West Texas Sports Banquet Brings Baseball Cheer to Fans

RockHounds manager Gregorio Petit and former MLB player Coco Crisp headline the annual event, looking ahead to the 2026 season.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 6:15pm

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The West Texas Sports Banquet in Midland, Texas provided baseball-starved fans a glimpse of the upcoming season, with the Midland RockHounds announcing the return of manager Gregorio Petit and featuring keynote speaker Coco Crisp, a 2007 World Series champion. The event also honored community leaders Austen Campbell and John Scharbauer for their work on a new indoor sports complex.

Why it matters

The annual West Texas Sports Banquet is an important event for the Midland community, keeping fans engaged with the RockHounds during the offseason and building anticipation for the upcoming baseball season. The event also highlights the team's strong community ties and the region's passion for sports.

The details

The RockHounds announced that Gregorio Petit will return for his third season as manager after leading the team to the Texas League Championship Series in 2024 and 2025. Keynote speaker Coco Crisp, a 15-year MLB veteran, shared entertaining stories about his career, including the origin of his nickname. The event also honored Austen Campbell and John Scharbauer for their work on the new Midland Athletic Syndicate, a 115,000-square-foot indoor sports complex set to open in 2026.

  • The West Texas Sports Banquet took place on Tuesday, January 28, 2026.
  • The Midland Athletic Syndicate indoor sports complex is slated to open in May or June of 2026.

The players

Gregorio Petit

The manager of the Midland RockHounds, who will be returning for his third season after leading the team to the Texas League Championship Series in 2024 and 2025.

Coco Crisp

A 15-year MLB veteran who was the keynote speaker at the West Texas Sports Banquet, known for his entertaining stories and throwback playing style.

Austen Campbell

One of the community leaders honored at the event for his work on the new Midland Athletic Syndicate indoor sports complex.

John Scharbauer

One of the community leaders honored at the event for his work on the new Midland Athletic Syndicate indoor sports complex.

Bob Hards

The RockHounds broadcaster who marveled at Coco Crisp's playing style during the event.

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What they’re saying

“As far as the game nowadays versus the analytics, I'm an old school approach, but obviously there is a place for both. It just depends on what type of information you need to be successful and having both of them available whether it's the old school mentality of hit down through the ball or get some launch angles involved, and going through the data in different ways. All that information is there for you.”

— Coco Crisp

“And then we got another amazing group and in the beginning they were trying to do so much and trying to perform too hard. They were trying to prove they belonged here. Little by little, they start settling and they start understanding that they don't need to do more, do what brought them up here. They did that and they started playing better.”

— Gregorio Petit, RockHounds Manager

“That kid he's gifted. He's talented. He loves playing the game. He doesn't get afraid. He's not scared to play the game. He's a little big man. He's not a boy, he's not a kid. He's a little big man. He's a young man playing a game. I am looking forward to seeing him this year, seeing how much better he got.”

— Gregorio Petit, RockHounds Manager

What’s next

The Midland RockHounds will begin their 2026 season in the coming months, with many of their key players from the 2025 campaign expected to return to the roster.

The takeaway

The West Texas Sports Banquet serves as an important annual event that keeps the Midland community engaged with the RockHounds during the offseason and builds anticipation for the upcoming baseball season. The event also highlights the team's strong ties to the local community, as exemplified by the recognition of community leaders Austen Campbell and John Scharbauer.