San Jacinto College sophomore players who will be counted on for key production this season include, from left, Justin Byrd (outfield), Ben Sliva (pitcher), Kyle Chaskin (pitcher/third base), Esteban Gomez (first base/outfield), Daniel Stumpf (pitcher), and Phillipp Howard (infield). Photo credit: Rob Vanya, San Jacinto College marketing department.

Coach Arrington looks forward to successful baseball season

Rob Vanya, January 26, 2012

HOUSTON – San Jacinto College’s (SJC) baseball team enters the 2012 season nationally ranked, and head coach Tom Arrington looks forward to another successful season from a team he considers talented and balanced.

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper ranked SJC number 11 in the nation in a recent pre-season poll. “We have been nationally ranked every year since I have started coaching at San Jac in 2001, and every time I am proud and excited to have the recognition and notoriety of coaching a high-caliber team,” Arrington commented. “I believe it is a testament of our recruitment and development of the players that play here each year.”

After fall scrimmages and regular practices, the coaching staff has a fairly good assessment of the team in regards to pitching, batting, and defense. Arrington says he likes the overall quality of the team. “This year’s team is well balanced, with good team speed, defense, hitting, and pitching,” he said. “Many years we will have a player or two that are highly recognized by Major League Baseball scouts and are favored in the MLB draft. This season, though we may not have a top five-rounder (a player who may be a high draft pick), we have many players that have the capability of becoming professionals in the sport.”

SJC frequently fields one of the premiere baseball teams in the nation, and Arrington feels this year’s team has a good chance of carrying on the winning tradition. “Again, I believe this year’s team is very well balanced, and the team is deep in quality players,” he said.

The College’s baseball team plays all home games at John Ray Harrison Field, located on the North Campus at 5800 Uvalde in the North Channel area. To view a season schedule, and for more information about the team, please visit www.sanjacsports.com/baseball. All San Jac baseball home games can be heard live online at www.legacysportsnetwork.com.

The home opener against Wharton will be played at the North Campus on Saturday, Jan. 28. There will be one 7-inning game, and one 9-inning game, with the first game starting at 2 p.m.

About San Jacinto College

Surrounded by monuments of history, industries and maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has been serving the citizens of East Harris County, Texas, for more than 50 years. The Achieving the Dream Leader College is committed to the goals and aspirations of a diverse population of 30,000 students in more than 200 degree and certificate options, including university transfer and career preparation. Students also benefit from the College’s job training programs, renowned for meeting the needs of growing industries in the region. San Jacinto College graduates contribute nearly $630 million each year to the Texas workforce. San Jacinto College. Your Goals. Your College.

For more information about San Jacinto College, please call 281-998-6150, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.