Juco All-American Highlights Jacks Four New Pitchers

Published on May 9, 2013 under Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


The Pump Jacks pitching staff added four hurlers from the west coast Thursday, including former junior college All-American K.J. Edson and former summer collegiate all-star Houston Hibberd.

Pitching wins championships, or so goes the traditional baseball mantra. Another American maxim declares, "Go west young man."

The East Texas Pump Jacks have heeded both sayings, announcing on Tuesday the signing of four right-handed pitchers with roots on the west coast. The Pump Jacks have added junior Houston Hibberd and sophomore K.J. Edson from the University of San Francisco (USF), as well as junior Nick Rosetta from Long Beach State and sophomore Robert Parucha out of the University of California Davis (UC Davis).

USF defeated Stanford Tuesday night to notch its 30th win of the season, the fifth time in nine years the Dons have cracked the 30-win plateau. The club's 14-7 league record is good for second place in the West Coast Conference entering the final weekend of the conference schedule. San Francisco boasts a team ERA of 3.26, also good for second in the conference.

With such a strong USF staff this spring, playing time has been scarce for Hibberd and Edson. The two have combined to throw 5.2 innings on the season, though Edson was credited with the win Tuesday over a traditionally strong Stanford squad. Hibberd has made five appearances, striking out four in 2.2 innings, while has been in seven games for a total of three innings. Both are newcomers to the staff who arrived in San Francisco after noteworthy success in junior college.

Hibberd may be the more experienced of the pair, with two summer collegiate seasons under his belt along with his juco playing time. He started his college career at West Valley College in northern California, and quickly made a name for himself. He appeared in 23 games as a freshman, posting a 3.25 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 36 innings to earn first-team all-conference honors. He split time as a sophomore, making 11 starts and 12 relief appearances and striking out 45 in 58.2 innings.

Perhaps of greater interest to Pump Jacks fans is Hibberd's summer collegiate success. He pitched for the Cal Ripken League's Rockville Express in 2011, where he earned an invitation to the league All-Star Game. Hibberd led the league with 60.2 innings pitched, finished fourth with a 2.08 ERA, and tied for fifth in wins with a 4-2 record. He also tossed three complete games, which not only led the league, but it was more than four other teams had on the season.

In 2012, Hibberd starred for the Danville Dans in the Prospect League. He led the Dans in innings pitched (72.2) and he was second on the team in wins (3) and strikeouts (45) while posting a 5.82 ERA.

You could say Hibberd has pitching in his blood. His father, Huck, pitched for San Jose State and was drafted twice, by the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers. After the Rangers selected him in the eighth round in 1984, Huck spent two seasons in the Rangers' system before hanging up his cleats.

Although Edson only spent one season at a junior college to Hibberd's two, he racked up more than his share of accolades. Playing at Glendale Community College, Edson was named an All-American by the California Community College Athletic Association and he led the Vaqueros to the Super Regional round of the playoffs. He went 4-2 with seven saves, a 1.08 ERA, and 33 strikeouts in 45.2 innings to also earn all-conference honors.

Edson, who employs a deceptive sidewinder pitching motion, first turned heads at Arcadia High School, north of Los Angeles. He led the Apaches with an incredible 0.56 ERA as a senior, going 10-1 in 13 appearances with seven complete games and two saves. He was no less dominant as a junior, going 8-1 with a 1.08 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 58.1 innings pitched.

Parucha will come to East Texas after a strong season for a scuffling UC Davis team, the same school that sent to the Jacks Baltimore Orioles draft pick Scott Kalush. He has appeared in 19 games, all but one of them out of the bullpen, and leads relievers with 44.1 innings and 27 strikeouts. At 3-2, he is one of just two Aggie pitchers with a winning record.

Parucha was a promising recruit out of Mira Costa High School in southern California. He was awarded second team All-Southern Section and All-Bay honors after finishing his senior season with a 7-1 record and a 3.23 ERA. He also made eight relief appearances as a junior and posted an impressive 0.88 ERA.

The University of Hawaii recruited Parucha out of high school, but before seeing any action for the Rainbow Warriors, Parucha took a redshirt. He transferred to L.A. Harbor College, where he went 4-4 with a 3.70 ERA in 2012. He led the Seahawks with 81.2 innings and 55 strikeouts, posting gems like a 10-strikeout, no-walk performance in seven innings against Pasadena College.

Rosetta comes to the Pump Jacks from a Long Beach State program that has produced the likes of Evan Longoria, Jered Weaver, and Jason Giambi. Known affectionately as the Dirtbags, Long Beach State's baseball team routinely competes for the Big West title and a spot in the NCAA playoffs.

In his first season with the Dirtbags, Rosetta has appeared in five games this spring and has yet to allow a run. He has five strikeouts in six innings pitched.

Rosetta's development has followed an arc far different from the other pitchers joining the Pump Jacks. An accomplished hitter in high school, he joined San Jose State as a freshman and appeared in 13 games as an infielder. He registered three hits and four RBI, but more importantly he discovered his baseball future would likely be on the mound.

He transferred in 2012 to Cabrillo College, where he began his transformation into a pitcher. He made 18 appearances out of the bullpen, posting 20 strikeouts in 22 innings with a 4.09 ERA. To ease his transition to the mound, he also racked up 65 at-bats for the Seahawks.

Rosetta was a two-sport athlete at Branham High School in San Jose, earning letters in both baseball and basketball. He shined on the diamond, where he set school career records for home runs, walks, runs, hits, doubles, slugging, and on-base percentage.

The new pitchers bolster a staff that already includes Carlos Rodriguez from Oregon State, Kenny Oakley out of UNLV, and Northwestern's Evan Schreiber. The team has also signed catcher Nate Esposito and designated hitter Beau Day, both from Oregon State, as well as third baseman Joey Armstrong from UNLV and Northwestern infielder Zach Jones.

The Pump Jacks open the defense of their title on Thursday, May 30, on the road against the Texas Marshals. They open their 2013 home schedule on Tuesday, June 4, against the Acadiana Cane Cutters, then conclude their opening homestand with a championship rematch against the Victoria Generals.

Host Families: The Pump Jacks are seeking host families for the 2013 season. Hosting a player is a great experience that forges a lifelong bond with a young man, a relationship that transcends the game of baseball. Host families also receive free season tickets - including the All-Star Game - for every member of their household. If you're interested in finding out more about the host family program, please contact the Pump Jacks at (903) 218-GO ET or info@pumpjacksbaseball.com.

Season tickets for the Jacks are on sale now: Season ticket prices remain the same this year - that's right, no price increase even with a championship and the All-Star Game! Lower Box seats, which include in-your-seat wait service, are just $199 each, and Upper Box seats are $150. Grandstand season tickets are $105 for adults and $85 for children and seniors. Season tickets can be purchased online, by phone, or in person at the Jacks' office in downtown Kilgore.

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Texas Collegiate League Stories from May 9, 2013


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