Jacks Sign All-TCL Outfielder, Central Oklahoma Slugger

April 29, 2015 - Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


The East Texas Pump Jacks may be playing in new surroundings, but the team will have a familiar face this season.

The Pump Jacks announced Wednesday that Southern Miss speedster James Lear, who was named an all-TCL outfielder last summer as a member of the Jacks, will return to East Texas for the club's inaugural season in Tyler. He'll be joined by outfielder Dilon Argo, who starred with Central Oklahoma this spring.

Lear was named to the Texas Collegiate League's postseason all-star team after batting .270 and finishing second in the league with 32 steals in 52 games last year. His team-leading 41 runs ranked third in the TCL.

His final stats only tell half the story, though. After scuffling through the first half of the season, Lear went on a tear in the final month. He batted .341 in his last 22 games including the playoffs, reaching base safely in his last 19 contests. Lear also swiped 21 bases during the home stretch, including separate stolen base streaks of seven and five games.

Not surprisingly, the Pump Jacks surged when Lear did, going 14-7 in the final 21 games to capture their seventh-straight playoff berth.

Lear's success in East Texas was no surprise after a record-breaking two years at Northwest Mississippi Community College. He set school records for stolen bases in a season and a career when he swiped 35 bags last spring, upping his two-year total to 55 steals. Lear batted .340 and led the team in walks (33) and runs scored (58) from the leadoff position. He helped lead the Rangers to a top-20 national ranking while earning a spot on the all-state team.

As a freshman, Lear batted .318 with 20 steals.

Lear's athleticism and skill on the basepaths are evident in his success rate stealing bases. In two years at Northwest Mississippi, Lear stole 55 bases and he was caught only eight times. With the Pump Jacks last summer, the Oxford, Miss., native was caught just three times in 35 attempts.

In limited action this season at Southern Miss, Lear is batting .333 with one steal in nine appearances.

Argo, in the meantime, was a mainstay in the Central Oklahoma lineup this spring. He batted .325 in a team-high 169 at-bats, smashing eight home runs with 38 runs scored in 42 games. Argo added 11 doubles and two triples for a .556 on-base percentage. He ranked among the team leaders in batting average (fifth), slugging (fourth), homers (tied for fourth), extra-base hits (21, second), and hits (55, tied for first).

Argo broke into the lineup last spring when he batted .356 and slugged .575 to earn all-conference honorable mention honors. He led the Bronchos with 30 walks and finished third on the team with seven home runs and 39 RBI.

Like Lear, Argo is no stranger to summer collegiate baseball success. He spent last summer with the Redding Colt 45's, batting .336 in 39 games. Argo led the team with 50 hits, ten doubles, eight triples, 26 RBI, and a .530 slugging percentage, and he added 22 stolen bases. He was named second-team all-series by the Horizon Air Summer Series.

A native of Jenks, Okla., Argo was a member of Oklahoma's nationally-ranked 2012 recruiting class. He redshirted for the Sooners in 2012, then transferred to Central Oklahoma in time for the 2013 season.

Lear and Argo will join new head coach Ernie May when the Pump Jacks open the season with a six-game road trip beginning May 28.

The trio will play the Jacks' first home game in Tyler on Thursday, June 4, when the Acadiana Cane Cutters visit Irwin UT Tyler Ballpark. Click here for the complete schedule.

Season tickets for the Pump Jacks' first season in Tyler are still on sale! Season tickets are available in the box seats (with in-seat wait service!), reserved seats, or general admission. Click here for more information or contact the Pump Jacks at (903) 218-GO ET (4638). Tickets may be purchased online or at the Pump Jacks' new office located at 1805 Overbrook Drive, just off Paluxy Drive near Loop 323. The Jacks may also be reached by phone or via e-mail at info@pumpjacksbaseball.com.



Texas Collegiate League Stories from April 29, 2015


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