Your Greeley Grays

Current Greeley Grays

Player Profile: Jovan Pickett

Jordan Freemyer - Greeley Grays Staff Writer

Grays center fielder Jovan Pickett set a team record on Monday night with five stolen bases against Fort Collins. He also tracked down what looked to be a sure double to center field by Foxes designated hitter Cam Duckworth,

"It's like the announcers say, speed kills," Pickett said.

Pickett played at Bevill State Community College in Sumiton, Ala. this spring and will play at the University of Alabama-Huntsville, with fellow Gray Nick Huckaby, in the 2009 season.

Pickett hit .369 for the Bears this spring, with seven doubles, seven triples and 49 stolen bases. He was only caught stealing three times.

"I'd say a triple is most fun, but don't get me wrong on the stolen bases," Pickett said.

So far, Pickett has hit leadoff for the Grays in all three of the team's games. He is hitting .333 on the season and has walked three times, scored three times, driven in a run and stole five bases.

"He brings a lot of speed at the top of the order," Grays coach Ryan Hodges said. "He can hit low in the order, but I like him at the top because it puts a lot of pressure on the defense, especially early in the game."

Pickett hails from Leeds, Ala., and attended Leeds High School, the same high school as former NBA all-star and current TV analyst Charles Barkley.

"Oh yeah, I like Charles, he's a nut," Pickett said.

Off the field, Pickett enjoys customizing cars, both internally and externally.

"I've got an Infiniti G35 that I've been working on for a while," Pickett said. "It's got rims and a system and stuff like that."

Hodges said that Pickett brings a quiet leadership to the Grays, both on the field and in the dugout.

"He's not a very outspoken guy, he's not going to say a lot, but he leads by example," Hodges said.

Throughout the season, Pickett will be chasing the stolen bases record in the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League. The current record is 23, held by Laramie's Jomar Tabor

Team and Coaches

Jordan Freemyer is a journalism major at the University of Northern Colorado and is beginning his third season with the Grays. He did an interview with new Grays coach Ryan Hodges earlier this week.
Jordan Freemyer - You're coaching at Indian Hills Community College now, where have you coached in the past?
Ryan Hodges - Before I came to Indian Hills, I coached at Graceland University, an NAIA school in Lamoni, Iowa. I spent one summer in Kansas with the Junction City Generals in a semi-pro league. Before that, I was a volunteer coach at Indian Hills, where I played for two years.
JF - How did you find out about the Grays?
RH - Actually, Jon Piche, who played out here at Indian Hills is from Greeley. He gave me some numbers to call and I spoke with Ray Klesh and was lucky enough to be one of the guys that he chose.
JF - Where did you grow up?
RH - I grew up in Molton, Iowa, a small town in southern Iowa.
JF - What's your family like?
RH - My parents still live in Molton, Iowa. My father's a farmer, as was his father as well, kind of a family business. My mother was the secretary at the high school I graduated from for many years. I have a brother and a sister, both older than me. I'm not married yet, I do have a girlfriend that I've been dating for about a year now.
JF - What do you know about the team for this summer?
RH - I think it's going to be a fun group to come out and see. We definitely have a fast outfield with Eric Hymel, Javon Pickett, and Patrick Roche. We're going to have a solid infield, Jon Piche has been one of our top hitters this year and he'll play first base for the Grays. We have a first baseman from Rutgers, a shortstop from Hill College in Texas, and a third baseman from Alabama-Huntsville, Nick Huckaby, they say he's a hard-nosed kid. I think that's kind of the group of guys we have, a hard-nosed team.
JF - What do you know about the Grays' pitching staff?
RH - We've got a couple pitchers that won't be making out because of injuries, and I wish them the best of luck. Other than that, we're looking pretty excited about it. I like guys who throw a lot of strikes and get guys out more than guys who throw hard and are sometimes wild, and I think we're going to have that.
JF - What can you tell us about your coaching style?
RH - I look at the other team and see what they have to help decide my strategy. I like to put pressure on the defense by hitting-and-running and bunting. Every game will probably be different.
JF - Anything else that Grays fans should know?
RH - Just that my assistant coaches and I are excited to get out there.

Your Greeley Grays are committed to a program of community out reach that enables the public to interact with quality young men while they aid in the betterment of the community. The team will have many opportunities this season to add value to the community by: reading to children at the local libraries, holding clinics at the Boys & Girls Club, walking in the annul Cancer walk among others.

Please contact General Manger Chris Waters if you would like to have Your Greeley Grays participate with, or volunteer to work with your group or organization. Send an E-mail to cwwaters@greeleygrays.org or call him at (970) 405-5803