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Texas Collegiate League top 25 prospects (list)
With
their fourth championship in the league’s eight-year history, the
Coppell Copperheads are proof that the more things change in the
Texas Collegiate League, the more they stay the same.
The
Copperheads are the lone franchise remaining from the TCL’s
inaugural season of 2004, when it fielded eight clubs closely
situated in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. They won the league title
that year as a second-place team and duplicated the feat this season,
beating the Brazos Valley Bombers 2-0 in a best-of-3 final.
Coppell
(36-26) finished a distant second to the East Texas Pump Jacks
(41-21) during the regular season, but took advantage of that team’s
demise in the semi-finals and breezed to their latest title. The
Copperheads also won TCL championships in 2007 and 2009.
The
Texas Collegiate League has undergone a significant makeover through
the years, notably after the 2007 season when serious financial
issues nearly derailed the league. It was reduced from nine to four
teams in 2008, and gradually built back up to seven in 2010 but
dropped back to six this summer, though added a second team in
Louisiana.
Through
all the reshuffling, the one constant has been Coppell. And even the
Copperheads had to rebound this season from a lowly 11-30, last-place
team in 2008 to win their latest title. In outfielder Tyler Collins,
they also produced the top prospect in the league, though Collins, a
sixth-round pick of the Detroit Tigers in this year’s draft, had
already signed with the Tigers by the time the Copperheads made their
successful run through post-season play.
While
the TCL has seen its share of instability through the years, it has
had little problem producing a steady flow of talent, thanks in large
measure to its close proximity to the strong college and
junior-college programs in Texas and neighboring states. All but four
of the 25 players on the accompanying list of the league’s top
prospects have connections to Texas or Louisiana colleges or high
schools.
Coppell
had the luxury of having the league’s top prospect in Collins, but
several other players took major strides throughout the summer—both
those with established credentials and others who had little track
record of success. In all, nine of the league’s top 25 prospects
were selected in the draft in June.
Electric
Alabama outfielder Taylor Dugas, an eighth-round pick of the Chicago
Cubs, put his impressive bat, speed and defense on display and guided
the Acadiana Cane Cutters to a respectable campaign in their first
season in the league. In the end, Dugas elected bot to sign with the
Cubs and headed back to Alabama for his senior year. Texas A&M
position player-turned-pitcher Adam Smith showcased a mid-90s
fastball for the Brazos Valley Bombers and signed with the New York
Yankees just before the signing deadline.
Among
some of the more unheralded prospects in the league were two
previously-undrafted East Texas players, righthander Jason Jester and
third baseman Hunter Dozier. Jester, a transfer to Texas A&M,
recorded the best velocity in the league with a fastball that touched
97, while Dozier solidified his worth after a solid freshman campaign
at Stephen F. Austin. He was overshadowed on the Lumberjacks roster
in the spring by talented outfielder Bryson Myles, but is ready to
become the headliner at that school after a strong summer.
FAST FACTS
Year
League Established: 2004.
States
Represented in League: Texas,
Louisiana.
No.
of Teams in League: 6 (7 in 2010).
Regular-Season
Champion (best overall record): East
Texas Pump Jacks.
Post-Season
Champion: Coppell Copperheads.
Teams,
PG CrossChecker Summer 50/Final Ranking:
No. 18 Coppell Copperheads, No. 22 East Texas Pumpjacks.
No.
1 Prospect, 2010 (per PG CrossChecker): Miguel
Pena, lhp, East Texas Pump Jacks (San Jacinto CC; Red Sox/6th round).
First
2010 Player Selected, 2011 Draft:
Bryson Myles, of, McKinney Marshalls (Stephen F. Austin; Indians/6th round).
Most
Valuable Player: Taylor Dugas, of,
Acadiana Cane Cutters.
Pitcher
of the Year: Damien Rivera, lhp,
Brazos Valley Bombers.
BATTING LEADERS
Batting
Average: Trey Porras, 1b, Brazos
Valley Bombers (.344).
Slugging
Percentage: Seth Granger, of, East
Texas Pump Jacks (.449).
On-Base
Average: Taylor Dugas, of, Acadiana
Cane Cutters (.467).
Home
Runs: Tyler Collins, of, Coppell
Copperheads (7).
RBIs:
Brennyn Smith, inf, Brazos Valley Bombers (41).
Stolen
Bases: Kirby Pellant, ss, East Texas
Pump Jacks (33).
PITCHING LEADERS
Wins:
Jaden Dillon, rhp, East Texas Pump Jacks; Damien Rivera, lhp, Brazos
Valley Bombers (7).
ERA:
Alec Mills, rhp, Brazos Valley Bombers (1.98).
Saves:
Garrett Shepperd, rhp, Brazos Valley Bombers (13).
Strikeouts:
Andrew Adams, lhp, Acadiana Cane Cutters (65).
BEST TOOLS
Best
Athlete: Taylor Dugas, of, Acadiana
Cane Cutters.
Best
Hitter: Tyler Collins, of, Coppell
Copperheads.
Best
Power: Tyler Collins, of, Coppell
Copperheads.
Fastest
Base Runner: Taylor Dugas, of,
Acadiana Cane Cutters.
Best
Defensive Player: Hunter Dozier, 3b,
East Texas Pump Jacks.
Best
Velocity: Jason Jester, rhp, East
Texas Pump Jacks.
Best
Breaking Ball: Rafael Pineda, rhp,
Coppell Copperheads.
Best
Command: Matt Munson, rhp, East
Texas Pump Jacks.
TOP
25 PROSPECTS
1.
TYLER COLLINS, of, Coppell Copperheads (SIGNED/Tigers)
SCOUTING
PROFILE: Collins was drafted in the
sixth round by the Detroit Tigers in June for a reason. He put
together a huge sophomore season at Howard (Texas) JC, hitting
.488-19-82 with 34 doubles and a .949 slugging average, and earned
national junior college player-of-the-year honors. He continued to
swing a hot bat (.310-7-22) for the Copperheads before finally
signing, and never stopped at two levels in the Tigers system,
hitting .324. Collins attended Baylor as a freshman before
transferring to Howard, and was slated to move on to Texas Christian
as a junior. He handled college pitching with ease, both in the
spring and summer, and has big-time power in his compact 6-foot,
210-pound frame with impressive bat speed and pop to all sides of the
field. He earned a reputation throughout the summer as the league’s
most-feared hitter, and often showed the ability to instantly turn on
the switch during crucial at-bats. Collins’ approach will need some
tinkering to make a splash at the next level, but there’s little
doubt the tools are there to be a special hitter. Despite his stocky
build, he has decent speed on the base paths and stole 16 bases at
Howard. Though limited to left field because of his arm, he has solid
instincts for outfield play.