TCL Has One of Most Diverse Makeups in Terms of College Summer Leagues.

While some teams wait on draft and signing results and others watch the NCAA World Series in hopes of getting some their standouts back in the summer fold, the Texas Collegiate League has been part of diamond history after just one full week of ’06 activity (June 6-13).

Standouts from schools from Eckerd (Fla.) to Long Beach State adorn 2006 TCL rosters, which have been changing almost daily with professional signings, NCAA play continuation and other developments.

The Coppell Copperheads, for example, feature standouts from such far-flung locations as Alabama (Andrew Rodgers) to the University of Pittsburgh (Dan Williams) to Oklahoma (Nate Hammons) to Wichita State (Tyler Hill). A total of eight different Division I conferences and three junior college districts is represented on the Copperheads.

Denton’s geographic diversity goes from Long Beach State’s Matt Cline to (recently signed) Josh Banda of California Baptist to Wichita State’s Kelly Quirk to Long Beach State’s Jose Hernandez. Seven DI conferences have sent their stalwarts to the Outlaws.

The new-to-TCL in 2006 Duncanville Deputies won their first three games behind the likes of Pittsburgh pitcher Kyle Landis, Ohio State outfielder Jonathan Zizzo, Texas A&M pitcher Evan Gerald, and Baylor pitcher Jake Weghorst. Euless looks to TCU pitcher Taylor Cragin, Texas Tech LHP Cory Large, Yale righty Brett Rosenthal, and Houston’s Chris Joseph.

Graham has several standouts near the top of the TCL batting ladders with Nebraska signee Mitch Abieta at .556 (5-for-9), Jess Buenger (.462, 6-for-13) of Texas A&M, and UNLV outfielder Ryan Kowalski (.400, 2-for-5). McKinney sophomore lefthander Allen Harrington of Lamar has struck out a league-best 18 hitters in 13 innings during two starts while he joins teammate Mike Gunter of North Central Texas College as two of 23 pitchers who have not allowed an earned run in at least one inning of mound work.

Mineral Wells relies on the hitting of Texarkana College’s Kirkland Rivers (.368, 7-for-19, 3 RBI) and pitching of Chris McMullen (1-0 record with two hits allowed in six IP) of Cisco College.

Plano has split its last four contests with Texas infielder Matt Boes (5-for-8, .625) and second baseman Matt Hicks (.353, 6-for-17) of UL Lafayette providing the offense and relief man Eric Walz (1 save, no earned runs in three IP) of Princeton standing out on the hill.

Weatherford’s Wranglers look to Texas A&M outfielder Spencer Jackson (.429, 3-for-7) and pitcher Shea Hancock (1-0 with no earned runs allowed in 6 1/3 frames) of Houston in key slots.

Individually, McKinney’s Matt Cavagnaro (Penn State) leads the TCL with a .647 batting mark (11-for-17 with three RBI and 16 times on base in his 17 official trips) while Harrington’s 13 innings without a run yielded tops the 23 total pitchers who have 0.00 earned run averages.