Pump Jacks Sign Three New Players

Published on May 21, 2013 under Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


Strong pitching and clutch hitting win championships, they say, and perhaps no one in the TCL knows that better right now than the East Texas Pump Jacks. The Pump Jacks took a strong step toward defending their title on Tuesday when they announced the signing of an award-winning shortstop and two pitchers who have already been drafted by a major league organization.

Joining the Jacks this season will be right-handed pitchers Ben Mordini out of the University of Utah and Jordan Johnson from Cal State Northridge, as well as University of Arkansas-Little Rock standout infielder Austin Pfeiffer.

Both Mordini and Johnson were drafted coming out of high school by the Colorado Rockies; Mordini was selected in the 41st round in 2010, and Johnson was chosen in the following round a year later.

Mordini, now a junior at Utah, has seen sporadic playing time this season. He has made two appearances and pitched a total 2.1 innings, allowing one hit. In 2012, Mordini started eight games for the Utes and pitched 23.1 innings.

As a true freshman in 2011, Mordini appeared in 11 games and made three starts, striking out 33 batters in 28.2 innings. He earned his first win in his first collegiate start, when he struck out seven over seven innings against Air Force.

Mordini reiterated his status as a draft prospect last summer, when he pitched for the Oneonta Outlaws in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. Though he struggled at times with his control, he showed electric stuff, allowing just one hit - a lone single - to the 43 batters he faced over 13 innings. His fastball was clocked as high as 91 mph, but it's his unhittable curve that made Mordini one of the PCGBL's top prospects (No. 8 according to Baseball America, No. 11 from Perfect Game).

Mordini first gained recognition at Cherry Creek High School in the suburbs of Denver, Colo. In his junior year, Mordini compiled a 2.21 ERA and a 5-0 record, helping lead the Bruins to a top-25 national ranking. He followed that up with a 6-1 record and 80 strikeouts in just 45.1 innings as a senior. At the conclusion of his prep career, he was named as one of the top 50 players in Colorado. Mordini was also awarded all-Centennial league honors and honorable mention All-Colorado.

Another hurler drafted out of high school, Johnson opted for Cal State Northridge over the Rockies' draft offer. Like Mordini, he's seen limited playing time this year, making his season debut this past weekend against nationally-ranked Cal Poly. He made the appearance count, striking out two of the three hitters he faced in a perfect inning of work.

A heralded recruit for the Matadors, Johnson made four appearances last spring before succumbing to an arm injury. He made his collegiate debut out of the bullpen against nationally-ranked UCLA in the first week of the season. Eight days later, he earned his first start of the season against San Diego. Despite a strong start, he left the game after four innings when he felt a pop in his elbow. A lingering elbow issue resulted in Tommy John surgery, but Johnson has now fully recovered from the procedure.

Johnson spent his prep career at Franklin High School in Elk Grove, Calif. He started off his senior campaign with a gem, pitching a seven-inning no-hitter earn Elk Grove Patch Athlete of the Week. Johnson would go on to earn first team all-league, all-city and MVP honors.

Johnson helped the Wildcats to a first place league finish and a second place Division I conference finish in 2011. He finished his senior year with three wins, a 2.96 ERA, and a team-leading 70 strikeouts in 49.2 innings.

As a junior, he made nine appearances on the mound and picked up three wins. In 28.2 innings, Johnson struck out 38 batters and was the only pitcher on the staff to throw a shutout.

Though primarily a pitcher, Johnson was also a huge contributor to the Wildcat offense, spending ample time as a catcher or infielder. Johnson batted .365 with a team-leading 31 RBI, 11 doubles, and two home runs as a senior. In 2010, Johnson batted .284 with 25 RBI, seven doubles, and two homers.

Pfeiffer has seen no shortage of playing time this spring, serving as the starting shortstop for the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. With three games remaining in the season, Pfeiffer sits second on the team with a .308 batting average and leads the Trojans with 43 RBI. He is second in the Sun Belt Conference with 19 steals, and second on the club with nine home runs.

The Arkansas native was named Sun Belt Player of the Week in the seventh week of the season when he batted .500 (7-for-14) to lead UALR to a 4-0 week. In games against Stephen F. Austin and Louisiana-Monroe, Pfeiffer added a home run and six RBI.

His successful junior campaign follows a sophomore season in which he served exclusively as a pitcher. He made 20 appearances, including three starts and one save, adding 30 strikeouts and only 12 walks over 43 innings.

Before arriving at UALR, Pfeiffer played at Northern Oklahoma College-Enid, where he exceled both in the field and on the mound. He finished his freshman season with a .322 average, three home runs and 48 RBI, as well as a 1.96 ERA in 32 innings.

Following the 2011 season in Enid, Pfeiffer suited up for the Melville Millionaires in the Western Major Baseball League. He appeared in 13 games for the Millionaires and finished with a 3-0 record, a 2.05 ERA, and 24 strikeouts in 30.2 innings.

In high school, Pfeiffer helped lead Benton High School to the Arkansas 6A championship in 2009. The Panthers went 28-2 and earned a No. 1 ranking in the state, while Pfeiffer was named to the all-state team.

The newest additions bolster an already talented Pump Jacks roster that includes three players from No. 3 Oregon State: pitcher Carlos Rodriguez, catcher Nate Esposito, and designated hitter Beau Day. Mordini and Johnson join a strong pitching staff that includes K.J. Edson and Houston Hibberd from the University of San Francisco, Kenny Oakley (UNLV), Robert Parucha (UC Davis), Nick Rossetta (Long Beach State), and Evan Schreiber (Northwestern). Pfeiffer will join UNLV third baseman Joey Armstrong, infielder Zach Jones (Northwestern) and brothers Ty and Brooks Marlow (University of Texas) in the field.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Texas Collegiate League Stories from May 21, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central