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All-East Texas Hurler and Record-Setting Speedster Among Three New Pump Jacks

May 20, 2014 - Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


The East Texas Pump Jacks continue to scout near and far to their 2014 roster, adding a local star, a junior college speedster, and a versatile lefty to the squad.

The Pump Jacks announced Tuesday the signing of former all-East Texas hurler Jeremy Hallonquist, now a sophomore at Texas State, along with Southern Miss commit James Lear and Ave Maria pitcher Ray Messner.

A recent signee of the Golden Eagles, Lear enjoyed two record-setting years at Northwest Mississippi Community College. Lear batted .340 this spring and set both single-season and career stolen base records at Northwest Mississippi. He stole 35 bases and was caught just four times, bringing his two-season total to 55 stolen bases. He added a team-best 33 walks and team-high 58 runs scored from his leadoff position.

Lear was recently named to the 2014 all-state team while helping the Rangers earn a top-20 national ranking. As a freshman, he played in 48 of the 49 games for the Rangers, batting .318 with 5 doubles and 20 stolen bases.

Lear prepped at Oxford High School in Mississippi where he helped lead the Chargers to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2011 and 2012. He batted .337 as a senior with 22 RBI and 27 runs.

Hallonquist returns to East Texas, where he starred in high school, after his first three years at Texas State. He redshirted in 2012 and saw limited action this spring as he battled arm issues, but he is healthy heading into the summer. Hallonquist saw his first action this spring against the University of Texas at Arlington, posting one strikeout in one inning of work.

During his redshirt freshman campaign in 2013, Hallonquist appeared in 11 games, starting three of them, with 17 strikeouts.

The Hallsville native hit his stride last summer, when he was named one of the California Collegiate League's top prospects after posting a 0.82 ERA for the Los Angeles Brewers. Hallonquist helped the Brewers to their first league titles snapping the ten-year reign of the nationally ranked Santa Barbra Foresters.

Hallonquist earned accolades three straight seasons and at two different positions as a star at Hallsville High School. A member of the all-East Texas team as a hurler in his junior year, Hallonquist also picked up all-district honors for his play in the outfield as a sophomore and senior.

In Messner, the Pump Jacks get a versatile left-hander who has both started and worked out of the bullpen for Ave Maria. Messner posted a 3.49 ERA in 21 appearances this spring, four of them starts, and earned one save. In 2013, his first year with the Gyrenes, he went 3-2 with a 2.45 ERA and four saves, and he held opponents to a paltry .187 batting average.

Last summer, Messner pitched for the Syracuse Salt Cats in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. He was second on the team with 13 appearances and finished tied for third with four saves.

Messner's collegiate career began with St. John Fisher College, where he redshirted in 2011 and pitched sparingly in 2012 before transferring.

Messner prepped at Saint John Neumann High School in Naples, Fla., helping lead his team to the regionals as a junior. He was named district player of the year in 2010 while earning all-area honors as both a junior and senior. He led the team in ERA as a junior (2.86) and senior (1.45), and drove in a team-leading 21 runs a senior .

Head Coach John Foster and the Pump Jacks kick off the season in Dallas on Thursday, May 29, against the Texas Marshalls. The club returns to East Texas for its home opener on Tuesday, June 3, when the Woodlands Strykers visit historic Driller Park.



Texas Collegiate League Stories from May 20, 2014


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