First Pump Jacks Player

Hails From East Texas

Flushed with a team, a coach, a name, and logos, the East Texas Pump Jacks finally got to the good stuff today: Players. The Pump Jacks announced that Texas A&M freshman catcher Andrew Nettune is the first player signed by the club as it prepares for its inaugural season in the Texas Collegiate League. Nettune should be no stranger to East Texas baseball fans after his standout prep career at All Saints Episcopal High School in Tyler. A starter all four years of high school, Nettune was also a four-time first-team all-district selection. Despite an injury-shortened senior campaign, Nettune was named second-team all-state, following first-team all-state honors in his sophomore and junior seasons. The Athens native also helped lead the Trojans to the TAPPS 4-A state semi-finals three years in a row, twice reaching the championship game. Baseball America recognized Nettune as the one of the top three high school catchers in the state of Texas, placing him on the publication’s list of the best 300 prep prospects nationwide. Scout.com placed him on its list of top 100 prospects for the 2007 Major League draft, and PGCrosschecker.com ranked Nettune number 56 on its 2007 list of top position players. Nettune and his accomplishments left an indelible impression on Pump Jacks head coach Stan Phelps. “I thought coming out of high school that he was one of the best all-around catchers I’ve ever seen,” said Phelps. “He has pop and a great arm behind the plate.   “When we started putting together the roster, he was the first catcher that popped into my mind.”   Looking at Nettune’s statistics, it’s no wonder Phelps was impressed. Nettune set the All Saints career record with 27 home runs, and he never batted under .400 in a high school season. Although he played only five games his senior year, Nettune hit .450 with three home runs and a pair of doubles. As a junior, he hit at an astounding .496 clip, adding ten homers, 52 RBI, and 26 extra-base hits in leading the Trojans to a berth in the state finals. Nettune captured district MVP honors as a sophomore when he posted a .476 average, eight home runs, 14 doubles, and 47 RBI, again landing All Saints in the state title game. Starting for the Trojans as a freshman, Nettune hit .404 with six round-trippers and 41 RBI.   The 20-year-old’s achievements weren’t limited to a Trojans uniform; he starred for various summer league teams and participated in elite showcase events as well. Nettune helped lead the Texas Prospects to back-to-back IBC World Series titles in 2006 and 2007, capturing MVP honors last summer with a .476 tournament average.   Only a freshman with the Aggies, Nettune is getting acclimated to the college game in a season that will likely classify as a redshirt. He has not appeared in game this spring for a Texas A&M squad that is ranked 11th in the country by College Baseball and #8 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association

Marvin Hillhouse

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