Sliders Sign Pair from South Dakota St.
March 18, 2013 - Prospect League (Prospect)
Springfield Sliders News Release
The Springfield Sliders added two players from South Dakota St. to their 2013 roster. Zach Coppola, a freshman from Des Moines, IA, plays outfield for the Jackrabbits and Talon Jumper, a sophomore from Brighton, CO, is a pitcher.
Jumper is coming off a 2012 season that saw him pitch both as a reliever and spot starter for South Dakota St. He made 12 appearances total (three starts) and pitched 32.1 innings ending the season with the second lowest ERA on the team at 3.52.
So far in 2013 Talon has appeared in four games (only one other pitcher has appeared in more games) and is currently 0-1 with four walks and four strikeouts in 7.1 innings pitched.
As a high schooler the left handed Talon earned honorable mention Louisville Slugger High School All-America recognition in 2011 after excelling both on the mound and in the field for Mountain Range High School. He batted .534 with six home runs and 31 runs batted in and posted an 8-1 record with one save, striking out 73 and walking only 18 to earn region Pitcher of the Year honors. He earned United States Marine Corps Athlete of the Year honors, first-team all-conference and all-region honoree as an outfielder in 2010.
Coppola comes to South Dakota St. after being named captain of the Iowa Newspaper Association Class 4A All-State Team during his senior season where he helped lead Dowling Catholic High School back to the state tournament. Zach batted .421 with 53 hits and 35 runs scored during the regular season in 2012 and earned second-team all-conference and was an all-district pick as a junior, when Dowling Catholic won the Class 4A state title. He hit .396 with a .480 on-base percentage and 16 stolen bases in 2011 and has earned all-academic recognition in both baseball and football.
So far for the Jackrabbits Coppola has appeared in all 14 games where he is hitting .275 with 12 runs scored in 40 at-bats. He also is leading the team with five stolen bases in 5 attempts. He is among the team leaders in walks and runs scored.
The Springfield Sliders are members of the Prospect League with teams in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Their 60 game schedule begins in late May and runs into August. All Sliders home games are played at Robin Roberts Stadium located at 1415 N Grand Ave E in Springfield, IL.
Prospect League Stories from March 18, 2013
- Sliders Sign Pair from South Dakota St. - Springfield Sliders
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