Keuchel to Headline Winter Banquet

CORPUS CHRISTI - American League Gold Glove winner Dallas Keuchel, a member of the Houston Astros starting rotation who pitched for the Corpus Christi Hooks in 2010-11, headlines next month's South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet.

Tickets for the January 28 event at the Solomon P. Ortiz Center are on sale now at the Whataburger Field Box Office. To order by phone, call 361-561-HOOK (4665).

Keuchel, named 2014 Astros pitcher-of-the-year by the Houston chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America, led his club with 12 victories. Keuchel's five complete games topped the AL, and his career-best 200 innings paced the Houston staff. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound lefty tied Scott Feldman for the team lead with 29 starts. His 2.93 ERA was second to Collin McHugh's 2.73.

Keuchel pitched collegiately at the University of Arkansas, where he won 19 games in a three-year career, including two at the 2009 College World Series. Keuchel was taken by Houston in the seventh round that June after compiling a 9-3 mark. Stints at Short Season-A Tri-City (New York-Penn League) and High-A Lancaster (California League) preceded his Corpus Christi assignment. Keuchel opened 29 games with the Hooks over a two-season span, a 9-7 record and 3.17 ERA earning Texas League All-Star recognition in 2011.

Keuchel made his big league debut against the Texas Rangers on June 17, 2012.

"You could tell when Dallas pitched here in Corpus Christi that he would likely develop into a special talent at the major league level," Hooks president Ken Schrom said. "Now he returns to us at the banquet as a decorated big league pitcher. We are so delighted for and proud of him."

The 2015 South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet is presented by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and iHeartMedia. Also returning that night as master of ceremonies: original Hooks play-by-play voice Matt Hicks, who now calls games for the Rangers.