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Pump Jacks Moving to Tyler

April 13, 2015 - Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


A new era of baseball is blooming in the Rose Capital with today's announcement that the East Texas Pump Jacks have moved to Tyler, Texas. The team made the announcement Monday afternoon at a press conference at the Louise Herrington Patriot Center on the campus of The University of Texas at Tyler.

The team has entered into an agreement to play at Irwin UT Tyler Ballpark beginning with the 2015 season.

"This is an exciting announcement for the Pump Jacks," said general manager Mike Lieberman. "We're looking forward to calling Tyler home for years to come."

"Baseball is an American pastime, and we are glad to be able to partner with the Pump Jacks to bring summer baseball to the Tyler community," said Dr. Howard Patterson, UT Tyler vice president for student affairs.

The Pump Jacks arrive in Tyler with strong East Texas roots. No minor league baseball team in East Texas history has played more than the Jacks' seven-straight seasons all in one league. The Pump Jacks played their formative Texas Collegiate League seasons in Kilgore at historic Driller Park.

The Jacks have built quite a resume in just seven years. The organization has had 53 players drafted by major league teams, more than any TCL club since 2008. Former Pump Jack Hunter Dozier was drafted eighth overall in 2013 by the Kansas City Royals, the highest selection ever for a TCL alum. Three more Pump Jacks alumni were drafted in the first seven rounds last year, including Jacob Lindgren, the top pick of the New York Yankees.

In addition to great baseball, the Pump Jacks have made a name for themselves by providing affordable, family-friendly entertainment. Home games routinely feature giveaways and promotions, with fans joining mascots Boomer and Derrick on the field for zany contests. Team giveaways have included T-shirts, posters, fans, water bottles, and even a diamond ring, not to mention more than 30 postgame fireworks shows.

"Coming to a Pump Jacks game is about having fun," said Pump Jacks co-owner Alan Poff. "We have contests, giveaways, mascots, music, and food, not to mention top-notch baseball. Whether you're a baseball fan or not, a night with the Jacks is always fun, and all very affordable."

Pump Jacks individual game tickets will start at just $5. Box seats in the covered stands behind home plate will cost $10 each, and they'll include in-seat wait service. Reserved seats will be $7 each, with seats available in the first or third base grandstand. General admission tickets are $5 for seating on the grass berms on either side of the field.

The Jacks will also offer an exclusive seating area where fans can enjoy an all-you-can-eat menu for the entire game, with in-seat wait service.

Pregame and in-game group picnics, birthday parties, and group discounts will also be available.

Season tickets will include tickets for all 30 home games at Irwin UT Tyler Ballpark, as well as other perks and privileges. Box seat season tickets are $300 per seat, and fans are encouraged to act quickly because box seats are in short supply. Season tickets in reserved seating are $200 each, and in general admission, they are just $120.

Season tickets can be reserved with just a 50% deposit per seat. Fans who purchase season tickets and pay in full before April 24 will receive a free limited edition Pump Jacks Premier Club T-shirt!

East Texas won the Texas Collegiate League championship in 2012 and hosted the TCL All-Star Game a year later. The Pump Jacks were nationally ranked among summer collegiate teams two years in a row, including a top-10 ranking in 2012. The Jacks have qualified for the playoffs for seven consecutive years, the second-longest streak in league history.

The team has raked in a bevy of individual accolades as well. Pump Jacks players have won or shared the last six TCL Freshman of the Year awards. Jacks players have also won a league MVP and two Pitcher of the Year awards, and two head coaches have been named the league's top skipper. More Pump Jacks have been named to the All-TCL all-star team in the last seven years than any other team in the league. Since 2008, the Pump Jacks also lead the league in players named as "top prospects" by industry experts Baseball America and Perfect Game.

Leaving Driller Park, where the Pump Jacks first made a name for themselves, was not an easy decision.

"This is a bittersweet announcement for the Pump Jacks," said Lieberman. "We made friends, set records, and became a family in Kilgore. We're never going to forget the people who helped make our first seven seasons special."

The Jacks will play a 60-game schedule from late May to mid August, followed by the TCL playoffs. The team also released the schedule in a separate announcement on Monday.

The Pump Jacks' nearest opponents are the Texas Marshals in Dallas and the Brazos Valley Bombers in Bryan. Other foes include the Victoria Generals, Woodlands Strykers, and the Lafayette, La.-based Acadiana Cane Cutters.

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 at (903) 218-GO ET or via e-mail at info@pumpjacksbaseball.com .

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