I watched a pretty incredible high school pitching matchup on Friday night between Mt. Pleasant and Hallsville in the third round of the playoffs at Driller Field in Kilgore.

MP's pitcher is a likely first round draft pick in the upcoming MLB draft, the Hallsville kid is committed to TCU. The score wound up 5 - 0 Hallsville but I think 3 of Hallsville's 5 runs were unearned, 4 of the runs coming in the top of the 7th inning. The Hallsville pitcher owned the day though striking out 18 (EIGHTEEN) in 7 innings and only allowed 3 hits. He loaded the bases in the first inning with one out and didn't allow a run.....he even allowed the lead off hitter in the 3rd inning, to get to third and promptly struck out the side.

Random thread I know but it was a gorgeous night at one of the coolest and oldest fields in East Texas between two good teams with two awesome pitchers going head to head.

I was there too (live in Kilgore/parent/booster club). When I saw that game was going to be played in Kilgore I said there's no way I'm missing that one. Never seen a crowd like that at Driller..... its capacity is listed at 3,000 and it was almost overflowing. Snuck up behind some radar guns while Kopech was pitching.... 94-97 fastball. The Hallsville pitcher (Reich) is the one that really put on a show though. Great game.

Yep. I've been to a handful of games at Driller in my life (mostly mid round playoff games) and that's close to the most full I've ever seen it.

The only other one that might have had a bigger draw (that I can remember) was Mt. Pleasant against Carthage in '90 (I think). Both teams were in the top 10 in the state, Carthage had Rob Trimble (catcher that went on to play at A&M and eventually the Yankees organization). There were some other players that went pro on those two teams but I can't remember exactly who. I was in junior high during that game, but I remember the stadium being packed....even all of the lawn chair/rail areas down close.

This is a complete side question, but has there ever been a minor league baseball team in East Texas?

Seems like the the Tyler/Longview/Kilgore triangle would have more than enough people to support to support an A or AA team.

Tyler had a semi-pro team when I was growing up...can't remember what they were called.

Driller Field is big enough to have been the home of a minor league/semi-pro team. I'd be shocked if there wasn't one there 50 plus years ago.

The Tyler Wildcatters! They played at Mike Carter Field.

[This message has been edited by Physical Graffiti (edited 5/20/2014 11:17a).]

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The Tyler Wildcatters!

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That's right. Couldn't remember the name for the life of me.

stive-

I am terrible - I live here and never went and saw Kopech pitch. The only MP games I went to this year were JV (my nephew is on JV). Pitiful...

Someone told me earlier this week that at least one organization has Kopech as their #1 pitching prospect. He will go in the top 10 for sure.

There was a semi-pro league in East Texas back in the late 40's (Driller was built in '47). I think the league had teams from Kilgore, Henderson, Gladewater, Marshall, Longview, Paris, maybe a couple of others. I think the league folded after 4 seasons. Gladewater actually had a stadium very similar to Driller, but I think corrosion and termites got the best of it.

The East Texas Pump Jacks have been playing home games at Driller since '08. They are a Texas Collegiate League team (i.e. summer ball for college players). I've never been to a game but I've heard they play very competitive baseball, sell cold beer there, and have a pretty impressive fireworks show on Saturday nights.

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stive-

I am terrible - I live here and never went and saw Kopech pitch. The only MP games I went to this year were JV (my nephew is on JV). Pitiful...

Someone told me earlier this week that at least one organization has Kopech as their #1 pitching prospect. He will go in the top 10 for sure.

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He's the real deal. Just watching him warm up, dad and I looked at each other and said "wow"!

Corey and Jason's dad (M.P) said he's the best that's ever been through there....and that guy has watched a LOT of baseball.

The catcher is a billybada** too. He'll play big boy ball somewhere. He's a decent-to-good hitter but defensively he's A+++++.

[This message has been edited by Stive (edited 5/21/2014 4:37p).]

Mike was who told me he would go top 10. A scout friend told him that.

i haven't thought about driller field in a long, long time. i have a fond memory best not shared online from that place.

So back to the OP....the MP pitcher Michael Kopech got drafted #33 overall tonight by the Boston Red Sox.

Best of luck to an East Texas kid!