Orr, Granger, Kalkowski and Jester rack up awards and post gaudy statistics to lead the newest Pump Jacks players into the summer
The East Texas Pump Jacks begin play in just eight days! With the season around the corner, it gives us a chance to look at some of this year’s Pump Jacks and what they achieved during their college campaign. Here’s a rundown, from the award-winners to the big numbers:
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Returning Texas Collegiate League Player of the Year Lee Orr brings his power back to the East Texas outfield again this summer. Orr, who was recently named to the first team All-Southland squad, finished his junior season with a .322 average at the plate. He led McNeese State in doubles (23), home runs (8) and slugging percentage (.544). Orr finished the regular season tied for tenth in the nation and led the Southland Conference in doubles, and he was third in the conference in runs scored and RBI.
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Fellow McNeese outfielder Seth Granger led the Cowboys with a .372 batting average and finished in the top-20 in the nation with 84 hits. He led McNeese in hits and RBI (55), earning him the Cowboys’ batting crown as well as second team All-Southland honors.
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Rounding out the McNeese trio is pitcher Jaden Dillon. Despite a slow start to his junior campaign, Dillon recovered as the season came to an end. He tossed five solid innings in early May outing against the University of New Orleans, allowing only one hit and no earned runs while recording his first win of the season.
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Tyler Junior College ace Jason Jester finished his sophomore campaign with a 9-2 record. The Hallsville native spent 78.1 innings on the mound, orchestrating an impressive 1.95 ERA. Jester finished the season second in the nation in NJCAA Div. III with 87 strikeouts. He tossed five complete games for the Apaches, three of which were shutouts.
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Shortstop Hunter Dozier helped lead Stephen F. Austin to its highest tournament seed in the program’s history. The Denton native paced the Lumberjacks in doubles with 13 and was second in home runs with five, trailing only Southland Conference Player of the Year Bryson Myles. Dozier finished the season with a .311 average. SFA earned the second seed and will face Lamar in the opening round of the Southland Tournament at noon on Wednesday.
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In his debut season at Texas A&M, Jace Statum transitioned into Big 12 play from high school without skipping a beat. Statum quickly became a staple in the Aggie outfield, appearing in 35 games. He knocked in nine runs while batting .220 on the season. Ty Marlow will join Statum and the co-Big 12 champion Aggies when they face Texas Tech Wednesday afternoon as the No. 2 seed.
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Kash Kalkowski finished his sophomore season at Nebraska just as strong as he started it. Kalkowski belted a grand slam in February for his first collegiate hit in just his fifth at-bat, and quickly moved into the cleanup spot in the Cornhusker lineup. The former Tampa Bay Rays draft pick ended the season with a .299 batting average and 42 RBI in 52 games. He finished second on the Huskers in doubles, RBI, slugging percentage and stolen bases, earning an All-Big 12 honorable mention nod.
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No stranger to summer collegiate baseball, Ryan Moore will head to East Texas with wood bat experience under his belt. The Kansas State sophomore batted .338 with 11 RBI last summer with the Junction City Generals. He saw limited playing time this season but recorded a .333 on-base percentage. Kansas State will face Oklahoma Wednesday in the Big 12 Tournament.
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Like Moore, James Hudelson played summer collegiate ball the last two years, pitching for the Hannibal Caveman of the Prospect League. A relief pitcher at Missouri, Hudelson recorded eight saves with a 1.29 ERA last summer for the Caveman.
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C.J. Jarvis will accompany Hudelson to the Pump Jacks from Missouri. As a true freshman, Jarvis split time between second and third base in 21 games, 16 of them starts. Jarvis sparked the Tiger offense after joining the starting lineup in late April, as Mizzou took four straight conference series, including two-of-three games from Big 12 co-champion Texas A&M. Missouri clinched the No. 8 seed and will face top-seeded Texas at Wednesday afternoon at Oklahoma City’s RedHawks field.
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Tyler Giannonatti and Kirby Pellant, teammates at Chandler-Gilbert Community College this spring, will spend the summer in East Texas as they transition to Big 10 play next year at Ohio State. Giannonatti finished the season with a 5-1 record and a 3.40 ERA. He led the Coyotes in wins, ERA, innings pitched (53) and strikeouts (39). A former Los Angeles Dodgers draft choice, Pellant posted a .317 average, notching 39 hits in 33 games.
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Chase Greening is coming off a dominating season on the mound for Angelina College. Greening tied for the Region XIV lead in wins with a 10-2 record and finished in the top 15 in the region with a 2.61 ERA. He struck out 63 and walked just eight batters in 69 innings of work. Greening has committed to pitch for SFA next season.
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Tyler native Brett Pirtle quickly became an anchor in the infield for Panola Junior College. The freshman led the Ponies in hits (63), on-base percentage (.420) and games played (55).
The Pump Jacks season opens next Wednesday, with the home opener just 13 days away! The Jacks travel to Victoria for a season-opening two-game series against the Generals beginning June 1. The team closes out the four-game road trip with a pair against the Coppell Copperheads.
The Pump Jacks return to East Texas for the 2011 home opener on Monday, June 6. The Jacks will be looking for a measure of revenge against Victoria in a rematch of the 2010 TCL Championship Series. To see the Pump Jacks complete home schedule, please click here.
Pump Jacks season tickets can still be purchased, with season packages starting at just $105 for all 30 home games. For more information on season tickets, please click here.
The team is expected to announce ticket packages in the next few days. To find out more about ticket packs and new players, and to follow all the news as the team counts down to its fourth season, visit the team’s official website at pumpjacksbaseball.com, or log onto the Pump Jacks’ page on Facebook.
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