Today, MountainStar Sports Group revealed the top five finalist name ideas for El Paso’s Triple-A baseball team, to be voted on by the public beginning today through midnight on Thursday, June 27, 2013 at www.elpasotriplea.com/vote. The finalist names include:

•       Aardvarks
•       Buckaroos
•       Chihuahuas
•       Desert Gators
•       Sun Dogs

“It was not easy to determine this list of finalist name ideas from the thousands of names submitted by El Paso Triple-A fans,” said Alan Ledford, President of MountainStar Sports Group. “The quality and thoughtfulness behind the names submitted was truly remarkable. El Pasoans really gave serious thought and consideration to the history, culture, and unique attributes of their hometown when submitting names, and we were all impressed with the creativity.”

Also remarkable was the quantity of names entered. El Pasoans submitted more than 5,600 name ideas for El Paso’s Triple-A baseball team – a record-breaking number of submissions for a Triple-A team naming contest.

“While we knew El Pasoans would rally behind their team and want to get involved with the team’s name selection, we never anticipated this tremendous level of response,” said Ledford. “We nearly doubled the unofficial standing record for Triple-A team names submitted. Now more than ever we are confident that El Paso is excited for and ready to enjoy their Triple-A baseball team.”

The public is invited to vote on the finalist names at www.elpasotriplea.com/vote beginning today through midnight on Thursday, June 27. Individuals can vote once a day throughout the voting period. The team’s name will be announced later this year, along with the team’s colors, mascot, and uniform.

Each of the final names to be considered for public vote was submitted by multiple individuals during the name entry period. As part of the Name the Team contest, those who submitted the winning name will be entered into a drawing to win an exciting grand prize, to include the opportunity to throw out a ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day in the new El Paso Ballpark, two field-level season tickets for the 2014 season, and a personalized jersey.

The criteria for selecting a team name include name popularity based on public entries and voting, creativity, how well the name represents El Paso, and family-friendliness. While the public input is an important element of the decision-making process, MountainStar Sports Group will make the ultimate name selection based on the aforementioned criteria and Minor League Baseball approval.

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