Five sign with 'Jacks; season begins Tuesday
TEXAS COLLEGIATE LEAGUE BASEBALL
From special reports

The East Texas Pump Jacks today announced five players who have signed for the upcoming season. Included in the group are three hard-throwing pitchers: Luke Burnett and Clint Helms, both of Louisiana Tech; and Steven Martin out of Texas A&M. The team also announced the signing of infielders Austin Roff (Seward County Community College) and Blake Yazel (Weatherford College).

The Pump Jacks will begin their inaugural season on the road at Coppell on Tuesday, and play their first home game at Driller Park on Thursday. The 'Jacks have 48 games - 24 at home, 24 on the road - as a part of the Texas Collegiate League schedule throughout June, July and August.

The Pump Jacks play two games at McKinney to open the season on Tuesday and Wednesday, then host McKinney on Thursday and Friday.

The signing of Burnett will surely attract the most attention in the baseball community. The towering Carthage native entered the 2008 season as one of the most highly touted pitchers in the country and a second-team pre-season All-American. The 6-8, 260-pound righty soared up the draft charts after an All-Star season in the Cape Cod League last summer, in which he flashed a fastball that reached 98 mph. Installed as the closer for the Falmouth Commodores, Burnett went 2-1 with six saves, striking out 41 in 23.2 innings pitched - an eye-popping rate of 15.6 strikeouts per nine innings. He was named the Cape Cod League's No. 8 prospect by Baseball America and threw the final scoreless inning for the West squad in the prestigious league's All-Star Game.

Coming into the spring, Burnett was ranked No. 21 on Baseball America's list of 2008 draft prospects and No. 13 among college players. The pre-season Pitcher of the Year in the WAC struggled this season due to a shoulder injury, however. Burnett finished with a 0-4 record and 8.41 ERA, posting 30 strikeouts in 40.2 innings, before a diagnosis of shoulder tendinitis explained much of his troubles. Despite the injury, Burnett is still among the top 200 prospects in the draft.

Before starring in Ruston and on the Cape, Burnett made a name for himself at Carthage, where he led the Bulldogs to a state title as a senior in 2005. His numbers that season were magnificent: 13-1 with a 0.73 ERA, 168 strikeouts in just 105 innings, allowing just 45 hits and 27 walks. Not surprisingly, he was named first team all-state as well as Class 3A Player of the Year. That June, Kansas City selected Burnett in the 35th round.

Joining his Louisiana Tech teammate in Kilgore this summer is Helms, a Flint native who pitched in the TCL last season with the Brazos Valley Bombers. Helms wrote his name into the record books by throwing the first complete game no-hitter in Texas Collegiate League history last summer. The historic effort took place on July 10, when he no-hit the eventual champion Coppell Copperheads in the second game of a doubleheader. Less than three weeks later, Helms flirted with another no-no, allowing just a pair of hits and a walk while striking out eight in a nine-inning complete-game win. Pitching as a true freshman last summer after being redshirted by Louisiana Tech, Helms finished with a 3-2 record and 4.05 ERA, and he held opposing hitters to a paltry .200 average. He was used sparingly by the Bulldogs this spring, when he appeared in three games without a decision and tossed two innings.

Martin, currently a redshirt at Texas A&M, will be another imposing figure toeing the rubber for the Pump Jacks this summer. The Brenham native has made the most of the spring, increasing his velocity to the mid-90's and sometimes registering as high as 98 on the radar gun. Martin spent last spring at Seminole State College, where he went 2- 0 with a 3.46 ERA. In 26 innings, he surrendered just 21 hits while striking out 32 batters. Martin also figured prominently at the plate, hitting .293 with 8 home runs and 45 RBI in 157 at-bats.

Martin starred with Brenham High School for two seasons, helping lead the Cubs to the regional finals both years. He was a two-time all-district and all-Brazos Valley player, and as a senior added all-Greater Houston and third-team all-state honors. In his junior and senior campaigns, Martin hit a total of 16 homers and 30 doubles while posting an average in the mid-.300's.

Roff closed out a two-year stint at Seward County with a .305 average and a team-leading 16 doubles. A native of Colorado Springs, Colo., Roff finished tied for third on the team with 37 RBI. He also turned it up a notch when it mattered most, hitting .330 in Jayhawk West Conference games and .355 in the Region VI tournament.

But even with Roff 's success at the plate, it's his glove that draws rave reviews from scouts and fans alike. The slick-fielding shortstop will be headed to Division I Lamar University in the fall, where he will vie for a starting job next season.

Yazel joins fellow Weatherford College products Bryan Dixon, Garrett Smith, and Khris Tate on the Pump Jacks inaugural roster. A utility player used primarily in the infield, Yazel batted .215 in 65 at-bats this spring for the Coyotes, adding 15 walks for a .393 on-base percentage.

The Pump Jacks inaugural season opens next Tuesday, when the team travels to McKinney to take on the Marshalls for a two-game set. The historic home opener is set for Thursday night, when the Marshals visit for the first home game in East Texas Pump Jacks history. Tickets for the home opener, and all Pump Jacks home games this season, will go on sale next week. So make sure you get all the latest news by visiting the team's official web site, pumpjacksbaseball.com.