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Pump Jacks Add a Pair of Two-Way Stars

April 8, 2014 - Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


Andrew Grifol and Anthony Gonsolin are their schools' most dangerous hitters. They both happen to be shutdown pitchers, too.

When a summer collegiate team signs a school's leading hitter or its top pitcher, it's notable. But when the hitter and pitcher happen to be the same recruit, that's newsworthy.

The East Texas Pump Jacks announced two such acquisitions Tuesday, signing dual threats Anthony Gonsolin from Saint Mary's College and Andrew Grifol from the University of Texas-Permian Basin.

Gonsolin is leading the Gaels with a .347 batting average and his 2.20 ERA is second on the Saint Mary's staff. Grifol is similarly situated, pacing the Falcons with a .351 average and sitting second on UTPB with a 1.96 ERA.

To put their performance in context, compare the newest Pump Jacks to the All-American "utility" players selected by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. The NCBWA chose Drew Reynolds (from East Carolina), Ashton Perritt (Liberty), and Clinton Freeman (East Tennessee State) the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd team preseason All-American utility players.

The All-American trio is hitting .316 thus far this season with a .460 slugging percentage while posting a 3.07 ERA and holding opposing hitters to a .256 average.

Gonsolin and Grifol top the All-Americans in every category, though. The two newest Pump Jacks have combined to hit .349 and slug .498 with a 2.06 ERA and .236 opponents' batting average.

Last summer, Pump Jacks fans saw firsthand just what kind of impact a two-way player can have on a team. Ty Marlow did not allow an earned run in eight appearances out of the bullpen and tied for the team lead in home runs. Marlow was named to his second TCL All-Star Game, leading the East squad to victory and winning All-Star Game MVP honors at Historic Driller Park.

Grifol is splitting time between first base and the rotation in his junior year and first season at UTPB. At the plate, he leads the team in hitting, runs (24), hits (40), and doubles (12), and the lefty tops the pitching staff in innings (41.1), strikeouts (33), starts (eight), and complete games (three). His bat is so strong that even when he pitches, Grifol eschews the designated hitter and bats second or third in the Falcons batting order.

The 6-foot, 185-pound Grifol ranks among the Heartland Conference top-ten in batting average (ninth), slugging (eighth), doubles (fifth), and ERA (seventh).

A Miami native, Grifol came to Texas by way of two Florida junior colleges. He spent the 2012 season at Broward College, where he batted .257 with three home runs and led the Seahawks with 14 doubles and 28 walks. In 2011, he starred for Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Fla., batting .313 with five homers, 38 RBI, and 33 runs scored. Grifol pitched sparingly in both seasons, tossing only 6.2 innings with a 2.70 ERA.

Grifol was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 49th round in 2011, following his freshman year at Santa Fe. The draft was a family affair for Grifol, whose older brother, Pedro, was at the time the Seattle director of player development. The elder Grifol is currently the major league hitting coach for the Kansas City Royals.

The 22-year-old Grifol was a preseason 2010 all-Florida Region honorable mention as a senior at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, where his older brother is a member of the Hall of Fame.

Gonsolin has played several outfield positions in addition to both starting and relieving for Saint Mary's, and he has excelled in every role. The sophomore tops Gaels hitters in average, at-bats (121), runs (24), hits (42), RBI (16), triples (five), and extra-base hits (12). He's made three starts on the mound and come out of the bullpen three times, posting a win and two losses to go with his 2.20 ERA. He's held opposing hitters to a .260 average and struck out 21 in 28.2 innings pitched.

Playing against the likes of Cal State Fullerton and Kansas State as well as conference rivals such as San Diego and Pepperdine, Gonsolin has shined. He is tied atop the West Coast Conference with his five triples, and he ranks among the league's top-15 in batting average, runs, hits, and slugging percentage (.488). Additionally, his 2.20 ERA would rank among the league leaders if he had a few more innings pitched.

Last year as a freshman, Gonsolin batted .245 in 23 games for Saint Mary's. In limited action on the mound, he struck out four in 6.1 innings.

The 6-foot-2, 179-pound right-hander has a little more insight into the Pump Jacks than the average newcomer. Former Jacks head coach Nate Leaser is a member of the Gaels' coaching staff and helped steer Gonsolin to East Texas.

Gonsolin prepped at Vacaville High School in northern California, where he was named all-league and the South MVP in the Optimist Sacramento Area All-Star Game. He batted .370 with seven triples and 12 steals as a senior for the Bulldogs, adding a 2.60 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 29.2 innings.

Both Gonsolin and Grifol bring summer collegiate experience to East Texas as well. Gonsolin played for the Anchorage Bucs of the Alaska Baseball League last summer, ranking among the circuit's top 40 professional prospects. He led the Bucs and finished fifth in the league in saves, posting a 2.61 ERA with 13 strikeouts and only seven hits in 10.1 innings pitched to earn a spot on the All-ABL second team.

Grifol took a turn in the Northwoods League in 2012, batting .444 in a handful of games for the Duluth Huskies.

Gonsolin and Grifol join a Pump Jacks roster that includes Stephen F. Austin outfielder Matthew Dickey, the co-TCL Freshman of the Year last season, and Panola College pitchers Marshall Kasowski and Robbie Petty.

The Pump Jacks' home opener is Tuesday, June 3, when East Texas hosts the Acadiana Cane Cutters at Driller Park. The Jacks open the season on the road on Thursday, May 29, when they travel to Dallas to take on the Texas Marshals.

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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