Texas Collegiate League

For Blake Kronkosky, victory number one certainly came at the right time.

Oklahoma State's sophomore lefthander (pictured at right) pitched a five-hit complete game shutout to defeat Texas A&M, 8-0 on April 30 at College Station. The transfer from Howard Junior College faced only two batters over the minimum, fanning three and not walking a batter to improve his record to 1-1, 3.34 in nine appearances this spring.

Kronkosky will pitch for the Denton Outlaws this summer on a staff that also includes Rice's outstanding righty Eddie Degerman and the Street twins from Texas, righty Juston and lefty Jordon.

Kronkosky's effort was the Cowboys' lone win in the three-game series. The Aggies recorded a 3-1 victory in the rubber game on May 1 behind righthander Chance Corgan, who will pitch for the Euless LoneStars this summer. Corgan allowed five hits and one run in six innings with four strikeouts and is 4-2, 3.93 in 17 outings this spring.

The series win improved Texas A&M's Big 12 Conference mark to 8-13 as they fight for a spot in the Conference tournament later this month. Oklahoma State currently holds the fifth spot in the Big 12 at 10-11. Both schools have the weekend off.

TCL NOTEBOOK: All stats are through games of May 4. Rankings listed are from this week's Baseball America poll. TCL teams are listed in parentheses.

TEAM TRANSACTIONS: The McKinney Marshals have added Texas A&M RHP Austin Creps to their roster. Creps, who was 3-0, 1.69 in 12 games at McKinney last summer, is 2-1, 3.35 in 9 games for the Aggies this season. The Marshals have lost 2 pitchers from Rice. RHP Josh Geer, who is draft eligible, has decided not to pitch in the TCL and RHP Brandon Firth is sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Highland Park added RHP Robert Manuel from Sam Houston St. He has posted a team best 3.40 era and leads the BearKats in appearances (19) and saves (3).

ARKANSAS: 1B Danny Hamblin continues his torrid spring, leading the 33-13 Razorbacks in batting (.362), homers (10), and rbi (41) in 44 games. Hamblin, who is hitting .408 with 7 homers and 24 rbi since April 2, is scheduled to play at Coppell this summer. However, on May 4, he was invited to participate in the Team USA National trials, which will be held June 27-30 in Raleigh, NC, leaving his TCL status in doubt.
C-DH Clint Arnold (Weatherford) has a .311 average with 16 rbi in his 38 games and has 7 steals in 9 tries. RHP Daryl Maday (Highland Park) won his 1st 5 decisions before losing at Kentucky on April 30. He is 5-1, 4.29 in 15 games. LHP Devin Collis (Graham) is 2-0, 4.15 in 13 appearances.

BAYLOR: RHP Tyler Bullock (Euless) has posted a 2.61 era and held the opponents to a .227 average in 15 outings for the 10th ranked Bears (31-17).

CALIFORNIA-DAVIS: SS Brandon Oliver (Euless) leads the team in batting (.328), runs (30), and hits (57) in his 43 games. 3B Grant Hirneise (Euless) is batting .294.

CAL-STATE FULLERTON: John Curtis (McKinney) continue to be an ironman for the top ranked Titans (34-11), starting 42 of 45 games behind the plate. He is batting .241.

CINCINNATI: 1B Logan Parker (McKinney) leads the Bearcats in doubles (13) and ranks 2nd in homers (6) and rbi (30) with a .271 average in 42 games.

CLEMSON: SS Stan Widmann (Euless) has started all 46 games as a true freshman for the 28-18 Tigers. The Hurst L.D. product is batting .290 with 3 homers and 15 rbi.

DALLAS BAPTIST: TCL pitchers continue to lead the 29-20 Patriots staff. RHP Randall Taylor (McKinney) leads DBU in wins (7), innings (85.2), and strikeouts (51) while posting a 3.57 era. He allowed 2 runs in 6 innings to beat Texas-Pan American on April 29. RHP Rodney Brantley (Highland Park) issued just one run in 5.1 frames to beat Pan American the following and even his season mark at 4-4. RHP Stuart Sutherland (Highland Park) is 4-3 with a team best 3.54 era in 20 games. C-INF Damien Gomez (Denton) is batting .365 in 27 contests.

DARTMOUTH: LHP Russell Young (Graham) is 3-2 in 8 games.

EVANSVILLE: OF Kern Watts (Denton) has a .354 average and 13 stolen bases in 30 games for the Aces.

GEORGETOWN: OF Mark McLaughlin (Coppell) ranks 2nd on the Hoyas in batting (.327) and steals (10). McLaughlin, 3-5 in a win against crosstown rival George Washington on May 3, has 4 homers and 26 rbi in 44 games.

KANSAS STATE: RHP Daniel Edwards (Denton) has a 3.80 era and has held the opposition to a .222 average in his 15 appearances.

LAMAR: OF Collin DeLome (Graham) is batting .311 with 3 homers and 27 rbi in 45 games and his fellow flyhawk, Matt Lambeth (Euless) is at .282 with 2 homers and 23 rbi in 48 contests for the 31-19 Cardinals. C-DH C.J. Ebarb (McKinney) has a .279 mark in 38 games. LHP Tim Erickson (McKinney) is 4-0, 2.82 in 11 games and earned his 1st save on May 1 vs. Sam Houston St., pitching 3.1 shutout innings. RHP Chuck Platt (Graham) has earned 2 of Lamar's last 5 wins starting April 19.

McMURRY: LHP-OF Greg Erickson (McKinney) has been selected as the American South Conference Western Division Player of the Year. He batted .389 with 8 homers and 37 rbi and was 6-4 in 11 starts with a team best 51 strikeouts in 63.2 innings. McMurry finished the year at 27-19 after losing last weekend in the first round of the conference tournament.

MISSOURI: 1B-3B John McKee (Euless) ranks 4th in the Big 12 Conference in runs (51) and tops the 17th ranked Tigers (31-14) in walks (44). He is batting .281 with 5 homers and 36 rbi in 45 games.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE: LHP Branden Knapp (Coppell) is 2-3, 4.75 in 11 outings for the 23rd ranked Wolfpack (32-13). He tossed a 5-hit complete game shutout on April 9, beating Virginia, 6-0.

NEW MEXICO STATE: C Brandon Lance (Graham) has a .306 average with 2 homers and 23 rbi in 34 games.

OKLAHOMA STATE: 2B Justin Colbert (Graham) is 5th in the Big 12 Conference with 49 runs and leads the Cowboys in steals (8). The leadoff batter has a .333 average and 22 rbi in 48 starts for the 30-18 Cowboys. OF Steve Ptak (Graham) is batting .286 with 21 rbi in 38 contests and OF Trey Rachel (McKinney) is hitting .296.

PACIFIC: Three-fourths of the Tigers infield is headed to the TCL this summer. 1B Matt Berezay (Highland Park) has 9 homers and 32 rbi in 46 games and produced an inside-the-park homer on May 1 vs. California-Riverside. SS Anthony Jackson (Coppell) has 14 steals in 40 games. 3B Justin Baum (Coppell) is hitting .267 with a team best 11 homers in 42 contests. OF Dale Hall (Highland Park) is hitting .274 in 36 games.

PENN STATE: 2B Matt Cavagnaro (McKinney) is hitting .280 with 5 homers and 27 rbi in 29 games for the 24-17 Nittany Lions. 3B Scott Gaffney (McKinney) is at .284 in 24 contests.

RICE: RHP Eddie Degerman (Denton) lost for the 1st time this spring on April 29 to Fresno St., allowing 8 runs in 3.1 innings. He is 6-1, 2.82 with 81 strikeouts in 67 innings in 12 games. Degerman is tied for 2nd in the Western Athletic Conference in wins, has the 3rd lowest era, and is 5th in strikeouts. RHP Bobby Bell (Weatherford) is 2-0, 2.38 with 31 k's in 34 innings. He pitched 4.1 scoreless innings in relief in that loss to Fresno St. on April 29. RHP Ryne Tacker (Coppell) is 3-0, 4.70 in 11 games and RHP Bryce Cox (McKinney) is 1-2, 4.08 in 16 contests.
OF Tyler Henley (Euless) leads the WAC with 48 runs and is hitting .276 in 47 games. He has been successful on all 9 of his steal tries for the 15th ranked Owls (32-15). 3B Greg Buchanan (McKinney) is hitting .287 with 17 rbi in 35 games and OF Adam Hale (Weatherford) has a team high 8 homers and 33 rbi with a .275 average in 37 contests.

ST. MARY'S (TX): 1B John Alvarez (Graham) led the team with a .340 average and 40 rbi while placing 2nd with 6 homers in his 45 games this spring.

SAM HOUSTON STATE: 2B Isaias Garcia (Euless) ranks 2nd in the Southland Conference with 14 homers and 113 total bases. He is batting .321 with a team best 42 rbi in 47 games. OF Dustin Martin (Graham) tops the BearKats with a .336 average in 44 contests. SS Jose Salazar (McKinney) is hitting .276 with 6 homers and 32 rbi in 48 games. RHP Zack Duncan (Highland Park) is 2-5 in 17 appearances.

SOUTH ALABAMA: OF Tyler Jones (Highland Park) leads the 28-19 Jaguars in runs (40) and stolen bases (12-14) with a .284 average in 47 games.

TCU: RHP Shawn Ferguson (Weatherford) ranks 2nd on the 32-14 Horned Frogs in appearances (22). OF Spencer Jackson (Weatherford) is batting .253 in 35 games.

TEXAS: LHP Kenn Kasparek (McKinney) improved to 4-0 for the 3rd ranked Longhorns (38-9) with a 12-0 win over Texas-Pan American on May 3 (5 ip, 6 h, 0 r, 2 so). Kasparek has a 2.23 era and has held opponents to a .207 batting average in his 9 outings. LHP Jordon Street (Denton) has posted a 3.12 era in 5 games with a .194 opponents batting average.

TEXAS A&M: OF Keith Stein (Euless) is batting .272 with 21 rbi in 34 games. 2B Parker Dalton (Mineral Wells) has a .266 average and 20 rbi in 49 contests. RHP Kyle Nicholson (Weatherford) is 3-1, 4.23 in 16 appearances for the 28-20 Aggies.

TEXAS TECH: OF Chris Williams (Coppell) is hitting .252 with 4 homers and 20 rbi in 42 games for the 28-16 Red Raiders. C Matt Smith (McKinney) has a .340 mark in 25 games.

UTA: C Brett Lewis (Denton) is hitting .269 in 44 games and OF Joe Newman (Weatherford) has 4 homers and 22 rbi in 39 contests.

UTAH: 3B Jay Brossman (Mineral Wells) leads the Utes with 7 homers to go along with a .374 average and 42 rbi in 42 games. He is batting .545 with 6 homers and 30 rbi in his last 14 contests and was 11-20 with 9 rbi in 4 games from April 26-May 1.

WAKE FOREST: RHP Kyle Young (Euless) is tied for 2nd among Atlantic Coast Conference pitchers with 26 appearances. He is 3-1, 3.86 with a team best 6 saves. RHP Charlie Mellies (Euless) is 2-3, 4.28 in 13 outings.

WEATHERFORD COLLEGE: 2B Ryan Baker (Weatherford) ranks 4th in the North Texas J.C. Conference with 66 hits and is batting .382 with 4 homers and 36 rbi for the 31-22 Coyotes. 1B Robbie Winn (Weatherford) has a .337 average with 5 homers and 42 rbi.

WICHITA STATE: Damon Sublett (Coppell) continues to excel in the closer's role for the 38-16 Shockers. The freshman righthander has pitched 11.1 scoreless innings in 10 appearances with a 1-0 record and 8 saves, allowing just 3 hits and 5 walks with 18 strikeouts. He is also batting .310 with 25 rbi in 44 games at 2nd base. OF Tyler Hill (Coppell) is hitting .294 with 18 rbi in 40 games and OF Blake Hurlbutt (McKinney) is at .275 in 53 contests. LHP Rob Musgrave (Euless) is 1-0, 3.55 in 14 contests.

TCL SHORTS: The 2004 TCL Player of the Year, Evansville's Erik Lis, is on the 2005 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Watch List. That award goes annually to College Baseball's Most Outstanding Player. Lis played for the Colleyville LoneStars last summer. The TCL extends its best wishes to former league Director of Team Services Misti Winn and 2004 Granbury Generals Head Coach Robin Harriss, who will be married this weekend in Fredericksburg, Texas. Harriss is now the volunteer assistant baseball coach at Oklahoma State University.