Meet the Rockhounds, a Local Travel Baseball Team

The Rockhounds are an 8U travel baseball team based here in Hampton that is run by team manager Dave Nielson. Nielsen started building the team last fall and they have just begun playing competitive travel baseball this year. Nielsen, along with help from the other coaches on the team, Trevor Reysack and Eric Burns, wanted to create an opportunity for younger kids in Hampton to be able to play competitive baseball before middle school and high school. Nielsen discussed why he went about creating the Rockhounds. 

“What we came in this to do was to help not just my son but other kids enhance their abilities through the game of baseball with the mission that we’re gonna grow the program and make it fun,” Nielsen said. “We came to realize the talent this age group had and we kind of came together and said I think that we can take this group of kids and put them at a more competitive level of baseball.” 

Nielsen helped create the team last year and they began playing competitively this year. He discussed how while the team is starting to be noticed at the state level but may not be known about as much locally. 

“This is our first year playing organized travel baseball and it has been a great experience,” he said. “I think many people in our community have heard of us through city ball, but not as many may know how we do as an organized team.” 

The Rockhounds give many kids the opportunity to play organized competitive baseball before their school days and the parents of the kids on the team are grateful for the opportunity. Sara Butson, whose son Declan is on the Rockhounds, discussed why it is a great opportunity and how it has been easy on the parents. 

“I think it’s a great opportunity and it’s really important, especially being from a smaller community,” Butson said. “We don’t have to drive at least an hour away to get this opportunity because it’s local so that’s really nice and it’s just been great to teach all the boys so many life lessons about baseball and how sports can impact their lives in other ways.”

While as of right now the Rockhounds only have one team, Nielsen discussed the possibility of carrying more teams. 

“We haven’t discussed that as much as I'd personally would have liked too,” he said. “If we realize that there’s an opportunity to carry two teams, whether that's 8U or 9U that will be part of a discussion.” 

The Rockhounds is a great opportunity for the young baseball players of Hampton a chance to fine tune their schools and play in competitive baseball. There will be little surprise when the players on the Rockhounds are playing baseball for Hampton-Dumont-CAL when they reach high school.