Huletts making strides

I ran into Evangel baseball coach Tim Hulett for the first time in a while Friday at the Loyola Diamond Classic and he had good news to report on all three of his baseball-playing sons.

Tug Hulett is hanging in there in his first spring training with Seattle. Tim said Tug played some early then sat for a few days which drove him crazy. Befitting the nickname he shares with late Phillies closer -- and father of country music star Tim McGraw -- Tug McGraw, the oldest Hulett son is a ball of energy so sitting on a bench is as close to torture as it can get.

Middle son Jeff has caught on with the Texas Rangers and is working out in their spring camp after spending last season with the Pensacola Pelicans of the American Association. He has scrapped his way out of the independent leagues and into a potential spot in organized ball. Kudos to him.

Finally, Jeff, the Huletts' youngest son, is "tearing it up" at Okaloosa-Walton (Fla.) Community College after spending his freshman season at Texas A&M. OWCC is one of the region's top junior college programs annually and should give Jeff a good shot at catching on with a Division I program next season, or opting for the MLB Draft in June.