Would You Like to Host a Pump Jack this Summer"

Published on February 6, 2013 under Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
East Texas PumpJacks News Release


In five years, the Pump Jacks have brought a championship, national rankings, award-winning coaches, and drafted players to East Texas.

Now the team wants to bring a future big leaguer to your dinner table.

The Pump Jacks host family program is seeking homes for the players who will defend the Jacks' 2012 Texas Collegiate League championship. Host families provide a place to live for a Pump Jacks player and a meal or two when the player is not on the road. But being a host family is so much more than just room and board.

"Our host families are some of the most important members of our team," said general manager Mike Lieberman. "These families provide a home environment for players coming to East Texas for the first time, sharing their homes and our community while giving players a foundation on which to grow as ballplayers and young men."

But the relationship between a host family and a player is more than a one-way street, Lieberman explained. "Our families forge a bond with the players they host, one that lasts long after the player goes back to school. Some of our players remain in contact with their host families years after they moved on."

By hosting a Pump Jacks player, you also have the chance to invite a top college baseball player into your home "" maybe even a future major leaguer! The Texas Collegiate League has seen more than a dozen former players reach the big leagues, and many more are moving up the ranks. Former Pump Jacks first baseman Matt Curry played last season in Triple-A ball, just one level removed from the majors. More than 30 former Pump Jacks have been drafted by major league teams, and no other team in the league has had more All-TCL players or top prospects than the Jacks.

Every member of a host family household will get to enjoy all the fun and excitement of Pump Jacks championship baseball with box seat season tickets. Players are comforted by seeing familiar faces in the stands, and host families get to show their support while also enjoying the fireworks, giveaways, promotions, and fun of a season of Pump Jacks baseball.

Host families can rest assured that players are respectful of their hosts and their new homes. Players are hard-working student-athletes who are thankful for the opportunity to work towards a potential professional baseball career. Moreover, they understand that they wouldn't be playing in East Texas were it not for the support of fans and the generosity of host families. The team also establishes firm ground rules with the players and goes over these rules in a meeting with players and host families.

Feedback over the years has been overwhelmingly positive, with some families returning to host players year after year. Hosts often consider players part of their own family, leading one family to call their player "a great addition to our family." Many families remain in contact with the players they hosted; some players come back for return visits, and several families have even gone to visit their former players.

Players will need housing for roughly eleven weeks. They will arrive in East Texas in the last week of May, and the regular season will run through the second week in August. The playoffs will conclude by August 15, after which players will head home or back to campus.

To become a host family, fans should visit the host family page of the team's web site here. On that page, you will find an information form about the program that you can download, as well as a host family questionnaire. The questionnaire should be completed and returned to the team's office, after which one of the Pump Jacks host family coordinators will contact you about the next steps for becoming a host family.

Fans that would like to find out more or who have any questions are invited to visit the team's office at 114 North Kilgore Street in downtown Kilgore, call the team at (903) 218-GO ET, or send an e-mail to mike@pumpjacksbaseball.com.

The Pump Jacks open the defense of their title on May 30 on the road against the Texas Marshals. They open their 2013 home schedule on June 4 against the Acadiana Cane Cutters, then conclude their opening homestand with a championship rematch against the Victoria Generals.

Season tickets for the Jacks are on sale now. Season ticket prices remain the same this year "" that's right, no price increase even with a championship! Lower Box seats, which include in-your-seat wait service, are just $199 each, and Upper Box seats are $150. Grandstand season tickets are $105 for adults and $85 for children and seniors. Fans who purchase their season tickets and pay in full by this Friday, February 8, will receive a free limited edition championship T-shirt, one that won't be available to any other fans! Season tickets can be purchased online, by phone, or in person at the Jacks' office in downtown Kilgore. Click here for more information on Pump Jacks season tickets.

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Texas Collegiate League Stories from February 6, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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