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.[1] 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),[2] 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.
Team owner Jeff Katofsky planned to relocate the team to Pueblo, Colorado, in 2020, where they would be known as the Pueblo Owlz,[3] but the plan was abandoned due to financial concerns by the city of Pueblo.[4]
Ultimately, they relocated to Windsor, Colorado, in 2021 and became the Northern Colorado Owlz.[5] 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.[6]
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