Orem Owlz
# Orem Owlz

The Orem Owlz were a Minor League Baseball team located in Orem, Utah, United States, from 2001 to 2020. The team competed in the Pioneer League as a Rookie League affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. The Owlz played their home games at Home of the Owlz on the campus of Utah Valley University. They were previously known as the Provo Angels from 2001 to 2004.

In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Pioneer League, of which the Owlz had been members since 2001, was converted from an MLB-affiliated Rookie Advanced league to an independent baseball league and granted status as an MLB Partner League. Concurrent to this change, the Owlz relocated to Windsor, Colorado, and became the Northern Colorado Owlz.

## History

Formerly known as the Provo Angels (2001–2004), the team originally played at the Larry H. Miller Field on the campus of Brigham Young University in northeastern Provo. After the 2004 season, the team changed ownership and moved from Provo to a new stadium in neighboring Orem. While retaining its affiliation with the Angels Major League Baseball club, the team introduced a new name and logo at the time of their move. The Owlz also introduced a new mascot named Hootz, a red owl with a head in the shape of a large baseball. Hootz was married in 2009 in an on-field ceremony to Holly, a female owl. According to team lore, the two Mascot Owlz lived in an abandoned oak tree that was offered by an Orem host family.

The Owlz played in the Pioneer League, which was a Rookie League with an abbreviated schedule (short-season). The team won five Pioneer League titles; one while in Provo (2004), and four while in Orem (2005, 2007, 2009, and 2016). With its championship victory in 2016, the Orem Owlz became the quickest franchise in Pioneer League history to win five championships, doing so in just 17 years. The team also finished first in the South Division of the Pioneer League eight times.

The team is prominently mentioned in the book Odd Man Out: A Year on the Mound with a Minor League Misfit, a memoir recounting the author's one season playing for the Provo Angels.

Team owner Jeff Katofsky planned to relocate the team to Pueblo, Colorado, in 2020, where they would be known as the Pueblo Owlz, but the plan was abandoned due to financial concerns by the city of Pueblo.

Ultimately, they relocated to Windsor, Colorado, in 2021 and became the Northern Colorado Owlz. This move was made in conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball in 2021 in which the Pioneer League was converted from an MLB-affiliated Rookie Advanced league to an independent baseball league and granted status as an MLB Partner League.

## Playoffs

* 2017: Lost to Ogden 2–0 in semifinals.
* 2016: Defeated Ogden 2–1 in semifinals; defeated Billings 2–0 to win championship.
* 2015: Lost to Idaho Falls 2–1 in semifinals.
* 2014: Defeated Ogden 2–0 in semifinals; lost to Billings 2–0 in finals.
* 2011: Lost to Ogden 2–1 in semifinals.
* 2010: Lost to Ogden 2–1 in semifinals.
* 2009: Defeated Ogden 2–0 in semifinals; defeated Missoula 2–1 to win championship.
* 2008: Lost to Great Falls 2–1 in finals.
* 2007: Defeated Great Falls 2–0 to win championship.
* 2005: Defeated Helena 2–0 to win championship.
* 2004: Defeated Billings 2–0 to win championship.
* 2003: Lost to Billings 2–0 in finals.
* 2002: Lost to Great Falls 2–1 in finals.
* 2001: Lost to Billings 2–0 in finals.

## All-stars

Provo Angels :

| Season | Name & Position |
| - | - |
| 2001 | Al Corbeil, C Casey Smith, SS Sam Swenson, OF Pedro Liriano, RH SP Jason Dennis, LH SP |
| 2002 | Alex Dvorsky, C Ryan Shealy, 1B Alberto Callaspo, 2B Erick Aybar, SS |
| 2003 | Warner Madrigal, OF Abel Moreno, RH SP |
| 2004 | Sean Rodriguez, SS Andrew Toussaint, DH Mitchell Arnold, RP Tom Kotchman, Mgr. |

Orem Owlz :

| Season | Name & Position |
| - | - |
| 2005 | none |
| 2006 | Chris Pettit, OF Sean O'Sullivan, P Tom Kotchman, Mgr. |
| 2007 | Jay Brossman, 3B Robert Fish, P |
| 2008 | Luis Jimenez, 3B Angel Castillo, OF Roberto Lopez, DH Jayson Miller, P Will Smith, P |
| 2009 | Dillon Baird, 1B Tom Kotchman, Mgr. |
| 2010 | none |
| 2011 | Taylor Lindsey, 2B Ryan Jones, OF |
| 2012 | Wade Hinkle, 1B Wendell Soto, SS Joel Capote, OF Michael Snyder, DH Gabriel Perez, P |
| 2013 | Cal Towery, 3B José Rondón, SS Jonathan Van Eaton, P |
| 2014 | Michael Bolaski, P |
| 2015 | Michael Pierson, 3B Taylor Ward, C Joe Gatto, P Kyle Survance Jr., OF |
| 2017 | Elvin Rodriguez, P Chris Rodriguez, P Daniel Procopio, P Ryan Vega, OF Leonardo Rivas, INF Isaac Mattson, P |
| 2018 | Kevin Maitan, SS Jake Lee, P |
| 2019 | D'Shawn Knowles, OF Jeremiah Jackson, DH |

## Players with MLB experience

Players are listed by the season(s) they played for the Provo Angels (2001–2004) or Orem Owlz (2005–present).

Provo Angels :

| Season | Players |
| - | - |
| 2001 | Steve Andrade, Nick Gorneault, Casey Kotchman, Pedro Liriano, Jeff Mathis, Dallas McPherson, Ervin Santana, Steven Shell, Jake Woods |
| 2002 | Erick Aybar, Matthew Brown, Alberto Callaspo, Edwar Ramirez, Rafael Rodríguez, Joe Saunders |
| 2003 | Matthew Brown, Daniel Davidson, Brian Esposito, Howie Kendrick, Warner Madrigal, Fernando Rodriguez, Reggie Willits, Bobby Wilson, Brandon Wood |
| 2004 | Alexi Casilla, Fernando Rodriguez, Sean Rodriguez |

Orem Owlz :

| Season | Players |
| - | - |
| 2005 | Nick Adenhart, José Arredondo, Martín Maldonado, Bobby Mosebach, Mark Trumbo |
| 2006 | Trevor Bell, Peter Bourjos, Barret Browning, Bobby Cassevah, David Herndon, Darren O'Day, Sean O'Sullivan, Anthony Ortega, Chris Pettit |
| 2007 | Ryan Brasier, Bobby Cassevah, Jeremy Moore, Efren Navarro, Andrew Romine, Mason Tobin, Jordan Walden |
| 2008 | Buddy Boshers, Steve Geltz, Luis Jiménez, Michael Kohn, Alberto Rosario, Will Smith, Andrew Taylor |
| 2009 | Buddy Boshers, David Carpenter, Patrick Corbin, Garrett Richards, Jean Segura, Tyler Skaggs |
| 2010 | Kole Calhoun, Kaleb Cowart, Donn Roach, A. J. Schugel |
| 2011 | Jett Bandy, Mike Clevinger, Kaleb Cowart, C. J. Cron, Nick Maronde |
| 2012 | Austin Adams†, Jairo Díaz, Mike Morin, Chris O'Grady, José Rondón, Michael Roth, Joey Krehbiel, Sherman Johnson, Anthony Bemboom |
| 2013 | Alan Busenitz, Mike Clevinger, Keynan Middleton, Chris O'Grady, José Rondón, Victor Alcántara, Yency Almonte, Kyle McGowin |
| 2014 | Greg Mahle, Keynan Middleton, Eduardo Paredes, Justin Anderson, Michael Hermosillo, Jake Jewell |
| 2015 | Jaime Barría, Michael Hermosillo, David Fletcher, Taylor Ward, Jared Walsh |
| 2016 | Rey Navarro, Cory Rasmus, Ashur Tolliver, José Suárez, Matt Thaiss |
| 2017 | Austin D. Adams, Austin L. Adams |
