Looking for a Nest: The Blackwell Flycatchers Return, But Need Host Families to Soar

The Blackwell Flycatchers are back for a third summer at historic Morgan Field, ready to kick off their 2025 season at home on Wednesday, May 28, against the KC Iola Hormigas. But while the players are set to take the field, some of them still need a place to land.

On a quiet, blue-skied Friday afternoon, the stadium sits still—no crack of the bat, no echoing announcer, no cheering crowd. But for Cindy Hobaugh and Tammy Cavett, who walk through the gates with practiced familiarity, the place is anything but empty.

“If I get emotional,” Hobaugh warns gently, “it’s because this team means so much to me.”

For Blackwell, the Flycatchers are more than just summer baseball. They bring energy, tourism, and joy. They inspire wide-eyed kids who line the fences for autographs, and they inject life into the community with themed game nights, local partnerships, and moments that feel like something out of a small-town dream.

“What other event do you know that lasts two whole months?” Hobaugh says with a laugh.

While sponsors and a hardworking Booster Club help keep the team afloat, Hobaugh says it’s the host families—regular folks who open their homes to players—that make the Flycatchers possible.

“Without host families, there are no Blackwell Flycatchers,” she says plainly.

Players in the Pecos League travel from out of state for the season and need a local place to stay. For 2025, the team needs 12 to 14 more families, ideally to host two players each.

The ask is simple: a private room, access to a bathroom, a kitchen, and laundry if possible. No contracts. No financial commitment. Just a safe, comfortable place to rest—and, if hosts are willing, a bit of encouragement from the stands.

“In reality, you’ll barely see them,” Hobaugh says. “They’re gone most of the day, traveling or playing. You might catch them from midnight to 3 p.m.—that’s it.”

Beds are even optional. “One year, we had a donation of air mattresses, and it worked just fine,” she adds.

Families aren’t required to cook, clean, or spend money on the players. But, as Hobaugh says, “I’ve never met a host who didn’t open their hearts. It’s that kind of Oklahoma hospitality you just don’t find anywhere else.”

Hobaugh is officially the team’s General Manager, though she waves off the title. “It takes a village,” she insists—one that includes people like Cavett, who’s hosted players herself and knows the hesitation some might feel.

“We hear, ‘Well, I have a teenage daughter at home,’ or ‘What if they steal something?’” Hobaugh says. “But these players are held to the highest standards. If they mess up, they’re out. No second chances.”

Cavett agrees. “I have grandkids, my house is full of kids in the summer, and every player we’ve hosted has been a role model. They’re respectful. They become part of your family.”

And that family doesn’t have to live right in Blackwell. Host families in Tonkawa, Lamont, Braman, or Ponca City are welcome, too.

“We’ve had folks in their 50s, 60s, even 80s, living alone, who’ve stepped up,” Cavett says. “Anyone can do it.”

This season also brings a new team manager, with an increased focus on players being active, visible role models in the community.

Prior to the games, the players can be seen laughing and playing with their young fans- teaching them everything they know, tossing balls back and forth, and posing for pictures. 

To Blackwell’s citizens, the Flycatchers are a slice of Americana right in their own backyards (sometimes literally, for those that live near Morgan Field). 

To Blackwell’s youth, the Flycatchers are bonafide stars. Larger-than-life celebrities they can interact with on the same field where many of them play during school, or watch from afar while they spend endless hours at the B Street fields just across the street.

Some players even stick around after the season, Hobaugh adds. “For some, this league is a second chance. They grow here. They learn here. Some even put down roots here.”

The two women swap stories of players they’ve hosted over the years—of family visits, surprise dinners, and lifelong friendships formed.

“As a host family, you don’t just open your home,” Cavett says. “You get adopted, in a way. When their families visit, they want to meet you. It becomes something much bigger than baseball.”

Last season was the Flycatchers’ biggest year yet in terms of community involvement, with game nights honoring teachers, first responders, churches, and little league teams. Local support poured in from Blackwell Tourism, Rock & Brews Casino in Braman, and others—and Hobaugh and Cavett say they’re aiming even higher this year.

For now, the most urgent need is homes. With the season fast approaching, the Flycatchers are calling on the community to help give these players the same warm welcome that has made Blackwell a summer home worth returning to.

To learn more about becoming a host family, contact Cindy Hobaugh at 363-9753.