Courtesy East Texas Pumpjacks
2 percent of athletes play past high school,” Skeen said. The youngest Dallas Patriots team is made up of 6- to 8-year-olds, while the oldest team is made of 17- to 18-year-olds. Brown said the Dallas Patriots organization has about 40 teams, each with a roster from 11 to 15 players. The East Texas division has about 45 to 50 players and 12 to 15 member teams. The Dallas Patriots also specifically choose players. “We have tryouts and if we believe the player has collegiate potential, we invite him aboard,” Skeen said. “We also look at stand out players at the high school level and guys that contribute to their high school team’s success.” Stout and Brown said the Dallas Patriots program brings to the table skills that school baseball programs may not. “We are very fortunate to have the resources and coaching staff that we do,” Brown said. “Through the Dallas Patriots, players receive professional, one-onone instruction.” Skeen, as well as most of the Dallas Patriots coaches, have collegiate experience, and some coaches even have professional experience. “We have been there in all situations, the highs, the lows, the grueling practices and workouts, most of us pretty recently,” he said. “The players love being around guys that have played the game at a high level and being able to ask questions in the exciting of transitioning from high school to collegiate competition.” The Mineola Bombers was founded in the mid 1970’s by Bobby Dan, a resident of Mineola, Texas. The Bombers are an organization that strives to put the best talent on the field. “I try to get the best talent May 5, 2011 • 25
Special Report
his is to see players graduate and play baseball at the collegiate and professional level. “We have graduated many players on to the next level,” Brown said. “Too many to count.” Stout said every player graduated through the program is afforded the opportunity to play college baseball. Some of the Dallas Patriots 2011 graduates include Josh Bell and John Curtiss, who signed with The University of Texas at Austin, Trevor Story and Braden Strickland, who signed with Louisiana State University, Kyle Bailey, who signed with Clemson University, Greg Milorn, who signed with the University of Arkansas, Kevin Terry and Jeff Stovall, who signed with the University of Nebraska and Nick Petersen and Nathan Garza, who are joining the U.S. Air Force. Chris Davis, a Dallas Patriots alumnus from Longview, plays first base for The Texas Rangers. “This is a tremendous accomplishment as only