Rocker B: An economic engine for the entire area
Story by Steve Nussbaum | Photos by Matthew Renfro
What started out as a family retreat and a place to play baseball has turned into Rocker B Ranch, one of the premier youth baseball facilities in the country.
In 2005, Lance and Lauren Byrd bought a 320-acre ranch in Palo Pinto County as a family retreat. The ranch is nestled near the Palo Pinto mountains along the Brazos River and is just a few miles from Possum Kingdom Lake.
The Byrds built the original baseball field in 2013 as a place for family and friends to play during their gatherings and have a good time while at the ranch. Lance Byrd played baseball at Baylor, and his children became interested in the sport, too, but he never thought his love of the game would turn into an economic engine for the entire area.
In the first issue of PK Magazine, which came out in spring 2021, one of the stories highlighted the growth and history of Rocker B. At the time, the luxury ranch destination had just finished a major expansion to include three baseball fields, along with new lodging and a clubhouse.
First class amenities for players and families offer a unique Texas experience for teams from across the country.
The sports bar area is a favorite spot for parents to catch a game on the big screen TVs, cozy up to the fire or enjoy an adult beverage.
In 2021, estimates called for Rocker B to bring more than 14,000 people to the area, and things have continued to grow since then; this year’s estimates puts that number at more than 110,000. The ranch’s success attracted the interest of youth sports leader Unrivaled Sports, which added Rocker B to its baseball and multisport division in January.
Lance Byrd described the Rocker B experiences as a “tournacation,” meaning that it’s much more than just a baseball tournament for the families who come to visit. They enjoy a lot of baseball, certainly, but the onsite pools, fishing accommodations and outdoor experiences combine the elements of a family vacation with the baseball tournament atmosphere.
Last year, Rocker B added 22 cabins and increased the number of rooms to 50 to go along with a new baseball field. There’s also a huge second lagoon-style pool with private cabanas and the Goodnight shaded event space, which welcomed the legendary musical duo The Bellamy Brothers in concert last year.
The exponential growth of Rocker B made Lance Byrd realize he couldn’t keep the facility growing at such a rapid pace as the sole investor. The Byrds first were approached by Ripken Baseball, which is owned by Unrivaled Sports, to conduct a tournament on site, and several months later an agreement to sell Rocker B to Unrivaled Sports was completed. Ripken Baseball stands for the same values that made Rocker B successful under the Byrds’ ownership and vision.
This year the new ownership team has added a 90,000-square-foot paved parking lot, two new lighted fields, more restrooms and concessions, and a new team bunk room. Rocker B Ranch added softball to its sports offerings last year and will continue to welcome softball events this year. There is potential for more youth sports fields at the facility, such as lacrosse and flag football, and there also are ideas about expanding lodging on the site. If 2025 is an expansion and transition year, 2026 has the potential to see further expansion.
Added capacity at Rocker B will bring over 100,000 people to the Possum Kingdom Lake and Palo Pinto County area.
Lance Byrd is staying on as a consultant, while his brother, Bart Byrd, will continue to manage the property and tournaments. Rocker B has six people who live and work on the ranch year-round in addition to 10 to 12 full-time employees. The facility also conducted between 20 and 30 corporate events last year.
The coffee and ice cream shop located on the Rocker B property is a popular spot for guests of all ages.
Rocker B offers a lot more than just baseball. Their goal is to create a “Tournacation” for families to create memories that will last a lifetime.
This season there are plans to hire up to 30 more employees, and the students in the Graford school district have been a huge part of the team at Rocker B. The Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) group led by Tonia Parsons has been a great partner with Rocker B, and last year two-thirds of the graduating class worked at the facility.
What started out as a family retreat turned into a family business, and now it’s part of one of the biggest sports groups in the country, with a huge economic impact – and if all goes as planned, that impact will just keep getting bigger. That’s good news for the entire Possum Kingdom Lake area, and Palo Pinto County as well.
Congratulations to the Byrd family members and the sports legacy they have built. There really is no place like Rocker B and PK.
