“One of the deliverables we acknowledged as a focal point when the city and state came through so significantly for us with the financials for the new ballpark was our commitment to being an economic engine for additional development in our city and region,” said Marshall Athletic Director Christian Spears.
“Bringing a new team via the MLB-partnered Appalachian League was one of the ways we would do that. We are just thrilled that it came together quickly with the right partners and the right league in our brand new BallPark at One Jack Cook Way.”
The Coal Cats felt it was essential to appeal to the wide-ranging Tri-State area of Huntington, W.Va., Southern Ohio and Northeast Kentucky. The Coal Cats moniker is derived from the region’s rich and historic coal mines dating back to the 1800s. “Cats” helps create an alliterative wordplay that provides the new ballclub with a one-of-a-kind name that will soon be recognized nationwide.
“Being able to connect the Tri-State region to Huntington by utilizing the symbolism of our past, present and future around the coal industry felt right with our new team name: the Coal Cats. Dylan Winters, the Director of Graphic Design here at Marshall Athletics, did a masterful job developing the brand and connecting it to our region by acknowledging our history while recognizing our future,” said Spears.
In addition to unveiling their new name, the Coal Cats released their team logos. The Coal Cats’ primary roundel features the Coal Cat, location and mascot name, and baseball stitches. The Coal Cat mark is comprised of a rigid, rock-like texture to emulate a chunk of coal mined from the earth. The T of the TS monogram in the team’s primary cap mark features a pick axe blended into the S, representing the region’s history. The tertiary paw mark contains the letters TSCC within the toes of the paw, an abbreviation for (T)ri-(S)tate (C)oal (C)ats.
In Tri-State’s jersey lettering, the Cs and Ss take visual hints of the cat’s claws coming from the tertiary paw mark. A pick axe is also present in each wordmark, bringing together the primary cap mark to further the West Virginia coal miner motif. The Coal Cats’ colors are Coal Black, Cool Gray, Marshall Green and White.
TSCC Color Usage | TSCC Visual Brand Identity
CC Baseball Club will handle baseball operations for the Tri-State Coal Cats as part of a partnership with Marshall Athletics.
CC Baseball Club is led by President and General Manager Jason Camp, who, along with VP of Operations Sean Collins, brings well over two decades of professional sports management experience to the Tri-State squad.
“I started my career helping the Florida Marlins franchise get its spring training facility up and running and served as assistant GM for the Minor League team,” said Camp. “Along with my Coal Cats staff, I am excited to bring the family fun atmosphere of the Appalachian League to the Tri-State area.”
Tri-State’s unveiling of its new name and logo follows the team’s announcements of former Major League players Tommy Gregg as manager and Salomón Torres as pitching coach.
The Appalachian League announced in November that Marshall University, in Huntington, W.Va., will host an Appy League team beginning with the 2024 season. The team will play home games at Marshall’s new baseball stadium, Jack Cook Field, scheduled to open for the 2024 spring season.
The Coal Cats’ inaugural season begins with its home opener against the Pulaski River Turtles on June 4, 2024, at Jack Cook Field. Click here for Tri-State’s complete 2024 schedule.
Season tickets and merchandise are on sale now at CoalCats.com and at the Cowboys & Angels store at Camp Landing in Ashland, Ky.
For more information about the Tri-State Coal Cats, visit coalcats.com and follow @TriStCoalCats on Twitter and Instagram.