McKinney wins TCL championship

Cinderella didn't attend the Texas Collegiate League ball this post-season, though there was no shortage of drama.

The McKinney Marshals made sure of that, sweeping the TCL Championship Series over the weekend to win their second league title in the last three seasons. The Marshals, who were the number one seed entering the playoffs, defeated the defending champion Coppell Copperheads in a rematch of last year's finals.

McKinney won both games in their final at-bat, taking the clincher by a score of 7-6 with three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Marshals won the night before in Coppell with a run in the ninth to break a 5-all tie and steal a 6-5 victory.

Kilgore native Jaron Shepherd, a Navarro standout and draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in June, was on the losing end with the Copperheads. Shepherd had a great TCL season, though, and was one of two Coppell players to be named TCL All- League. He's not going pro, though, and will be a sophomore at Navarro this school year.

With the title, McKinney becomes the second two-time champion in the TCL. The Marshals also captured the crown in 2006. The Copperheads were the first team to win two TCL championships, earning the inaugural season pennant in 2004 before winning again in 2007.

After a short rest, TCL teams, including Kilgore's own East Texas Pump Jacks, will soon begin work on the 2009 season. Head coaches and personnel directors will soon begin the recruiting process, creating the foundation for their 2009 rosters. The league is eyeing several expansion prospects and hopes to add franchises for the coming season as well. Once the league lineup is finalized, team schedules will be developed.

Pump Jacks fans will soon be able to purchase season tickets for the 2009 season, too. Current season ticket holders will receive renewal packages from the team shortly, and the team will issue details for fans that wish to purchase new season tickets. Jacks merchandise will be available all off-season at the team's office at 1100 Stone Road, Suite 120, in Kilgore. To follow all the news and developments throughout the off-season, log on to pumpjacksbaseball.com.

Sports editor Mitch Lucas contributed to this story.