Pump Jacks Set for All-Star Game Tonight

Published on July 9, 2012 under Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


The 2012 Texas Collegiate League All-Star Game, presented by the University of Houston-Victoria, is set for tonight at 7:05 from Riverside Stadium in Victoria.

The TCL's version of the "Midsummer Classic" will pit the North (with players from the Pump Jacks, Texas Marshals, Alexandria Aces and Brazos Valley Bombers) against the South (including players from the Woodlands Strykers, Acadiana Cane Cutters and the host Victoria Generals) in a battle for bragging rights.

Seven Pump Jacks players and two coaches make the journey to represent East Texas with pride. Two Jacks will start the contest, with Kirby Pellant getting the nod at second base and Tyler Sullivan in center field. They will be joined by R.J. Santigate, Kyle Kubat, Jeff Stovall, Gerardo Esquivel, and Jason Jester. Jacks head coach Ben Taylor will lead the North Squad as well, with assistant Ricky Wilson joining him on his all-star coaching staff.

Pellant built on all-star summer last year with an even stronger 2012, batting .312 on the year with 13 runs scored, 24 hits and a team-leading seven doubles. A trusted bat at the top of the order for the Jacks, Pellant will look to bring that same spark to the game tonight.

Sullivan is the Pump Jacks' current leader in batting average, hitting .341 to rank third in the TCL. He also leads the Jacks in runs scored (16) and hits (28) and has played great defense in center field all season long. His five doubles tie him for third on the team, just behind Pellant and Colton Bickerstaff.

Both Pellant and Sullivan have won the TCL Player of the Week award this season, with Pellant earning the honor in the week ending June 17, and Sullivan getting the nod the following week.

Santigate has been rock-steady all season long both at the plate and in the field. Hitting .287 on the season, Santigate is tied for second on the team in both runs scored (15) and hits (25) while leading the Jacks with 17 walks, sixth in the TCL. Like Sullivan, he has made a difference in the field, primarily at third base, displaying a deft glove at the "hot corner."

The East Texas pitching staff has been the best in the TCL throughout the season, and four representatives from that staff will pitch in the all-star game. Kubat has been the ace of the staff, leading the league with a 1.17 ERA. The southpaw from Nebraska has 27 strikeouts in 30.2 innings against only seven walks, and his ERA is almost a full run better than the next full-time starter in the TCL.

Speaking of ERA, the first of the "Three Amigos," Stovall, enters the all-star break third in the league with a 1.37 mark. Like Kubat, Stovall has consistently thrown strikes, with 20 batters fanned and only six walks in 26.1 innings pitched. He is also among the leaders in the TCL with four wins on the year despite pitching exclusively out of the bullpen.

Esquivel may not have as many innings pitched as Kubat or Stovall, but he has been every bit as effective. With a 1.47 ERA and 20 strikeouts in only 18.1 innings this summer, Esquivel has been a more than capable setup man this season. He has also walked only five batters, continuing the strike-throwing hallmark of the Pump Jacks pitching staff.

As good as the others have pitched this season, Jester tops them all. The closer has not given up a single earned run this summer, using a devastating fastball-slider combination to garner 28 strikeouts versus just two walks in 19 innings pitched. Of the top 21 pitchers in the TCL this summer in strikeouts, only Jester has pitched less than 20 innings. His 12 saves not only lead the league by a country mile, but he's just one short of the TCL record for saves in an entire season, with half the summer still to be played.

The 2012 TCL All-Star Game will feature a live webcast, which fans can view HERE. The festivities will begin at 6:00 p.m. with the 2012 TCL Home Run Derby, followed by the game itself at 7:05 p.m. If you can't catch the live stream, fear not! The game in its entirety will be broadcast on a tape delay basis on the Fox College Sports Network multiple times, with specific times and dates to be announced.

Live stats for the contest will also be available through Pointstreak, which fans can view by clicking HERE.

The Jacks return home on Tuesday night, when they host the Brazos Valley Bombers for the first time in 2012 on Family Night. A family of four can get tickets for just $10, saving as much as 50 on your ticket purchase. All four fans can add a meal of a hot dog, chips, and a regular soda for a total of just $15 more.

The fun this week at Driller Park continues with Western Wednesday, featuring the Jacks' popular barbeque nachos and Ziegenbock beer at the concession stand when East Texas takes on the Alexandria Aces.

On tap for the next night is another Thirsty Thursday, where fans can enjoy 50-cent soft drinks, $1 draft beers and $3 frozen margaritas to beat the East Texas heat while watching the Pump Jacks take on the Aces once again.

First pitch for each game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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Texas Collegiate League Stories from July 9, 2012


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