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The Houston Astros have renamed its Triple A minor league team the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, a news release said.
The team was previously named the Skeeters.
"The new brand ties together fundamental themes of the Astros and the Greater Houston area, as Texas’ largest city and the home of the Johnson NASA Space Center, along with the cowboy narrative that has been popular in literature, TV and films for over 100 years," the team said.
The team's new mascot of the Space Cowboys is “Orion,” a cosmic space dog, the team said.
“We are excited to be launching the new identity for our Triple A affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys,” Anita Sehgal, Astros senior vice president, marketing and communications said in a statement. “Today represents a new chapter of professional baseball in Sugar Land and the next step to take as the team moved from its independent ball roots to affiliated Triple A baseball. Our goal was to clearly reflect a strong connection to the Astros family, but also stand out as a unique identity aligned with the vibrant, progressive and family focused values of the City of Sugar Land community.”
The Skeeters was an independent team from 2012-20 and became an Astros affiliate in 2021, the team said.
The Space Cowboys will start their season April 5 with a road series against the Sacramento River Cats, Click2@Houston reported. The home opener will be on April 12 against the Round Rock Express, and there will be a March 28 exhibition game against the Astros, the station said.