Two former teammates ink contracts to play professional baseball in the Independent Pecos League. Right handed pitcher Zack Gonzalez and Catcher/Utility player Taylor Ellis signed contracts to play for the Tucson Saquaros in Arizona.
The Saquaros won the Pecos League championship this past season. The Saguaros have reached into the 2016 roster of Stillman College, of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) with the signing of Gonzalez, a flame throwing righty, who threw 65 Innings in 2016 for the Tigers. He struck out 82 while only walking 17 batters he faced, with an ERA of 3.05.
Ellis, one of Stillman Tiger’s top run producers during this past 2016 season. In his senior season, Ellis batted in the cleanup spot for the Tigers and hit .305, with 30 RBIs, 11 doubles, two triples, and six home runs. Both players were the main cog in Stillman 21 game winning streak which made national headlines.
Gonzalez and Ellis joins former Stillman team mates Josh Freeman and Nick Vitale on the Saguaros 2017 roster.
“Coach Julius McDougal has a quality program at Stillman,” said Tucson Director of Baseball Operations, JD Droddy, who signed all four of the former Tigers. “He has quality players who are also quality people, the two main attributes that we look for when we are putting our team together.”
Droddy also sign former Edward Waters All-American Catcher Jesse Baker before the start of the 2016 season, whose big bat help lead the Saguaros to the Pecos League championship.
Freeman, Vitale and Ellis are 2016 graduates of Stillman College.