcaster from its inaugural season of 1996, will take over day-to-day operations of the Lancaster organization from Brad Seymour, who was promoted to Vice President of both the JetHawks and Lake County (OH) Captains. Seymour joined the organization in 2004 and has served as General Manager for five seasons with the JetHawks and will now oversee the Captains and JetHawks franchises, both owned by the Peter A. Carfagna family.

[edit] Stadium

The JetHawks play home games at Clear Channel Stadium, which opened in 1996 as Lancaster Municipal Stadium. The park has just over 4,600 permanent seats, but can accommodate over 7,000 fans with grass seating along each foul line. The stadium has deep fences (350 feet down the right and left field lines and 410 feet to deep center field) to combat the prevailing winds of the Antelope Valley.

[edit] KaBoom & the Hawkettes

Since the 1996 inaugural season, KaBoom (KB for short) has been the JetHawks' mascot. In the 2008 season, he was proud to introduce an all-new look as part of his team's complete image makeover. KB's favorite thing to do is entertain the fans at the games and he loves having contests between innings. You will often see him walking around the stadium planning his next stunt. KaBoom loves children and enjoys interaction with them. KaBoom also encourages children in Antelope Valley schools to read with his own KaBoom's Reading Challenge.

As of November 21, 2008, the JetHawks were proud to reintroduce the all new Hawks and Hawkettes for the 2009 season. These entertainment icons were be back on the field and better than ever as they entertained JetHawks fans. The JetHawks hosted open interviews and auditions in January of 2009 and looked for outgoing women and men to be a part of an enthusiastic team of JetHawk fanatics who can get the crowd on their feet to cheer on the JetHawks. Members of the Hawkettes are a part of a dance team dedicated to JetHawks baseball as they were during the 1996 inaugural season, similar to the dance team of another California League team, the Inland Empire 66ers. Hawkettes help pass out game giveaways to JetHawk fans at the main gate, toss JetHawks and Astros merchandise into the stands, and demostrate their dancing abilities with their own dance routines, along with KaBoom, between innings.

[edit] Community Sports Network (CSN @ JetHawks.com)

As of August 27, 2009, the Lancaster JetHawks created the Community Sports Network (CSN @ JetHawks.com), a new internet radio station that will bring almost two hundred games and thousands of hours of local sports talk coverage to the Antelope Valley each year. The creation was in response to several local radio stations in the Antelope Valley eliminating their high school and college radio coverage. The station will stream live on the internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with all local sports coverage. The station will also offer live play-by-play of Lancaster JetHawks baseball, Antelope Valley College football and basketball, and a high school football and basketball game of the week, all accessible through www.JetHawks.com. The free service for Antelope Valley sports fans launched on Saturday, September 5, 2009 at 6 PM with an hour-long pre-game show leading up to dual coverage of the Lancaster JetHawks game against the Inland Empire 66ers and the Antelope Valley College Marauders football opener on the road against College of the Canyons.

[edit] Roster

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Lancaster JetHawks Official Site
• Lancaster JetHawks at Oursportscentral

v • d • e Sports teams based in the Inland Empire Baseball CL: High Desert Mavericks • Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino • Lake Elsinore Storm • Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Ice hockey ECHL: Ontario Reign Basketball ABA: Inland Empire 5LINX • Riverside Rage NCAA Div. I University of California, Riverside NCAA Div. II California State University, San Bernardino CCCAA San Bernardino Valley College • Chaffey College