Texas Collegiate League

The Texas Collegiate Baseball League opens its second season on Saturday, June 4, when the Mineral Wells Steam and the Weatherford Wranglers play at 7:05 p.m. at Weatherford College’s Roger Williams Ballpark.

As opening night approaches, below is information on the league and its players for 2005.

BIG 12 REPRESENTATION: With the 2005 Big 12 Baseball Tournament taking place in Oklahoma City this week, here is the breakdown of Big 12 Conference players on 2005 rosters:
BY SCHOOL:Texas A&M (13); Baylor (5); Oklahoma (5); Oklahoma St. (5); Texas (5); Missouri (3); Nebraska (2); Kansas St. (2); Texas Tech (2); Kansas (1).
TCL BY TEAM: Denton-8; Coppell-7; Euless-7; Graham-6; McKinney-6; Highland Park-4; Mineral Wells-3; Weatherford-2.

THE TEAMS: Six of the eight cities that had TCL teams in 2004 return this summer. The LoneStars of the Tris Speaker Division have been relocated from Colleyville-Grapevine to Euless and will play at the Parks at Texas Star. The Denton Outlaws join the league as an expansion team with their home facility being adjacent to the University of North Texas campus. The Outlaws replace the Granbury Generals in the Rogers Hornsby Division.

THE HEAD COACHES: The TCL welcomes four new head coaches in 2005. Derek Matlock, volunteer assistant at TCU, becomes Denton’s first head coach. Hill County C.C. assistant K.J. Ellis takes over in Graham. Highland Park will be guided by Southwest Missouri State volunteer assistant Sam Carel. Shawn Hughes, assistant coach at Cisco Junior College joins Mineral Wells. The four returning coaches are Jack Giese at Coppell; Bob Townsend at Euless; 2004 TCL Coach of the Year Kyle Hope at McKinney; and Jeff Lightfoot in Weatherford.

THE PLAYERS: Schools represented in the TCL this summer include 12 of top 20 colleges in the current Baseball America weekly rankings: Cal-State Fullerton (1); Nebraska (4); Texas (5); Arizona (6); LSU (9); Baylor (13); Rice (15); Alabama (16); Missouri (17); North Carolina State (18); Florida State (19), and Clemson (20). All ten of the Big 12 Conference schools who play varsity baseball will be represented as well as the Division I programs in the DFW Metroplex, Dallas Baptist, TCU, and UTA.

MAJOR LEAGUE FLAVOR: Three sons of former major leaguers are scheduled to play in the TCL this summer. Baylor LHP Drew Jeffcoat, son of former pitcher Mike Jeffcoat will pitch for Euless, where his father will be the pitching coach. Catcher Stephen Puhl of St. Edward’s University and the son of former outfielder Terry Puhl, will be with Highland Park. Former pitcher Jeff Russell’s son, James, a LHP at Navarro Junior College, will be on the Coppell staff.
The Street twins from the University of Texas, lefty Jordon and righty Juston, will play for the Denton Outlaws. Their brother, Huston is a reliever with the Oakland A’s.
McKinney’s coaching staff features a pair of ex big leaguers, pitcher Mike Henneman, also the team Owner and President, and outfielder Jack Clark. The General Manager at Euless is Scott Livingstone, former major league infielder. Other former major leaguers involved in TCL team ownership are OF Mike Dimmel (Coppell) and RHP Todd Van Poppel (Denton). Toronto and Los Angeles pitcher Darren Hall is the TCL Vice President of Baseball Operations.

TEXAS COLLEGIATE LEAGUE PLAYER UPDATES

All statistics are through games of May 24. Rankings are from this week’s Baseball America listing. Colleges are in parentheses.

COPPELL COPPERHEADS: OF Trey Adams (Nebraska) has a .263 average and 7 steals in 8 tries over 38 games for the 4th ranked Cornhuskers (46-12)…3B Justin Baum (Pacific) established a school record with his 16th homer on May 22 vs. Sacramento State…Baum leads the Big West Conference in homers and total bases (125) and also tops the Tigers in batting (.333) and rbi (42)…The freshman ranks 20th among Division I players in homers per game (0.31) and is 22nd in slugging (.706)…Baum was named as the NCAA National Player of the Week by the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball for May 9-15, when he was 13-16 with 4 homers and 11 rbi in 4 games.
1B Danny Hamblin (Arkansas) is batting .337 with 10 homers and 43 rbi in 53 games for the Razorbacks (37-18)…INF Tyler Hill (Wichita State) is hitting .275 with 20 rbi in 50 games for the 45-21 Shockers…SS Anthony Jackson (Pacific) has a team best 16 steals in 21 attempts over 48 games…LHP Branden Knapp (North Carolina State)has a 2-4 record in 12 appearances for the 18th ranked Wolfpack (40-15)…OF Mark McLaughlin (Georgetown) hit .307 with 4 homers and 30 rbi in 51 games, trying for the Hoyas team lead with 10 steals…OF Kelly Minissale (Oral Roberts) has a .277 average and 17 rbi in 41 games.
INF-RHP Damon Sublett (Wichita State) has been selected as the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year as well as a 2nd team all-conference pick at 2nd base…He is batting .312 with 33 rbi in 56 games…Sublett has also emerged as an outstanding closer, pitching 17 scoreless innings with 28 strikeouts in his 15 outings, posting a 1-0 record and earning 9 saves…RHP Ryne Tacker (Rice) is 3-0, 4.70 in 11 games for the 15th ranked Owls (38-17)…OF Chris Williams (Texas Tech) has a .260 average with 4 homers and 23 rbi in 51 games for the Red Raiders.

DENTON OUTLAWS: LHP Chase Bayuk (Kansas State) has appeared in 15 games this spring…RHP Eddie Degerman (Rice) ranks among the WAC leaders in wins (T3rd, 7), era (4th, 2.94), and strikeouts (T4th, 95)…He has pitched 79.2 innings in his 15 appearances for the Owls…RHP Daniel Edwards (Kansas State) posted a 3.33 era in his 17 outings this spring…C-INF Damien Gomez (Dallas Baptist) ranked 2nd on the Patriots with a .373 average…OF Kris Jenkins (Illinois State) hit .300 and topped the Redbirds with 34 rbi…LHP Blake Kronkosky (Oklahoma State) is 2-3, 4.24 in 13 outings for the Cowboys…C Brett Lewis (UTA) earned all-Southland Conference honorable mention honors…He has a .271 average and 24 rbi in his 51 contests with the Mavericks…INF Ross Oeder (Wright State) batted .328 in 48 contests this spring…LHP Jordon Street (Texas) has posted a 2.45 in 6 appearances in his freshman season…OF Kern Watts (Evansville) leads the Aces with a .349 average over 41 games…Watts has 18 stolen bases in 23 attempts.

EULESS LONESTARS: RHP Chance Corgan (Texas A&M) was 4-3, 4.45 in 20 games in his freshman season, fanning 50 in 58.2 innings…INF Isaias Garcia (Sam Houston State) was selected as the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year as well as a 2nd team all-conference pick at 2nd base…The transfer from Blinn JC leads the SLC in total bases (131), ranks 2nd in homers (15), and is 5th in rbi (52)…He batted .339 and slugged .601 in 54 games for the BearKats this season…OF Tyler Henley (Rice) leads the Western Athletic Conference with 59 runs scored, is 11-11 in steal tries, and is hitting .290 in 55 games…INF Grant Hirneise (UC-Davis) is hitting .271…OF Matt Lambeth (Lamar) was selected as Southland Conference honorable mention with a .289 average and 28 rbi in 54 games.
INF John McKee (Missouri) ranks 4th in the Big 12 Conference with 56 runs and also leads the 17th ranked Tigers (37-19) in walks (52)…He was selected 2nd team academic all-Big 12 in baseball and is hitting .267 with 38 rbi in 55 games…RHP Charlie Mellies (Wake Forest) leads the Demon Deacons in innings (82) and is 3-5, 4.17 in 18 games…LHP Rob Musgrave (Wichita State) is 1-0, 3.51 with 3 saves in 16 games…SS Brandon Oliver (UC-Davis) tops the team in runs (34) and steals (11) with a .300 average in 53 games…OF Keith Stein (Texas A&M) hit .264 with 23 rbi in 41 games…SS Stan Widmann (Clemson) has started all 56 games as a freshman for the 20th ranked Tigers (37-19) producing a .285 batting average…RHP Kyle Young (Wake Forest) tops the staff in appearances (31) and saves (6) while posting a 4-1 record and 3.50 era.

GRAHAM ROUGHNECKS: RHP Ben Brockman (Abilene Christian) was 10-3, 4.13 in 17 starts this spring…OF Matt Brown (Wichita State) is batting .326 with 25 rbi in 47 games for the Shockers…2B Justin Colbert (Oklahoma State) ranks 7th in the Big 12 Conference with 52 runs scored and leads the Cowboys in stolen bases (8)…Colbert, batting .306 in 56 games, was selected as an all-Conference honorable mention…LHP Devin Collis (Arkansas) is 2-0 in 16 appearances this spring…INF Collin DeLome earned all-Southland Conference honorable mention in his freshman year, posting a .297 average with 4 homers and 31 rbi in 51 games for the 35-21 Cardinals…He is T13th in Division I with 0.14 triples per contest.
OF Dustin Martin (Sam Houston State) was a 3rd team all-SLC pick…He finished 2nd on the BearKats with a .337 average in 51 games…RHP Chuckie Platt (Lamar) is 3-0 in his 22 appearances…OF Steve Ptak (Oklahoma St.) is batting .264 with 21 rbi in 45 contests…2B Russell Raley (Oklahoma) earned 2nd team all-Big 12 Conference honors this spring…He is batting .300 with 39 rbi in 52 games…OF Keanon Simon (Oklahoma State) was named 2nd team academic all-Big 12 in baseball…He has a .264 average and 7 stolen bases in 36 games.
The latest addition to the Roughnecks roster is LHP Trent Lockwood, a sophomore at Hill County Community College.

HIGHLAND PARK BLUE SOX: 1B Matt Berezay (Pacific) ranks 2nd among Big West Conference players with 14 homers and 118 total bases…He is batting .268 with 40 rbi in 55 games…RHP Rodney Brantley (Dallas Baptist) was 4-5 with the Patriots this spring…C Lyndon Duplessis (Rice) chose an opportune time for his 1st hit of the season, a game-winning rbi single in the bottom of the 12th inning to beat Hawaii on May 21…INF Dale Hall (Pacific) is batting .266 through 45 games…OF Tyler Jones (South Alabama) topped the Jaguars in runs (45), steals (12), and games (52) while producing a .282 batting average…OF Charlie Kingery (McNeese St.) earned all-Southland Conference honorable mention while topping the Cowboys in rbi (38)…He hit .270 with 5 homers in 51 games…RHP Daryl Maday (Arkansas) is 5-1 in 19 appearances for the Razorbacks.
RHP Robert Manuel (Sam Houston St.) compiled the 6th lowest era in the Southland Conference this spring at 3.12 and was an all-conference honorable mention selection…He was 3-2 with 3 saves in 21 games…C Richard O’Brien (Connors St.) was a 1st team NJJAA All Region 2 selection…INF Greg O’Neill (Missouri) has a .264 average and 20 rbi in 37 games for the Tigers…C Stephen Puhl (St. Edward’s) was selected to the Heartland Conference all-league team after batting .350 with 6 homers and 39 rbi in 53 games…RHP Stuart Sutherland (Dallas Baptist) compiled a 3.38 era, 2nd lowest on the Patriots staff, with a 4-3 record…The new member of the Blue Sox for 2005 is LHP Adam Daniels, a junior at Oklahoma State …Daniels is 7-3, 2nd on the staff in wins with a 4.26 era in 13 outings..

McKINNEY MARSHALS: OF Louis Alamia (UT-Pan American) led the Broncs in batting (.344), runs (44), and hits (72)…3B Greg Buchanan (Rice) is tied for the WAC lead in triples (3) and is hitting .295 in 43 games…RHP Bryce Cox (Rice) has posted a 4.08 era with 3 saves in 16 games…C John Curtis (Cal State Fullerton) has started 50 of 53 games for the top ranked Titans (40-13)…The team is 15-1 this season when Curtis has at least one rbi…Cal State Fullerton has earned an NCAA tournament berth for the 14th straight year…OF Brandon Glover (Texas A&M) earned the Wally Moon Award as the Aggies most improved player in 2005…He hit .289 in 35 games…OF Blake Hurlbutt (Wichita State) has a .290 average in 52 contests…RHP Kenn Kasparek (Texas) improved to 5-0 for the 5th ranked Longhorns (43-12) with a complete game win over Texas A&M on May 22 (7 ip, 3 h, 1 r-er)…He has a 2.09 era and 66 strikeouts in 47.1 innings in his freshman year.
LHP Hunter Moody (Louisiana-Lafayette) is 1-0, 4.24 in 16 outings for the 45-15 Ragin’ Cajuns…1B Logan Parker (Cincinnati) led the Bearcats with 11 homers and 53 rbi in 55 games while batting .313…He was 13-21 (.619) with 9 rbi in 5 games the week of May 9-15…SS Jose Salazar (Sam Houston St.) batted .300 with 9 homers and 41 rbi in 55 games…C Matt Smith (Texas Tech) has a .316 average and 18 rbi in 37 contests…3B Jeff Tebeau (Spring Arbor) was the was named to the NCCAA Midwest all-region team after batting .408 with 8 homers and 42 rbi…The Marshals have added RHP Brent Aller of Weatherford College to their roster.

MINERAL WELLS STEAM: 3B Jay Brossman (Utah) has earned 1st team all-Mountain West Conference honors for the 2nd straight year…He ranks 3rd in the conference in hits (84) and is 5th in average (.382) while topping the Utes in homers (8)…The sophomore has 51 rbi and a .591 slugging percentage…He was also selected to the ESPN The Magazine academic all-District 8 team…2B Parker Dalton (Texas A&M) started all 56 games for the Aggies this spring and batted .259…He received the team’s Marion Pugh Spirit Award for the 2nd straight year…RHP Wesley Dorsett (Nevada) was 1-2, 2.15 with 5 saves in 18 contests this spring…C Chris Kirkland (Alabama) is the backup catcher for the 36-19 Crimson Tide…OF Todd Sebek (Texas A&M) batted .243 with 19 rbi in 35 games for the Aggies in 2005.
The Steam have added INF Garrett Baker to their roster…Baker, who played at Dallas Baptist this spring, was with Mineral Wells last summer…He batted .298 with a team best 15 steals in 48 games for the Patriots.

WEATHERFORD WRANGLERS: C-DH Clint Arnold (Arkansas) is hitting .319 in 47 games for the Razorbacks…RHP Bobby Bell (Rice) is 4-0, 2.76 in 20 games as a freshman for the Owls…RHP Shawn Ferguson (TCU) tops the 37-18 Horned Frogs in appearances (25) and saves (3)…He has 41 strikeouts in 30 innings…OF-RHP Adam Hale (Rice) is tied for the team lead with 9 home runs and has a .295 average in 45 games…OF Spencer Jackson (TCU) is hitting .275 in 39 contests as a freshman…OF Joe Newman (UTA) has 4 homers and 22 rbi in 43 games…RHP Kyle Nicholson (Texas A&M) was 3-1, 3.35 in 20 appearances for the Aggies this spring…INF Brendan Rubenstein (Wright St.) is hitting .305 in 50 games this season…LHP Russell Young (Dartmouth) was 3-2 in 9 outings.
Three Wranglers were selected to the Northern Texas Jr. College Athletic Conference team from Weatherford College…2B Ryan Baker was a 1st team pick with 3B Clay Britton and 1B Robbie Winn earning 2nd team honors…Britton hit a school record .388 this spring.
Added to the Wranglers roster this week were RHP Clay Buckholtz of Angelina State College, the 2005 Texas Eastern Athletic Conference player of the year (12-1, 1.05 in 15 games) and INF Renny Osuna of New Mexico JC, who batted .435 with 60 rbi and 30 steals in 60 games.