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Minor League Season Opens with 17 Jacks Alumni in Action

April 3, 2014 - Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


Minor league baseball schedules kick off today, putting East Texas Pump Jacks alumni back in action. No fewer than 17 former Pump Jacks are on minor league rosters across the country, including at least five of them at baseball's upper levels.

Headlining the list is Brett Nicholas, who begins the 2014 season just one level removed from the majors with the Triple-A Round Rock Express. Nicholas has been busy in the last 12 months, earning an all-star nod in two different leagues last year before being named a Texas Rangers organizational all-star. Last season he led the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders in all three Triple Crown categories "" batting average, home runs, and RBI. Nicholas secured an invite to the prospect-laden Arizona Fall League, where he was named All-Star Game MVP after crushing two home runs in the contest.

Nicholas will be in for a change this season, though it's not one he's unprepared for. The 2009 All-TCL catcher spent last season at first base, but he is expected to see some time back behind the plate in Round Rock.

Lee Orr and Miguel Pena, the top two pro prospects in the Texas Collegiate League in 2010, will both begin the season in Double-A. Pena, seen in spring training taking instruction from former Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez and taking selfies with World Series MVP David Ortiz, will kick off the season with the Portland Sea Dogs in the Eastern League. Pena, who has an ERA of 3.54 since the Boston Red Sox drafted him in the sixth round in 2011, will be a member of Portland's starting rotation.

Orr, the TCL Player of the Year in 2011, is a member of the San Antonio Missions, the San Diego Padres' affiliate in the Texas League. Orr opened last season on a tear, earning California League Player of the Week in late April with the Lake Elsinore Storm, warranting a late-season promotion to San Antonio.

Also in the Texas League is the well-travelled David Rollins, who will be a member of the starting rotation for the Corpus Christi Hooks. Rollins finished last season in Corpus Christi after getting an emergency call-up to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The 2009 All-TCL lefty was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011, then he was traded to the Houston Astros in 2012.

Two teammates on the inaugural Pump Jacks will be opponents in the Double-A Eastern League. Scott Copeland makes his Double-A debut as member of the starting rotation for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Copeland was drafted by Baltimore in 2010 and spent two years in the Orioles system before signing with the Blue Jays in 2012.

Copeland will likely see Matt Curry when the Fisher Cats face the Altoona Curve, the Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate in the Eastern League. Curry is expected to return to Altoona after missing much of last season due to wrist surgery.

The team that will probably garner the most attention from Pump Jacks fans is the Wilmington Blue Rocks. The Class-A Carolina League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals boasts three former Jacks, including 2013 first round pick Hunter Dozier. Dozier, ranked one of the Royals' top ten prospects and frequently named among the top prospects in the minor leagues, helped lead the Idaho Falls Chukars to a Pioneer League title last season. The highest-drafted player in the history of the TCL, Dozier will continue his transition to third base after spending his collegiate career at shortstop.

Dozier will be joined in Wilmington by John Walter and Beau Maggi. Walter has excelled in the bullpen since signing in 2012, recording a 1.96 ERA while racking up 17 saves in two seasons. Maggi and Walter have followed each other every step in pro ball after they were drafted five round apart in 2012. The pair were teammates with the Burlington Royals in 2012 and in both Idaho Falls and Lexington last year, before arriving in Wilmington together this season.

Also in the Carolina League is Kyle Martin, who will open the season with the Salem Red Sox. Martin was a ninth round pick by Boston last year and he went 4-2 with a 1.25 ERA and three saves across two levels in his first pro season.

Three former Pump Jacks are headed to the Class-A California League, all of them settling in the South Division about an hour away from each other. Daniel Minor, a ninth round pick by the Astros in 2012, is headed to the Lancaster JetHawks after going 8-3 with a 3.71 ERA last season. Matt Shelton will return to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes after going 5-2 with a 2.45 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate last year.

Stephen Tromblee has been assigned to the Inland Empire 66ers, the Los Angeles Angels partner in the Cal League. Tromblee will begin the season on the disabled list as he recovers from elbow surgery last summer.

Another Angels farmhand, Kirby Pellant, is headed to the Burlington Bees in the Class-A Midwest League. Pellant batted .310 and led the Angels' entry in the Arizona Summer League in steals and runs scored after Los Angeles draft him in the 26th round last year.

Matt Juengel earned a promotion to the Jupiter Hammerheads, the Miami Marlins affiliate in the Class-A Florida State League. The 2009 TCL Freshman of the Year batted .270 with 63 RBI last season.

Two more former Pump Jacks will open the season in the Class-A South Atlantic League. Blake Brown, a fifth-round pick of the Atlanta Braves in 2012, is headed back to the Rome Braves after spending half of last year with the club. Jaron Long, signed last year by the New York Yankees as a free agent, is a member of the Charleston River Dogs after going 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in his first pro season.

Host Families: The Pump Jacks are seeking host families for the 2014 season. Hosting a player gets you closer to the team than ever, but it's so much more. When a Pump Jacks player lives with you for the summer, he becomes a part of your family, forging a relationship that becomes much bigger than the game. Plus, everyone in your household receives free season tickets! If you're interested in learning more about the host family program, please contact the Pump Jacks at (903) 218-GO ET or info@pumpjacksbaseball.com.

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