The Forest City Owls announced today the signing of two South Carolina Gamecocks to the 2012 roster. Infielder Joey Pankake and infielder T.J. Costen will both play their first season in the Coastal Plain League with the Owls.

Pankake, a 6-1, 170-pound freshman, will begin his first season at the University of South Carolina this spring. Pankake was selected in the 42nd round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers. Pankake was rated the No. 1 shortstop in the state of South Carolina and No. 3 best high school prospect in the state of South Carolina by Diamond Prospects. He was also ranked the fourth best high school prospect in South Carolina by Baseball America and the ninth best high school prospect in South Carolina by Perfect Game USA.

“Joey is someone we are excited to add most to our roster,” said Owls head coach Phil Disher. “He is projected to be the starting shortstop at the defending national champion South Carolina Gamecocks. He brings us a solid defender, has a plus bat, and will also be able to help us on the mound. Joey will definitely be a huge contributor for us this summer.”

Meanwhile, Costen, a 6-0, 170-pound freshman, was selected in the 22nd round by the Texas Rangers with the No. 684 pick overall in the draft. He hit .535 this season at First Colonial. Rated the 62nd best high school prospect in the nation and No. 2 best high school prospect in state of Virginia by Perfect Game USA, Costen was also rated the 12th best overall second baseman prospect for 2011 MLB Draft by DiamondScape Scouting.

“TJ is a versatile player and a guy who was drafted out of high school,” said Disher. “He brings both a solid bat and a ton of speed to our lineup. He will be a leadoff type hitter and can play almost any position on the field. It’s great for us to have a guy who can do so many things like he can.

Owls Opening Night is set for May 29th vs. the Asheboro Copperheads.  A limited number of season tickets are still available for the 2012 season. Season Tickets begin at less than $5 a game. For more information about any of the Owls ticket plans, please call the Owls front office at (828)245-0000 to speak to a friendly ticket sales representative. Or please visit us at www.forestcitybaseball.com

The Forest City Owls are a proud member of the Coastal Plain League, the nation’s hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 16th season in 2012, the CPL features 14 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. Furthermore, the CPL has had over 930 alumni drafted and 46 alums make their Major League debut thus far. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at http://www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to friend us on Facebook (at http://www.facebook.com/coastalplainleague) and follow us via Twitter (as cpleague). 

Jeremy Boler

(828) 245-0000