Local Sports

By PHIL HICKS
Sports Editor

KILGORE — Let the games begin — not the Olympics, but the Texas Collegiate League baseball playoffs.

The East Texas Pump Jacks open the postseason by playing host to defending league champion Coppell Cooperheads tonight at Driller Park.

First-pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m.

It is the first game of a best-of-three series. Game 2 is 7:05 p.m. Wednesday in Coppell. If a third game is necessary, it will be played at 7:05 p.m. Thursday in Coppell.

The other divisional series has Brazos Valley meeting regular season champion McKinney. That series begins tonight in Bryan.

The winners of the divisional series will play in the championship series, beginning Friday.

During the regular season, Coppell won 11 of 16 matchups with East Texas, including the last four.

The Pump Jacks last beat the Copperheads, 3-1, on July 20 as Justin Murray pitched seven strong innings.

Adam De La Garza (Red Oak, New Mexico JC) leads the Pump Jacks with a .292 average, while Matt Curry (Red Oak, Howard College) is next at .285. Josh Riley (Sulphur Springs, Howard College) is tops with three home runs, while De La Garza, Curry and Andrew Nettune (Athens, Texas A&M) have two apiece.

Curry leads the squad with 25 RBIs, followed by De La Garza (22) and Riley (22).

Top pitchers are Aaron Wilkerson (Waco, Panola College, 4-2, 1.96 ERA), Matt Shelton (Mansfield, Sam Houston State, 3-1, 2.89) and Bryan Dixon (Mesquite, Weatherford College, 3-1, 4.67).

Pat McCrory (Kilgore, Texas) is 2-2 with two saves and an ERA of 1.16.

NOTES —

Tickets start at $5 or $4 for children and seniors (grandstand general admission). Upper box seats are $8 each and lower box seats are $10.