Mark Mathiasâ?? 3rd Round Selection Leads Seven Former Jacks in Draft

Published on June 11, 2015 under Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


Seven former Pump Jacks were chosen in the MLB draft this week, led by Mathias in the third round and Joey Armstrong in the tenth.

Ho hum. Another draft, another bevy of former East Texas Pump Jacks selected by major league teams.

Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft wrapped up Wednesday with a total of seven Jacks alumni selected by big league organizations. Leading the way was infielder Mark Mathias, chosen by the Cleveland Indians in the third round, and Joey Armstrong, picked by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the tenth round.

Also hearing their name called were Tyler Sullivan and Jake Kelzer with back-to-back picks in the 14th round, Cameron Gann in the 27th round, Brooks Marlow in the 29th round, and Nate Esposito in the 33rd round.

This marks the fourth straight year the Pump Jacks had at least two former players taken in the top ten rounds. Last year, Jacob Lindgren, Corey Ray, and Mitch Meyer were all drafted in the first seven rounds. Lindgren has already shot through the New York Yankees system and made his major league debut several weeks ago.

The Pump Jacks have now had 57 players drafted by big league organizations, tops in the TCL since they joined the league in 2008.

Mathias is the third former Pump Jack to be drafted in the top three rounds, following Lindgren and Hunter Dozier. Lindgren was the top pick by the Yankees last year in the second round, and Dozier set the TCL record for highest draft choice when he was selected eighth overall by the Kansas City Royals in 2013.

The Indians picked Mathias following his junior year at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He was named the Big West Player of the Year and an All-American after batting .386 in 2014, which earned him a spot on Team USA during the summer. He underwent shoulder surgery prior to this spring but missed only seven games, hitting .356 this season.

A member of the Pump Jacks in 2013 after his freshman year, Mathias batted .278 with 20 RBI and eight stolen bases in East Texas.

A teammate of Mathias with the Jacks in 2013, Armstrong was chosen by the Diamondbacks after his junior year with Nevada-Las Vegas. A .277 hitter with UNLV this year, Armstrong has the athleticism to play nearly anywhere on the diamond. He was a third baseman as a freshman, but he saw time behind the plate in East Texas as the Rebels expected him to play catcher as a sophomore. Instead, he made the jump to the outfield, becoming the team's primary center fielder.

The All-TCL third baseman in 2013, Armstrong batted .299 for the Jacks and led the TCL with four triples. He also finished among the top-10 in the league in hits (52) and RBI (31).

Sullivan and Kelzer not only were selected with consecutive picks in the 14th round, but both of them were chosen by Chicago teams. Sullivan was picked by the Chicago White Sox after completing his collegiate career at the University of the Pacific. An all-conference selection as a senior, Sullivan led the Tigers this spring with a .351 average.

Sullivan was a member of the Pump Jacks championship squad in 2012, batting .317 and playing a spectacular center field.

Kelzer went with the next pick to the Chicago Cubs, the second time in as many years the Indiana pitcher has been drafted. Last June, the Yankees chose Kelzer in the 22nd round, but he opted to return to the Hoosiers. The 6-foot-8 righty moved into the Indiana rotation this spring, making 11 starts in his 17 appearances. He went 4-5 with a 3.95 ERA and 57 strikeouts for the Hoosiers.

Kelzer arrived in East Texas in 2013 coming off his freshman year at Indiana. An All-American swimmer in high school, he was still acclimating himself to baseball, registering 18 strikeouts in 15 innings pitched over the summer.

Gann was picked by Arizona with the first pick of the 27th round after completing his college career at Stephen F. Austin State University. He went 4-3 with a 2.87 ERA, leading the Lumberjacks staff in innings (87.2) and strikeouts (72). After four years at SFA, Gann finished second on the school's all-time list in wins and third in strikeouts.

A teammate of Sullivan's on the 2012 championship team, Gann was fourth on the team with 17 appearances, including six starts. He finished the season 4-2 with a 4.03 ERA, then posted a 1.80 ERA in one start during the playoffs.

A native of Giddings, Texas, less than two hours away from Houston, Marlow was chosen by the Astros in the 29th round. Marlow completed his senior season at the University of Texas by batting .268 and ranking third on the team with four home runs and fourth with 54 hits. A four-year starter in Austin, Marlow ranks among the school's all-time leaders in starts (third, 217), assists (second, 668), and double plays turned (third, 144).

Marlow had an auspicious opening to his college career, becoming the first Longhorn to hit two home runs in his collegiate debut. He went on to earn a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman team in 2012. As a junior, he picked up a Division I Rawlings Gold Glove after committing just three errors in 67 games.

Marlow was a fan favorite when he spent the first half of the 2013 season in East Texas. Playing alongside his brother and fellow all-star Ty, Brooks was leading the league with a .375 average when he headed back to campus after the Pump Jacks hosted the 2013 TCL All-Star Game.

Wrapping up the Pump Jacks draft haul was Esposito, who like Kelzer has been through the process before. The Oakland A's selected the California native in 2011 after he completed high school, but Esposito opted to play college ball instead. This time around, he was chosen by the defending American League-champion Royals.

An All-NAIA West pick at Concordia University in Portland, Ore., Esposito hit .338 for the Cavaliers and led the team with 73 hits, 22 doubles, and 32 RBI. He had transferred after three years at Oregon State, including a trip to the 2013 College World Series.

Esposito joined the Pump Jacks in 2013 after that trip to Omaha, batting .253 in 24 games while offering a commanding presence behind the plate.

The Jacks return home Thursday for a doubleheader against the Texas Marshals, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. After a day off Friday, East Texas welcomes the Woodlands Strykers to Irwin UT Tyler Ballpark for a two-game set Saturday and Sunday.

As always, fans can tune in to our live Ustream broadcast, or follow the game with live scoring updates on our Pointstreak feed

To follow all the news during the Jacks' inaugural season in Tyler, visit the Pump Jacks official web site at www.pumpjacksbaseball.com. Join the conversation with other members of Pump Jacks Nation by visiting the Pump Jacks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Texas Collegiate League Stories from June 11, 2015


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