Brewers Gray bounces back from sloppy effort for strong win as Redwood Christian's Vanegas sets pitching tone. Read on for updates on other California players who have impressed the scouts so far this week in Long Beach.

By Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

Seven teams from Major League Baseball sponsor their own teams at the Area Code Games in Long Beach each August and it doesn't take long for the assembled coaching staffs to find out what works and what doesn't work at Blair Field.

Power pitchers that can't get the ball over the plate are quickly exposed. In turn, batters with big sticks that can hit the ball a country mile, but can't hit a curve ball five feet are not going to cut it, either.

Coined "Yellowstone Park," by longtime scouts, Blair is not a hitters friendly park to begin with and when you throw in the fast infield, control, contact hitting and good defense become a premium.

"The longer each team stays in Area Code, a better idea of what they need to succeed out here becomes evident," remarked on American League Area Scout. "Power guys that don't throw strikes have no chance. In days past, kids that heaved it up there (at a tryout) would automatically be brought out here by the coaches. There has been more emphasis put on playing the game."

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Pitcher from Redwood Christian is turning heads with 90 mph fastball. Go inside for picks of others who are hoping to get themselves into August's Area Code Games in Long Beach.

By Paul Muyskens, Editorial Assistant

The best part of going to a tryout like the one held Wednesday at Delta College in Stockton for the Milwaukee Brewers Area Code Team is getting familiar with players most people have never heard about.

Among the over 100 players who participated on a hot day at Nick Cechetti Diamond, hoping they'll eventually get chosen to appear in this summer's Area Code Games in Long Beach, was senior-to-be A.J. Venegas from Redwood Christian of Castro Valley in the CIF North Coast Section.

Coming from a school with an estimated 250 students and playing in Division V, it may seem to be a hard task to get noticed but with fastball that reaches up into the 90s, but Venegas has become more than noticed by scouts. During his junior year, he went 9-2 with a 1.22 ERA and struck out 109 in 57 1/3 innings as the Eagles made the championship game where they lost to Head-Royce.  

On this day, Venegas recorded the fastest pitches with a fastball that reached up to 91 miles per hour while also throwing a slider that reached 81 miles per hour.
 
"This is like a dream come true,” said Venegas after his day was done. "Not many people come out and watch us play during the year and to get invited for stuff like this is an amazing feeling. I work really hard and it's great to know that it's starting to pay off. I love to travel and going all to all these different states this summer for baseball is an amazing thing.”

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