Published: December 01, 2008 10:41 pm      

Princeton Rays take on a new look

PRINCETON — The 2009 Appalachian League season will see the Princeton Rays sporting new colors, wearing new uniforms, new ballcaps, and officially becoming “devil-less,” the team announced Monday.

“We are now officially the Princeton Rays,” said P-Rays general manager Jim Holland. “Of course, a majority of the people around here this past summer were already calling us Rays to coincide with the name change at Tampa Bay prior to the 2008 season.”

The new team colors, identical with that of the Tampa Bay Rays parent club, are navy blue with a light “Carolina blue” trim and a bright yellow star pattern to signify rays of light.

The uniforms will be the exact same style of uniforms that Tampa Bay’s Rays made familiar nationwide in their spirited march to the 2008 World Series.

Both the 2009 Princeton white home uniform and the gray road jerseys will have the one word “Rays” prominently across the chest. The ballcaps, navy blue with a large white “P” on the front, will be the same for home and away games.

Holland said, “We are really excited about our new look and we feel people will share our enthusiasm about our new color scheme. Especially coming off Tampa Bay’s World Series appearance, this definitely rubs off to be an exciting time for Princeton Rays baseball.”

Holland said the P-Rays’ souvenir shop has already ordered tee shirts, long sleeve tee shirts, and hooded sweatshirts with the new team logo and colors on them. This new apparel is expected to arrive in Princeton in early December and well before Christmas.

Persons interested in purchasing these items as Christmas gifts are advised to stay in touch with the ballclub either by e-mail at raysball@sunlitsurf.com or by telephone at (304) 487-2000 for more details.

The ballcaps have also been ordered but at this time are not expected to arrive before Christmas. Then the balance of the P-Rays’ “new look” souvenir line will be added throughout the spring.

The team’s website address has changed to www.princetonrays.net and fans are encouraged to visit the site to learn more about the team and to sign up for the P-Rays’ free monthly e-mail newsletter.

It was also announced on Monday that all P-Rays’ home game ticket prices will remain the same in 2009.

Season ticket books are for sale, containing 30 undated general admission tickets which can be used in any quantity at any regular season home game in 2009 in either Princeton, Bluefield, Pulaski, Bristol or Elizabethton for only $55 per book, a value of only $1.83 per ticket.

The team’s single game general admission prices will remain at $4 for adults 18-61 years of age, $3 for youth ages 6-17 and senior citizens age 62 and over, while children age 5 and under will continue to get in free.

The Princeton Rays are expected to arrive at Hunnicutt Field on June 19 for preseason workouts and begin the season at home on June 23 versus the Burlington Royals.