The Texas Collegiate League took another step into becoming one of the premier summer collegiate leagues in the nation as 70 TCL alumni were chosen in the 2007 Major League Free Agent Draft (including two free agent signings). 

McKinney and Coppell tied for the lead with the amount of alumni drafted as each tallied 16 players that were picked up by a Major League team this year.That brings the three-year total of draftees who have signed with professional organizations to 158 (previously 88).  Comparing to the Northwoods League, they had only 45 alumni playing professional baseball after their first four seasons beginning in 1994.This year’s banner haul of outstanding TCL talent is indicative of the progress of the league, which has attracted over 250 of the nation’s top collegians in each season. Some of the players to note from the draft are TCL single season strikeout king Jess Todd (Coppell Copperheads ’06) from Arkansas, who was the first TCL alum chosen as

St. Louis picked him as the 82nd pick in the 2nd round.  Rice shortstop Brian Friday (Duncanville Deputies ’06) followed Todd as the 98th pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The other TCL players snagged in the first day were Mercer pitcher Cory Gearrin (Mineral Wells ’05) by the Atlanta Braves with the 138th pick and Texas A&M infielder Blake Stouffer (Mineral Wells ’05) by the Cincinnati Reds with the 139th pick, Texas Christian pitcher Jake Arrieta (McKinney Marshals ’05) by the Baltimore Orioles with the 159th pick, Texas Christian pitcher Chance Corgan (Euless LoneStars ’05) by the San Francisco Giants with the 164th pick and Lamar outfielder Collin DeLome (Graham Roughnecks ’05, McKinney Marshals ’06) by the Houston Astros with the 171st pick.For a complete list of the 2007 Texas Collegiate League draftees, please click here.