By Andrew Drennen, ESPNRISE.com

The big news of the day, it will come down to one game tomorrow, winner take all. The Reds and the Athletics both look to lay claim to a mythical Area Code Championship.

Washington Nationals 11, New York Yankees 1

Day five of the 2009 Area Code Games saw four games and it kicked off with the Yankees and the Nationals. For the Nationals it was their last game of the week and it was a good week for the kids from the Northwest.

It was easy to see that two players garnered most of the attention, in Josh Sale and Drew Vettleson, but there were other players who stood out through the week. But let's saw this about those two players. Vettleson's home may be in the outfield and Sale, it will stir debate, may be the top hitter in the country. He has power and a good swing. Everything the pair hit this week was hard, including the outs.

With that said, there are some other players from the Nationals who had a good week. Ryan Brett has been in the leadoff batter for Northwest team this week and because of his production th Nationals were able to put a lot of runs on the board. Their biggest offensive game against the Brewers Gray on day four, when they exploded for 13 runs.

The Nationals also had a kid out of the 2011 class, Spencer O'Neil, who had a nice week and shortstop Trace Tam Sing had a great week. Maybe not as flashy as some of the other shortstops in Long Beach this week, Tam Sing is still a solid player.

In their game against the Yankees, they Nationals jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Devin Perry came in to a bases loaded jam in the second. With the Yankees trailing by three, he tried to minimize the damage. It would be a difficult task, as the first batter he faced, Vettleson, lined a single to right, scoring a run.(Read full post)

By Andrew Drennen, ESPNRISE.com

Four games on the schedule on the fourth day of the Area Code Baseball Games. Three of the four ended up being decided by just a single run and the Nationals poured it on the Brewers Gray. But the kids on the Gray team should be proud for the way they fought back in their second game of the day. They could have rolled over, but showed tremendous character in their 2-1 win.

Cincinnati Reds 2, Milwaukee Brewers Blue 1

It was Day 4 in Long Beach and the Brewers, because of schedule, will play three times (the Gray plays a twin bill). The Brewers Blue kicked it off against the Reds in the morning. The Reds came into the game with a record of 1-0-1 and the Brewers Blue with a record of 1-0-1.

The Reds had a scoring threat in their half of the third with runners in scoring position. Henry Owens wiggled out of a jam and kept the score knotted at 0-0.

In the top of the fourth the Reds got on the board with a pair of runs. Marco Gonzales walked with one out and scored on an RBI double by Trevor Allen, who moved over to third on an errant throw to the plate. Then Trevor Allen came across on a botched run down attempt.

Through the first four innings the Brewers Blue committed three errors, and two had proved costly. The defense of the Brewers have had moments of brilliance and then moments one would rather forget about.(Read full post)

By Andrew Drennen, ESPNRISE.com

It was another great day of action at Blair Field in Long Beach, Calif., as for the third day in a row, one of the games ended in a tie, and did so with late inning heroics. The Athletics and the Rangers had the greatest offensive production, with each team winning and each team scoring at least seven runs.

Oakland Athletics 7, Milwaukee Brewers Gray 4

The Brewers Gray got things going in the first, with four straight hits leading to a quick 2-0 lead against Athletics' pitcher Christian Pfaff (R-S Central HS, N.C.). It looked like the Brewers would add more runs, but Cory Hahn (Mater Dei HS, Calif.) grounded into a double play and Joel McKeithan (TC Roberson HS, N.C.) made a highlight reel catch at short to end the inning.

Zach Weiss (Northwood HS, Calif.) got the nod for the Brewers Gray. Drew Doty (Gaither HS, Fla.) led off with a walk and moved to second on a botched pickoff play by Weiss. Ty Linton came up with an RBI single to give the A's their first run of the game.

In the top of the second the Brewers scored on a wild pitch, the second wild pitch of the game for Pfaff. That was the only run of the inning for the Brewers and they took a 3-1 lead.

Third inning Doty drove in McKeithan makes it 3-2. The A's tied it up when Weiss threw one to the backstop and Josh Lee (Independence HS, Tenn.) scored to tie the game.

Standout double by Healy drove in Turner, but was called out when he missed third. Healy scored on a Cory Hahn single to right and give the Brewers a 4-3 lead.

With the score tied 4-4, Colton Keough (Tesoro HS, Calif.) came up with a big knock to center to give the A's a 5-4 lead at the end of three. Sal Giardina (Bloomingdale HS, Fla.) was gunned down at the plate by Eric Jaffe to end the inning without further damage.

Tim Massengale drove in Ty Linton on an RBI single, giving the A's a 6-4 lead. Brewers' pitcher, David Armendariz, struggled in his two innings, giving up three runs. The Athletics' offense has been productive scoring at least one run in each of their four innings.(Read full post)

By Grant Bomann, special to ESPNRISE.com

Long Beach, Calif. -- He is recognized at the 2009 Area Code Games as the guy who hit for the cycle at last year's games. In his second year of duty, Joshua Sale (Bishop Blanchette, Seattle, Wash.) is proving to be the real deal. He made the Area Code Games as an underclassman, and looks like he's put on ten pounds of muscle and gained an infinite amount of experience.

"This year I have a bigger comfort level, I know what to expect, last year I was the young guy, wide-eyed and not as focused,” Sale said.

	Scott Kurtz / ESPN RISE
	Sale is off to strong start this week

On the first day of the '09 Area Code Games, Sale added to his Area Code success by hitting a home run and recording an outfield assist by throwing out a Red's player at home plate on a frozen rope from left field.

Sale credits his experience last year in allowing him to be more relaxed and focused this year.

When asked about last year, coming up to the plate needing a homerun for the cycle, Sale responded by saying, "Honestly, yeah I was thinking about it. I wasn't trying to [hit a homerun] but it was in the back of my mind.”

In his second game of the week (he still has three more to go), Sale proved to be a legitimate threat in what has turned out to be a scrappy Nationals' lineup. One player who has benefited thus far hitting in front of Sale is Drew Vettleson (Central Kitsap, Bremerton, Wash.), who in the 9-7 loss to the Rangers on Thursday night, had four hits.

It seems that every time Sale makes contact with the ball it is hit hard. And another, more visible notation on Sale. He has matured over the past year and looks like a different person. He seems to be more of a physical specimen.

At the Washinton Nationals' tryout in Bellevue, Wash., Sale was able to pass along information to the players about to make their first trip to Long Beach. On this team, he was the veteran and in his first two games he played like it.

Sale, who has a verbal commitment to Gonzaga, is striving for the pros and believes the Area Code Games can bring him the exposure he needs to play at the next level.

Being a second-year player, Sale is helping the new guys out this year by giving them advice on how to handle the exposure with scouts.

As for next spring at his high school, Sale is focused on having a good season, but is taking it in stride.

"I just want to relax and have fun.”

For more Area Code game updates, please visit AreaCodeBaseball.com, the ESPN RISE Baseball blog and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ACBaseballGames

By Grant Bomann & Ronnie Flores, ESPNRISE.com

Long Beach, Calif. -- SPARQ testing went into full swing on day one at the Area Code games at Joe Rodgers Stadium adjacent to Blair Field.

After a successful day of testing seven of the eight teams, two players posted scores of 80 plus: Stefan Sabol (Aliso Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Calif.) of the Milwaukee Brewers Blue and the New York Yankees' Sean Coyle (Germantown Academy, Chalfont, Penn.).

Sabol, a hard-hitting catcher, posted a 80.87 SPARQ Rating while Coyle recorded a 80.09. Unofficially, there were ten athletes with SPARQ Ratings higher than 75.00.

A first time SPARQ tester, Sabol commented after his score was posted, "the SPARQ testing was a little tough, but it was fun.”

He posted a 6.28 60 time, the fastest recorded time of the day, a 36.2 inch vertical jump, also th top mark, a 52-foot Power Ball toss and a 4.83 shuttle time. Sabol recorded the top SPARQ Rating even with a couple of slips during the shuttle.

Coyle commented on his SPARQ experience and believed that the SPARQ Rating is a valuable tool in evaluating baseball players.

"Baseball is a game of speed and explosiveness, and that's what SPARQ tests you on,” Coyle said.

Of the eight teams in the games, only the Texas Rangers were unable to field a complete team during the testing session. It was with good reason, as a majority of their players arrived in Long Beach on Wednesday due to their participation in the Texas Scout Association showcase on August 4th.

The rest of the athletes were upbeat and excited to test and some scouts took a break from evaluating batting practice and made their way over to time players in the 60 and evaluate the other three testing elements.

Of the 159 players tested, seven posted sub 6.7 60-yard times. Five players had a 35 inch vertical jump or higher. Six players had sub 4.4 shuttle times and eight players recorded 58-foot plus Power Ball tosses.

Read below for the top five SPARQ Ratings at the 2009 Area Code games and the top individual marks in each testing element:

TOP SPARQ RATINGS
80.87 -- Stefan Sabol (Aliso Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Calif.) C
80.09 -- Sean Coyle (Germantown Academy, Chalfont, Penn.) INF
78.16 -- Paul Kronenfeld (Woodberry Forest, Greensboro, N.C.) OF
77.67 -- Kyle Olson (Henry Jackson, Mill Creek, Wash.) C
77.38 -- Kevin Jordan (Northside Columbus, Columbus, Ga.) OF

60-YARD DASH
6.28 -- Stefan Sabol (Aliso Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Calif.) C
6.45 -- D'Monte Grissom (Whitewater, Fayettville, Ga.) 2B
6.53 -- Sean Coyle (Germantown Academy, Chalfront, Penn.) INF
6.56 -- Colton Keough (Tesoro, Cota de Caza, Calif.) OF
6.62 -- Kevin Jordan (Northside Columbus, Columbus, Ga.) OF

POWER BALL TOSS
60.5 – Keenan Kish (Germantown Academy, Worcester, Penn.) P
60.5 – Paul Kronenfeld (Woodberry Forest, Greensboro, N.C.) OF
59.5 – Taylor Lindsey (Desert Mountain, Scottsdale, Ariz.) SS
59.5 – Sam Lindquist (Eastside Catholic, Mercer Island, Wash.) P
Three tied with 59.0

VERTICAL JUMP
36.2 -- Stefan Sabol (Aliso Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Calif.) C
36.1 -- Sean Coyle (Germantown Academy, Chalfront, Penn.) INF
35.8 -- Cory Hahn (Mater Dei, Corona, Calif.) OF
35.4 -- Austin Wilson (Harvard-Westlake, Los Angeles, Calif.) OF
35.1 -- Kevin Jordan (Northside Columbus, Columbus, Ga.) OF

20-YARD SHUTTLE
4.27 – Michael Lorenzen (Fullerton, Anaheim, Calif.) OF
4.37 – Josh Sale (Bishop Blanchette, Seattle, Wash.) OF
4.37 – Trace Tam Sing (Newport, Bellevue, Wash.) SS
4.38 – Colton Keough (Tesoro, Cota de Caza, Calif.) OF
4.38 -- Cory Hahn (Mater Dei, Corona, Calif.) OF

30 YARD DASH
3.40 – Stefan Sabol (Aliso Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Calif.) C
3.45 – D'Monte Grissom (Whitewater, Fayettville, Ga.) 2B
3.56 – Sean Coyle (Germantown Academy, Chalfront, Penn.) INF
3.58 – Kyle Olson (Henry Jackson, Mill Creek, Wash.) C
3.63 – Colton Keough (Tesoro, Cota de Caza, Calif.) OF

Note: Players listed by high school followed by hometown; Follow Area Code Baseball on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ACBaseballGames

By Andrew Drennen; ESPNRISE.com

Picture yourself as a high school baseball player and living a dream of sorts, practicing and scrimmaging in the new Yankee Stadium.  Standing across the street from the "House that Ruth built" is the new Yankee Stadium, a magnificent cathedral of baseball.  

For s select few players, and their families, it was a reality.  To practice and play in the same stadium as Jeter, Matsui and Rivera.  Most of the players in attendance are off to Long Beach to play in the Area Code Games.

"Looking to have a good time (in Long Beach)," said Sean Coyle, an infielder out of Germantown Academy in Pennsylvania.

"I'm looking to play against and with the best competition," he said.  Coyle is off to the University of North Carolina, where his older brother will be a freshman next fall.  

"I chose UNC because of the coaches and the facilities."

The day started with the players waiting out front of Gate 6, as the trains roared by.  Once the put on the pin stripes they walked out onto the field and got themselves ready for a day of baseball and memories, which will last a lifetime.  Even some of the scouts in attendance felt the goose bumps being on the field.

After the players warmed up they were able to take batting practice and watching each of them swing the bat, it is apparent that they will have a solid offense this August. 

The players were able to finish out the day with a game on the field. Each pitcher was able to throw at least one inning and with the level of intensity during the game, one would not know it was an inter-squad game. 

"Growing up in Philly I have always been a Phillies fan," he added, "But New York is my favorite team in the American League. 

"It's amazing," stated Coyle.  "This is a dream."

Andrew Drennen; ESPNRISE.com

The Cincinnati Reds Area Code Baseball Team tryouts start next week and like last year there will be three tryouts.  The first one will be in Las Vegas at Cashman Field on June 12, followed by one at Chandler-Gilbert Community College on June 13 and the final one at Regis College in Denver on June 15.  The team will be built consist of players from Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii.

	Courtesy of Kaczmarek Family
	Taylor Kaczmarek is one of this year's hopefuls for the Cincinnati Reds Area Code Team.

Posted by Andrew Drennen

It was an ominous start to the morning on Sunday at the Area Code Baseball Camp.  With the dense fog covering the field, it looked like a scene out of a Stephen King novel. 

None-the-less, the Area Code Baseball Camp, that was a reschedule due to weather back in December, moved forward.

Forty-six of players from Northern California attended the camp, once again held at Delta Community College in Stockton, Calif.  All shared a common goal, to find new ways to aid in improving their game.
The morning started off, as all Area Code Camps have done in the recent past, with the players SPARQ Testing.  Each went through the four testing components to the SPARQ Rating (30-yard, shuttle, vertical jump and power ball toss).  The top ten SPARQ Ratings will be posted later in the week.

From their the players moved on to defensive work and if they wanted to work out at different positions during the session they were able to.

"Need to work on flexibility, arm strength and footwork,” commented a coach after the camp. "The body will only allow players what it (the body) is capable of doing.”

For a couple of hour, at all the position stations, the common theme was footwork. 

"Footwork is key in baseball because it is a skill game.  People don't know how to teach it and players don't learn it properly,” remarked a coach after the camp. 

Another area in which players at the camp were told to work on was arm strength.

"Players don't play catch to build up arm strength,” said a coach, "they play catch to warm-up not to help strengthen it.”

After the defensive work the players moved on to a simulated game where they were able to face live pitching and hitting.  Another opportunity to work on skills.

Camp Standouts

There were a few players who stood out to the coaches at the end of the camp.  Craig Lanza (2010) out of Monte Vista High School had a good afternoon on the mound.  He threw between 84-86 and a couple of times touched 88.  He showed a promising slider that came in at 78. 

Ian Davis threw strikes and showed a little sinker in the game.  Davis, like Lanza, is out of Monte Vista.  He was 83-84 off the mound.

A pair of outfielders showed they had good arms during the camp.  Tracy High's Brandon Jossey, a 2010, and Ryan Koewler (2011) out of Jesuit High did well when given the opportunity to throw from right field to second, third and the plate.

A familiar name showed up at the camp and that was Tyler Kuresa, a 2010 out of Oakmont High School.  The first baseman attended the camp lat summer in Northern California and also the Area Code Tryout the following day.  He has good hands at first and a good swing at the plate.
 

Posted by Andrew Drennen

Ronnie Richardson, out of Lake Region High School in Eagle Lake, Florida was one of three member of the Thunder team to sign a national letter of intent.  Richardson will move on and play at the University of Central Florida in the Spring of 2010.  At the 2008 Area Code Baseball Games, Richardson played on the Oakland Athletics team, which represented the Southeast.  In the program he was listed as an outfielder and accoring to NewsChief.com he may see some time on the mound.

By Andrew Drennen

Baylor University signed eight in the early signing period this year.  "We are really pleased to be able to announce this class, Bears head coach Steve Smith said in a released statement.

	Elaine Shepard
	Jake Miller at the 2008 Area Code Games.

By Andrew Drennen

Former member of the 2007 Cincinnati Reds Area Code Team and 2007 AFLAC All American, Andy Burns, was named the ninth best prospect out of the Northwoods League.  At the 2007 Area Code Games, Burns was one of the top players in attendance as he was selected to the  All Area Code Team, which highlights the week's best players. Also, not to forget he posted a SPARQ Rating of 65.16.

Now Burns stands in a 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds.  The 17-year old middle infielder played this past summer for the Duluth Huskies, where he batted .225, scored 22 times and hit two homers.  Burns is part of an incoming class to Kentucky that boasts five All-Americans.  

Burns attended Rocky Mountain High School and hailed from Fort Collins, Colorado where he went in the 25th round of the 2008 MLB Draft.  He was also a two time state player of the year in Colorado and led his high school team to two Colorado State Championships.  

By Andrew Drennen

 When Josh Sale's name appeared on the Washington Nationals' Area Code Roster this past August, he was one of two underclassmen to play for the Northwest.  In fact he was the only 2010 player to actually hail from the region, the other 2010 player was Jacoby Almaraz out of San Antonio, Texas.

	Elaine Shepard/AC Baseball
	Sale made some noise at the 08 Area Code Baseball Games.

By Andrew Drennen

California is rich in baseball talent.  Some people joke and say you can walk down the proverbial street and find a pitcher, an outfielder or any position.  Now, think about how rich in talent California is and move Northeast of Los Angeles, to Fresno, California.  Yes, the same Fresno that produced the 2008 NCAA National Champions in baseball, Fresno State. 

	Elaine Shepard/AC Baseball
	Cederquist at the 2008 Area Code Baseball Games.

By Andrew Knepper

Long Beach, Calif. -- The sixth and final day of the 2008 Area Code Games started off with the Oakland A's and the Chicago White Sox and after a long week where 17 games have been completed so far, we have arrived to the last innings for these promising young players. Having to travel back East later on Sunday, the A's started the morning game fresh off of a nine inning performance last night in which they downed the Yankees, 7-3.

The morning started off with a perfect inning by Ryan Crowley, who struck out the first batter then induced two groundballs that were cleanly picked by third baseman Justin O'Conner and second baseman Nathan Goro, respectively. On the hill for the Athletics, Ethan Ogburn fanned his first hitter of the day, but one upped the opposing pitcher by fanning the side.

The second inning started with a new pitcher for the White Sox, Jon Reed, and he threw a perfect inning, fanning a batter in the process. Ogburn remained in the game for the A's and struck out his fourth consecutive hitter but then gave up a hit to Ozney Guillen, who advanced to third on an error by the shortstop. Guillen was stranded as Ethan continued to mow down hitters, ending his two innings with all of his outs by strikeout.

The White Sox threw another hurler on the mound to start the third inning and Chad James started his inning of work with a grounder to short, a strikeout and another grounder to third. Ogburn came out for his third inning of work and gave off a leadoff single to Justin O'Connor, but worked himself out of the inning with two fly balls and a punch out on a steal attempt.

With the fourth and fifth innings mirroring each other with zeros on the board, the A's started off the sixth inning with back-to-back singles. White Sox pitcher Archie Bradley struck out Demertius McKelvie and catcher Luke Maile threw out the runner on first to help get Bradley get out of a jam. Drew Cisco same in for the Athletics and struck one out, induced a grounder to second and shortstop Jordan Rorex made another clean pick to end the sixth inning.

To start the final inning, Andrew Heaney came in and threw and efficiently struck out the side. Going into the final half inning with a scoreless game, the White Sox were looking for a break as they only needed a single run to pull out the win, but Drew Cisco retired the side.

In a rare occurrence at the Area Code Games, the game ended in a 0-0 tie and we now move forward to game 19 of the week. Will we get some runs across the plate or have another pitching duel?

New York Yankees 7, Cincinnati Reds 3

The second game pitted the New York Yankees and the Cincinnati Reds in a seven inning game that capped the week for both teams. Starting for the Yankees was Steven Matz and for the Reds, Andrew Walter. Matz started off with a perfect inning while Walter allowed a lead off hit that proceeded to score on a wild pitch later in the inning as the Yankees took a 1-0 lead.

The Red scored just like the Yankees to start the second as Micah Green scored on a Wild pitch. For the Yankees, Nelfi Zapata led off the inning with a single, then stole second to get into scoring position with no outs. Patrick Stover and Mike Trout then walked to load the bases with one out. A mental error by the pitcher allowed a run to score when he had a double play ball but proceeded to underhand one to the first baseman to make the score 2-1 in favor of the Yankees.

In the top of the third inning, the Reds scored on a Tony Piazza single as Seth Mejias-Brean crossed the plate to tie the game 2-2. Trent Stevenson then came in for the Reds and was helped by his defensive unit as they turned a 6-4-3 double play. Stevenson then struck out a Yankees hitter to end the inning.

The Yankees struck once again in the bottom of the fourth inning as Stetson Allie walked and Stover knocked him in on an error by the Reds' right fielder that made the score 3-2. To end the inning Micah Green made a web gem on a hard hit ball to left center that was running away from him. With his 6.6 speed and good knowledge of the corner outfield, Green was able to track it down with a leaping extension.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Jake Barrett walked the first three batters of the inning and then Cade Kreuter came up and hit a base clearing double to increase the Yankees' lead to 6-2. Cade then advanced to third on a fielder's choice and scored on a wild pitch to make it a five-run lead for the Bombers.

In the top of the seventh inning, the Reds scored a run on a double by Jake Williams off of Marcus Stroman for the final run of the ballgame. Stroman didn't allow any more damage and capped off a strong week of play both on the mound and in the field. He played shortstop the entire week and on the Gun was hitting around 88 MPH.

Texas Rangers 4, Milwaukee Brewers Blue 2

The 2008 Area Code Games came down to this. When the schedule was created a couple of months ago, the conventional thinking was the Rangers and the Brewers Blue would be a great game to cap off the most important week of baseball for the nation's elite prep talent.

The kids from Texas against the kids from California...No one knew that both teams would enter Sunday with a 3-1 record with the winner taking bragging rights for the next year.

The Rangers struck first when they scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning. The inning started with Todd Glaesman got on base via a Brewer error and Chad Kettler reached base on another error. Logan Vick then singled in Glaesman, giving the Rangers a quick 1-0 lead. Cohl Walla grounded to first and his sacrifice brought home Kettler, pushing the Texas lead to 2-0. Vick then came around to score on Cody Robinson's single, extending the lead to 3-0.

Matt Hobgood started on the mound for the Brew Crew and surrendered the three runs in the second inning. The Rangers then struck again in the botom of the third to make it a 4-1 game as the Californians were able to manufacture in the top of the third.

Austin Wilson led things off in the top of the fifth with a single and moved to second when the right fielder Glaesman let the ball past him as the runner moved up to second on the error. Wilson then scored when Spencer Kuehn reached on an errant throw by the Rangers' third baseman. With the Wilson run, the Brewers cut into the Rangers' lead by a run (4-2) but were unable to get anything going offensively over the final two innings.

Rangers' starter Shelby Miller went three innings, surrendering only one run while striking out two. He was then relieved by Chase McDowell who gave up the Brewers' second and final run.

Miller, McDowell and Tyler Duffey all kept the Brewers' bats in check, shutting down a potent offense. Duffey came in and slammed the door shut on the Californians, throwing two scoreless innings to close out the unofficial championship game. The Brewers' Spencer Keuhn had a chance to tie the game with a hit as he came to the plate with runners in scoring position. Keuhn wasn't able to work the count or frazzle the pitcher, as he popped up to the second baseman to end the game.

The Brewers Blue definitely had their chances to win this game, but they left eight men on base. The Rangers standed seven but in the end all that mattered to them was the scoreboard.

With the win, the Texas Rangers ended up a 4-1 record, their only loss coming against the Oakland Athletics on Friday. The Rangers not only took the game, but the title of 2008 Area Code Baseball Games champions.

By Andrew Knepper

Long Beach, Calif. --  Saturday's Area Code Games kicked off with the undefeated Milwaukee Brewers Blue squad moving to 3-0 after a come from behind victory against the Chicago White Sox, 6-5. They will be facing the Cincinnati reds that have had a rollercoaster of an event by throwing a collective no-hitter, then giving up 17 hits in their next game.

On the mound starting for the Reds was the hard throwing Josh Dahl who struck out his first batter of the day with a nice curveball that froze John Altobelli. Dahl then proceeded to induce a line to second, a HBP and end the inning with another strike out. 

On the hill for the Brewers was David Armendariz, who led of the inning with back-to-back walks that got him in trouble when he walked in one run. Jordan Van Hoosier then hit a two-run double followed by a run scoring single by Brandon Bayardi.  The bases were then loaded for Matt Ozanne, but Armendarzi struck him out to end the five run inning. 

The Brewers looked to jump on the board when they placed runners on first and second with one out, but Dahl fanned back-to-back two hitters to end the second inning. He finished his two innings tallying five strikeouts. 

The Reds attacked once again in the bottom of the second inning when Jacob Stewart hit a two-run single to give the Reds a 7-0 lead over the undefeated Brewers club.

The scoreboard for the third and fourth innings was held to zeros and one of the better match-ups of morning was tall left hander Tyler Skaggs facing 2011 standout Bryce Harper.  After a few fall balls the count went full and Skaggs struck out Harper with a late biting curveball.  That was Harpers' first strike out of the Area Code Games.

In the top of the fifth inning the Brewers got on the board when 2011 prospect Christian Lopes singled, stole second, and crossed the plate on a Jake Marisnick single to make the score to 7-1.  In the bottom of the fifth, Skaggs shut down the Reds once again to get a scoreless frame to end with 2 IP, one hit allowed and five strikeouts. In the top of the sixth the Brewers struck once again after an error was charged to Reds shortstop Michael Reynolds and Jeff Gelalich reached first. Brian Berry then knocked him in on a single to make the score, 7-2.

In the seventh, Kurt Heyer came in for the Brewers and pitched a scoreless frame while Jeff Baldwin came in and did the same thing as Heyer and ended the game with a perfect inning, striking out one in the process.

Washington Nationals 7, Milwaukee Brewers Gray 2

It was another ominous start for a team wearing a Brewers uniform on the fifth day of the Area Code Baseball Games.  In the first game, it was the Brewers Blue falling on hard times as they lost to the Reds 7-2.  This was on the heels of the Brewers Gray hammering the Reds, 14-2.

The Nationals got things rolling in the first inning when they put up a three spot on Brewers starter Nicholas Vander Tuig.  Three Nationals' hits and a Brewers' error lead to the quick strike.  It was reminiscent of the morning game when the Reds jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead after two. 

In the Nationals' half of the first Max Walla doubled, followed by a Josh Sale single.  Then Chase Anslement got on board with a single and because of an error by the Brewers, Sale and Walla both scored.  Anslement then scored making it 3-0 in favor of the Nationals.      

Nationals' starter James Robbins dazzled the Brewers.  He was in the zone and kept the California sluggers off balance.  He worked fast and did not let the Brewers get anything started. 

The action then picked up in the third when the Nationals' Josh Sale hit a majestic shot over the right field wall off of Vander Tuig to make it 6-0.  Sale has been impressive this entire week as the bomb he hit was his second homer of the week. Sale's first one came in the second Nationals' game when he hit for the cycle. 

The Brewers pushed a run across in the fourth and one more in the sixth.  That was all they could get as the Nationals continued to pitch well.  The Nationals ended their week at the 2008 Area Code Baseball Games with a 2-3 record. 

Chicago White Sox vs. Milwaukee Brewers Gray

The Milwaukee Brewers Gray team took on the Chicago White Sox in their last game at Area Code to finish the back-end of a double header.  Losing their first game of the day, 7-2, the Gray team looked to end over the .500 mark as they entered this game with a 2-2 record. 

The White Sox started left-handed Austin Kirk and the hurler gave up two runs in the first on a two-run double by Clay Cedarquist. On the other end, the Brewers started left-hander Justin Jones and he threw a scoreless inning.

In the top of the second, the Brewers scored again on a Darrell Mathews single that scored Jordan Wilder, who led off the inning with a single then advanced to second on a balk. Jones then retired the side in his second inning of work.  

In the top of the third inning, the Brewers struck again with a two-run double by Noah Perio who was then knocked in by a Jordan Wilder triple.  With Wilder on third, Quinton Perry came up and delivered a sac fly that scored the fourth run of the inning.  Jones retired the side once again in his third inning of work.

In the top of the fourth, the Brewers continued their scoring jamboree when Cedarquist once again delivered another run scoring double that scored Mathews.  Joe Lewis relieved Jones and kept alive the Brewers' no-hitter by retiring the side. 

In the fifth inning the Brewers picked up another run to make the score 9-0 as Wilder knocked in Perio after he was issued a free pass on balls.  The Brewers continued their bid for a no hit game when Lewis pitched another flawless inning in the fifth. 

In the bottom of the sixth inning the no hit bid ended on the first pitch, as the White Sox's Jarek Pritchard singled up the middle off Brewers pitcher Jonathan Meyer.

The Brewers ended their mini losing streak in grand fashion as the game ended 9-0. The Chicago White Sox committed three errors and gave up eleven hits to the Brewers Gray.

Player of the game:  Justin Jones
3 IP, 2K's, 10 batters faced, zero walks, zero hits

Oakland Athletics 7, New York Yankees 3

It was an interesting matchup when the two East Coast-oriented teams played the night cap at Blair Field on Saturday.  The nine inning affair featured the Yankees (made up of prospects from the Northeast region of the country) against the Athletics (Southeast).  The ironic part was a Californian, Aaron Wirsch (El Toro, Lake Forest, Calif.), started for the Athletics. 

Yankees' starter Kyle McKenzie had a rough start when he walked Nick Lockwood to lead the game off and then plucked Alex Glenn in the back to put the first two hitters on board.  Cody Stubbs had a chance to put the Athletics on the board first, but McKenzie was able to strike him out on a high fastball for the second out.  It was then up to Tyler Roberts and the first baseman delivered a two out two RBI single, giving the Athletics an early 2-0 lead. 

McKenzie settled down and battled the A's batters for the next two innings. 

Wirsch remained in control through the first two innings.  The lefty cruised until the third when he hit Mike Yastrzemski in the back and allowed the first hit of the game to Nelfi Zapata.  Wirsch then walked Christian Walker to load the bases for Mike Trout, who banged a RBI single.  Wirsch then got out of the bases loaded jam when he struck out Patrick Stover to limit the damage to only a single run.

Stetson Allie then came in relief for McKenzie and Alex Glenn came up with the bases loaded and dilivered a two-RBI single to left field. Stubbs then drilled a triple to right field driving in two more and pushing the A's lead to 6-1. Tyler Roberts then flied to center, off of reliever Tim Brechbuehler, but the fly ball was dropped, scoring Stubbs and making the socre 7-1. Ronnie Richardson then singled off of Brechbuehler to keep the hit parade going, but was one of two runners stranded.

The Yankees were able to push two late runs across, but it wasn't enough as the A's held on for the win.

by Andrew Knepper

Halfway through this year's Area Code Games, we have seen a combined no-hitter by the Cincinnati Reds team, the cycle from Joshua Sale of the Washington Nationals and elite pitching from all clubs. During the first nine games, there have been handfuls of standout individuals making a name for themselves. Here are our mid-week standouts:

Ian Krol -- One of the best pitching prospect at this year's games, Krol only attended for one day, but during his two innings of work he struck out five of the six batters he faced. He showed great command with his fastball that averaged 86-89 and a hook that fooled everyone he faced.

Chad James -- He's a hard-throwing left-handed pitcher who has three good pitches with a fastball that sits around 88 MPH, a change-up that sits around 76-78 MPH, and a hook that breaks around 73-76. Throwing from the left side, he has a high leg kick and hides the ball well and looks to have a high ceiling.

Bryce Harper -- Even though we have written about Harper nonstop, he keeps giving up reasons to include him in this list. With an outstanding arm behind the dish that several Vegas area scouts have graded as plus, he has thrown out several runners easily this week. At the plate, he has not been fooled once as he has not swung at a bat pitch yet. He has good strike recognition and hits the ball with authority to all fields. Yesterday, he nearly missed a big fly by hitting a towering fly ball to left field. Also, don't forget that he is only 15 years old.

Geoff Baldwin -- This power hitting, left swinging first baseman has shown a solid swing all week hitting a few balls to the deep power alleys and his defensive play is what is separating him from other first baseman.

Tom Lemke -- This towering right-handed pitcher from Phoenix has shown great command with solid velocity with his fastball sitting at 88 MPH.

Tyler Matzek -- Tyler started the first game for the Milwaukee Brewers Blue squad during an exhibition game and gave the Chicago White Sox trouble. A six-foot-three left-handed hurler, he mowed down the six batters he faced with his 92 MPH fastball that showed great movement.

Tyler Skaggs -- This loose throwing lefty stands in at six-foot-four and is mechanically sound, with a smooth release, while the ball comes out of his hand very well.

Cameron Garfield -- Hailing out of Murrieta, Calif., Garfield has been on scouts' radars for a long time and is now showing his tools at this year's games. He has hit the ball with authority and has played well behind the dish during his innings of work.

Geno Escalante -- He has had an outstanding performance during his time behind the dish at the Area Code Games. He was 3-for-3 in throwing out runners and should be 4-for-4 but no one covered the bag and the runner was allotted second base.

Kenny Diekroeger -- Kenny has been playing great all-around ball the entire week. Not only has he looked good on the field, but he was also the top SPARQ Rated athlete recording an 85.96 rating. Hitting balls to all fields with a nice gap stroke, Kenny has been the hottest hitter on the Gray team.

Mitchell Haniger -- He has the potential for a great future. Mitchell has impressed everyone with his approach at the plate and his defensive versatility.

Stephen Bruno -- Coming out of the Northeast from New Jersey, this middle infielder has shown great range while working in the field. He gets good jumps off of the ball and shows a quick release that has got his team out of a few jams. With his bat, he possesses a nice flat swing that shows decent gap power.

Eric Brady -- Eric is a smooth fluid shortstop who displays a strong throwing arm across the diamond. He seems to be a perfect fit at the shortstop position so what scouts are seeing is what they are going to get.

Demetrius McKelvie -- Demetrius is a very athletically gifted player who is a two sport prospect that plays safety in football and outfield in baseball. With a large frame of 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, he is being recruited in both sports but wants to stay in baseball. On the field, he looks to be a corner outfielder in the future with a 7.07 60-yard dash and a strong bat with power to the gaps.

Randal Grichuk -- Randal has absolutely crushed the ball the entire tournament. On one pitch he hit to left center, he cleared the wall easily by 30 feet and the ball roughly traveled 400 feet. Every ball, an out or a hit, has been hit with authority.

Colton Cain -- Like Randal, Colton has been mashing the ball. The entire Rangers team has been very strong on the offensive side of the ball, but Colton has stood out over most. He has a large frame at 6-foot-3 225 pounds, and he uses every ounce of his frame to generate an aggressive powerful swing. On the mound, he has been solid as well, mixing his pitches well and dominating the opposing hitters.

Cohl Walla -- Walla is a pitcher as well as an outfielder and with his tall and lanky frame of 6-foot-4, 170 pounds he looks to add more pop and velocity as he fills into his frame.

Joshua Sale -- To say the least, Sale has had one of the best performances for the week. Last night, Thursday the 7th, Joshua left the yard with a bomb to right center field that was in the rage of 390 feet to cap off a decent day's of work recording a "cycle for the first time in recent memory at the Area Code Games.

Kyrell Hudson -- This two sport star (football and baseball) recorded the fastest 60 time of evaluation day by blazing a 6.33 on the SPARQ Timing systems. In the field, he has tracked fly balls with ease, even though he has had to cover large amounts of ground and on the base paths he is almost guaranteed to record a stolen base every time he reaches the bag.

Written by Senior Editor Ronnie Flores 

Long Beach, Calif. -- The Brewers Blue team, quite frankly, is expected to do well this week at Blair Field. The Rangers, on the other hand, have been on a roll after a mediocre performance last year. The 20th and final game on Sunday could be a showdown of undefeated clubs, but obviously there is still a lot of baseball to be played before that. Other Thursday highlights include a Washington Nationals outfielder that hit for the cycle in the nightcap.   

Milwaukee Brewers Gray 5, Oakland A's 2

The Milwaukee Brewers Gray club developed a small case of stage fright in their Wednesday evening game and early Thursday morning they attempted to get off the snide against the Oakland A's, a team comprised of players from Florida and the Southeast.  Unfortunately for Milwaukee, the gloves again allowed the opponent a gift run early. It wasn't until the fifth inning that Milwaukee Gray club (Northern and Southern California players) could overcome its early demons at Area Code to pull out the win.             

The Athletics' Ronnie Richardson (Lake Region, Eagle Lake, Fla.) belted a leadoff double off Brewers Gray starting pitcher Robbie Erlin (Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, Calif.) that got out to leftfield in a hurry. A passed ball by catcher Richard Stock (Agoura, Agoura Hills, Calif.) put Richardson at third and he waltzed home after a dropped third strike where Stock's poor throw was not cleanly fielded by the first baseman.

Erlin got out of the stanza without further damage, but in the second inning allowed a one-out single to Eric Brady (Green Hope, Cary, N.C.) that scored Demetrius McKelvie (East Columbus, Hallsboro, N.C.). McKelvie reached on a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. An error by third baseman Stephen Piscotty (Amador Valley, Pleasanton, Calif.) kept the inning alive, but shortstop Kenny Diekroeger (Menlo School, Atherton, Calif.) made a nice play deep in the hole to end an inning where the A's stranded two runners.        

In the bottom of the third inning, the bats of the Brewers Gray finally came alive as A's southpaw Drew Cisco (Wando, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) ran into some trouble. Noah Perio (De La Salle, Concord, Calif.), also a standout on the Spartans Div. I state title winning football team, has done a great job of getting on base in Long Beach. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Darrell Matthews (Clayton Valley, Concord, Calif.) and Piscotty tied the game with a clutch two-out single that scored outfielder Cody Keefer (Davis, Calif.).              

Righty Trevor Hildenberger (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif.) struck out the side in the top of the fourth for the Brewers Gray, which finally got off the snide in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Cisco (Wando, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) walked the bases loaded with zero outs in the fifth and the Brewers Gray didn't let this golden opportunity slip by them as it scored   three runs to ice the game. Perio again was on the base paths and he came around to score his second run on a sac fly by Wes Hatton (Norco, Calif.). There was an errant throw back to the infield on that play and Andrew Aplin (Vanden, Suisun, Calif.) and Keefer were able to advance an extra base. After Cisco beaned Piscotty square in the back, Geno Escalante (Rodriguez, Fairfield, Calif.) came through with a clutch single that scored Aplin and Keefer. Escalante continues to impress behind the plate as well, with a live arm that makes him a threat to pick off runners from any angle.

Richardson, the player who got the A's off on the right foot to start the game, came up with two outs in the top of the seventh inning with runners on second and third. He was already two for three in the game and made solid contact with the ball. The throw from the second baseman barely beat him to the bag, ending the threat and game.  

Milwaukee Brewers Blue 6, New York Yankees 4     

The New York club, now in its second tour of duty handling the elite players from the Northeast Region, came to Long Beach with the Bronx Bombers moniker. The Brewers Blue Murders' Row lineup came up with the clutch hits, however, and the Yankees aided their cause with some fielding miscues. 

The Brewers Blue (an all-Southern California squad) didn't waste any time, scoring in the bottom of the first. Cameron Garfield (Murrieta Valley, Murrieta, Calif.) drove in Jake Marisnick (Poly, Riverside, Calif.) on a broken bat single with two outs. Milwaukee starting pitcher Paul Strong came through with a strong two innings, including a second frame where he struck out the side, but the Yankees got things going in the third. 

Outfielder Mike Trout (Millville, N.J.) knocked in teammate Jimmy Brennan (Suffern, Airmont, N.Y.) on a triple to leftfield with two outs. Trout then scored on a fielding error by Brewers Blue shortstop Christian Lopes (Valencia, Calif.). Lopes couldn't make the play, but he is the only 2011 prospect that made either Milwaukee club and will be one to watch the next two summers.    

Trailing 2-1 going into the bottom of the fourth, the Brewers Blue took control as Marisnick scored when a throw to second base on a steal attempt by Garfield was bobbled. After designated hitter/pitcher Matt Hobgood (Norco, Calif.) struck out, Milwaukee took the lead when Garfield scored on a Nolan Arenado (El Toro, Lake Forest, Calif.) triple.

The inning continued with a bloop single by Lopes that drove in Arenado. The fourth run of the stanza was similar to the first as Lopes scored all the way from second on an errant throw by Yankees' catcher Nelfi Zapata (Boston English, Dorchester, Mass.) that ended up in centerfield.             

Hobgood, the CalHiSports.com State Junior of the Year and the L.A. Times Player of the Year last season, got himself into a two-out bases loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth inning. He allowed another base on balls to Patrick Stover (Rocklin, Calif.) that scored Anthony Italiano (St. Anthony's, West Sayville, N.Y.).

The Brewers Blue made up for Hobgood's struggles by scoring an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Matthew Moynihan (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego, Calif.) scored on a sacrifice to make the score 6-3 after taking two bases and ending up on third on a fielding error at first base. The Yankees made four errors in the contest.

For Milwaukee, Marisnick went two for three with a stolen base and two runs scored. Garfield ended up two for two with a RBI, a stolen base and a run scored. 

In the top of the sixth, the Yankees scored their final run when Marcus Stroman (Patchogue, Medford, N.Y.) scored from second after a hit ball took a bad hop on Brewers Blue second baseman Brian Berry (Smithtown East, Nesconset, N.Y.). The Yankees had hoped to load the bases to give Trout one last chance to make something happen, but the inning ended with the all-around standout on deck and two runners stranded.      

Trout ended up striking out in the seventh, but he did finish with a single, triple, RBI, steal and run scored. Trout also recorded the second highest SPARQ Rating (83.07) on Tuesday morning behind Kenny Diekroeger (Menlo School, Menlo, Calif.) of the Brewers Gray (85.96). He also ran the second fastest sixty time (6.52) behind Kyrell Hudson (Evergreen, Vancouver, Wash.) of the Washington Nationals (6.33). 

Texas Rangers 4, Cincinnati Reds 0

It wasn't a matter if it was going to happen, but when it would happen.

It took place when the second batter of the eighth game, Rangers outfielder Randal Grichuk (Lamar Consolidated, Rosenburg, Texas), took Reds starting pitcher Jake Barrett (Desert Ridge, Mesa, Ariz.) yard. The first home run of the 2008 Area Code Games was a 400-foot shot to leftfield that quickly made the score 2-0, as leadoff batter Everett Williams (McCallum, Austin, Texas) got on board with a line single.   

"Oh yeah, it's just a matter of seeing the ball great, Grichuk remarked. "Luckily, I got a hold of one.

The game remained calm until the top of the third when the Rangers' Dane Phillips (Central, Nacogdoches, Texas) reached second base on an error as Reds leftfielder Devon Kell (Hilo, Hawaii) dropped a sky-high popup. Jake Miller (Stratford, Texas) followed up with a single to put runners on first and third with one out. The Rangers, however, were only able to muster up one run out of the situation when Phillips scored on a sacrifice fly by Williams.

That missed opportunity didn't mater as Cincinnati could only muster two hits through six and two-thirds innings until Lance Harper (Desert Mountain, Scottsdale, Ariz.) stroked an opposite field single to rightfield. Any thoughts the Reds had of making a comeback ended with the next batter as Rangers' rightfielder Cohl Walla (Lake Travis, Austin, Texas) made a spectacular catch on a low liner to end the game.         

Starting pitcher Hoby Milner (Paschal, Fort Worth, Texas), Walla and southpaw Colton Cain (Waxahachie, Texas) got the job done on the hill for the victors. Milner was credited for the win, Walla came in and did an admirable job and Cain frustrated the Reds' batters over the last three innings.   
      
The Rangers added an insurance run in the top of the sixth as Chad Kettler (Coppell, Texas) scored on a RBI single by Michael Hilliard (Cy-Woods, Cypress, Texas) with two outs.

Williams had a nice day at the office, as he finished one for two with a sacrifice RBI and a run on the circuit clout of Grichuk.     

"Supposedly the Rangers haven't been winning recently at Area Code, Grichuk added. "A player told me that and the coaches told us, too. We won the practice game (against the Milwaukee Brewers Blue Monday at USC) so it feels good to be undefeated so far. 

Washington Nationals 10, Chicago White Sox 2

The final game Thursday at Blair Field was a nine-inning affair and the designated home team from Washington, D.C., jumped out on top and eventually romped. The victors scored in every inning but the second and third and the best individual performance in recent memory at Area Code was turned in by the Nationals' Joshua Sale (Bishop Blanchete, Seattle, Wash.), a 6-foot, 195-pound 2010 outfielder.

Chicago starting pitcher Jarad Grundy (Johnsburg, Ill.) gave up two hard hits in the first inning, one a double to James Robbins (Shorecrest, Shoreline, Wash.) and the other a triple to catcher Chase Anselment (Meadowdale, Edmonds, Wash.) and the Nationals were able to manufacture three runs. Those shots were sandwiched in between three infield hits.

Max Walla (Albuquerque Academy, Albuquerque, N.M.) got the first one and advanced to third on Robbins' double. He then scored on a wild pitch by Grundy and Robbins scored on Anselment's triple. The infield single by Sale scored Anselment. Brady Steiger (South Kitsap, Port Orchard, Wash.) also got on board without the ball leaving the infield, but no further damage was done.              

The White Sox answered with a run in the top of the second inning when Nationals shortstop Bobby Joe Tannehill (Kentlake, Auburn, Wash.) muffed a grounder that allowed Josh Sheffert (Lincoln Southeast, Lincoln, Neb.) to score. Sheffert advanced to third base on a passed ball. The Sox seemed to be in business as Sheffert scored with one out, but the Nationals turned a double play to end the threat.  

Nationals starting pitcher Tim Peterson (Emerald Ridge, Puyallup, Wash.) had some zip on his fastball and pitched a complete four innings, the longest outing at Area Code thus far. When Peterson exited the ballgame, he had allowed three hits and two runs. The second run for the ChiSox came with two out in the fourth when Peterson's wild pitch allowed Justin O'Connor (Cowan, Muncie, Ind.) to score and make it a one-run (3-2) ballgame.

The Nationals stretched their lead back to a couple of runs in the bottom of the fourth when Sale opened the inning with a triple. He then scored on a single by Steiger that took a bad hop right in front of the second baseman.

The game remained a 4-2 affair until the bottom of the fifth when White Sox southpaw pitcher Matthew Little (Bryan, Texas) ran into some trouble. Walla was at the plate with two runners on and zero outs. The base runners advanced to second and third on Little's wild pitch and Ryan Barnes (West Linn, Ore.) came across home plate on yet another errant toss by Little. When Walla legged out his second infield single of the game, the Nationals had their second run of the inning as Michael Englund (Eastside Catholic, Bellevue, Wash.) crossed home plate.                 

In the bottom of the sixth, Sale made things happen once again. He roped a double to leftcenter, stole third base and manufactured another run for the Nationals on Little's wild pitch. In his last at-bat with two outs and no one out in the bottom of the eighth, Sale's first rip at the ball that he fouled back tipped off the ESPN RISE staff that Sale knew exactly what he needed to complete baseball's most exciting one-day hitting performance.    

Two pitches later, Sale delivered. He deposited the ball beyond the rightcenter field wall, 395 feet from home plate. His three-run homer created a buzz in the stands and press box and when Area Code Director Andrew Drennen announced that Sale had hit for the cycle, the game's final score was inconsequential.                

"I was aware of what I needed, but home runs happen on their own, Sale remarked. "I went up there looking for a fastball and I got one up and in. Some of the guys didn't even know that I had a single. In an arena like this, it felt good.  

For the game, Sale went four for four with three runs and four RBI. Walla also had a whale of a game, going two for three with a steal, run and RBI.

"There was no mention of it, said Washington Nationals coach Aaron Horrocks when asked if anyone mentioned Sale only needed a round-tripper on his final at-bat to his for the cycle. "We didn't want to voodoo it. It's sort of like a pitcher with a no-no, you leave him alone.  

Tim Keller (North Eugene, Ore.) entered the contest in relief of Peterson and threw a scoreless fifth and sixth innings. The next pitcher for the victors, crafty southpaw Brian Wolfe (Snohomish, Wash.), also threw two solid frames and Matthew Boyd (Eastside Catholic, Mercer Island, Wash.) came in and sealed the deal in the top of the ninth.  

Corrections or comments? Email mark@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment for others to check out.    

Written by Ronnie Flores 

Long Beach, Calif. -- There was a combination of good, great and not so good play on Wednesday at the 2008 Area Code Games. Some teams were dealt a good hand while others had to pick for the winning combination. Read below for game recaps. Note: Player in photo taken last spring is Mark Appel (Monte Vista, Danville, Calif.)

Texas Rangers 6, Washington Nationals 4
              
Unlike Tuesday night's pitching gem, the action on Wednesday morning started off with fireworks. The batters were ahead of the pitchers for a change, as both teams scored in the first inning.  

The Nationals' Max Walla (Albuquerque Academy, Albuquerque, N.M.) opened things off with a single where he took second base after the right fielder hesitated on the throw back to the infield. James Robbins (Shorecrest, Shoreline, Wash.) then drove in Walla with a triple.

In the bottom of the first, the Rangers came right back and loaded the bases with one out. An error by second baseman Ryan Barnes (West Linn, Ore.) right by the bag on a potential double play allowed the extra base runners. The Rangers, however, could only muster up a sacrifice fly by Cohl Walla (Lake Travis, Austin, Texas) that scored Randal Grichuk (Lamar Consolidated, Rosenburg, Texas), as the score was tied 1-1 entering the second inning.

The Rangers then opened up a lead in the bottom of the third inning as Walla came through again with a quality at-bat. This time he came through with a two-run double, a rope to left centerfield that scored Logan Vick (Tivy, Kerrville, Texas) and Chad Kettler (Coppell, Texas). Walla then scored himself on a triple by Cody Robinson (Lamar Consolidated, Sugar Land, Texas) as the Rangers led 4-1.              

Righty Chase McDowell (A&M Consolidated, College Station, Texas) was in line for the win after the Rangers' three-run inning, but the Nationals quickly tied up the game as he struggled to find the strike zone. Brian Wolfe (Snohomish, Wash.) singled to start the rally and eventually scored after McDowell gave up three consecutive walks. Zach Aaker (Tahoma, Ravensdale, Wash.) then scored as Barnes hustled up the line and beat out a potential double play grounder. Barnes' hustle paid dividends as Cody Scott (O'Connor, Helotes, Texas) then scored off a sacrifice grounder to tie up the game going into the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Rangers kept their hot bats alive in the bottom half of the inning, as Jake Miller (Stratford, Houston, Texas) scored on a sacrifice fly by Grichuk. Vick then belted a triple off the rightfield wall and came around to score on a grounder that gave the Texas club a 6-4 lead. After his shaky fourth, McDowell settled down and threw two scoreless frames to pick up the win.

Shelby Miller (Brownwood, Texas), a righty, picked up the save as he held the Nationals scoreless over the final three frames. McDowell and Miller were aided at the plate by Walla, who drove in three runs and Grichuk, who scored twice.     
      
Milwaukee Brewers Blue 3, Oakland Athletics 0

Entering Wednesday's noon game, everybody in attendance at Blair Field knew the Brewers Blue club yielded heavy lumber. So it wasn't a surprise that they drew first blood.

Designated hitter John Altobelli (Woodbridge, Irvine, Calif.) led off the game with a single. Outfielder Jake Marisnick (Poly, Riverside, Calif.) was up next and drove in the leadoff hitter with a triple to the gap in left centerfield. With one out, Cameron Garfield (Murrieta Valley, Murrieta, Calif.) lined a single to right to score Marisnick as the Brewers were quickly in business.            

The Blue club (a team with a heavy Southern California contingent) gave southpaw pitcher Tyler Skaggs (Santa Monica, Calif.) more cushon in the second inning as Matt Moynihan (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego, Calif.) scored on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Gelalich (Bonita, La Verne, Calif.). Skaggs did his job on the mound, as he hurled two innings and faced only one batter over the minimum.

The Brewers' second pitcher, righty Kurt Heyer (Edison, Huntington Beach, Calif.), also impressed as he threw two scoreless innings. David Armendariz (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks, Calif.), also a righty, came in and threw a scoreless fifth for the Brewers.    
         
In the top of the sixth of a seven-inning affair, it looked like the Oakland A's (made of primarily of players from the Southeast region of the country) would put something together when Nicholas Lockwood (Tampa Jesuit, Tampa, Fla.) got on board with a single. He then advanced to third on a throwing error with one out. The Brewers Blue worked out of the jam, however, as Lockwood was nearly picked off on a screamer down the line. He got back on the bag just in time, but the inning ended on a cleanly fielded grounder.    

Lockwood was the only Oakland A's base runner to reach third base, as the Milwaukee Brewers Blue pitchers allowed three scattered hits over seven innings. Garfield, a catcher, ended an A's mini-rally in the top of the third when he threw out a would-be base stealer at second base to end the inning.  

Skaggs was credited with the win and Evan Brock (Ayala, Chino Hills, Calif.) picked up the save for the Blue club. In the top of the seventh, Brock retired the side on a strikeout and two soft grounders.        
 
The Brewers actually scored three runs in the bottom half of the seventh, but those runs were not part of the official box as the home team is allowed to take its hacks in the bottom half of the final inning even if it had already won the game. After all, the Area Code Games are designed to showcase the players and a combination of solid hitters, pitchers and fielders highlighted this contest.        

New York Yankees 8, Milwaukee Brewers Gray 3  

In the final contest on Wednesday evening, the Milwaukee Brewers were trying to win their second game of the day. The Yankees had other plans, however, as they used some timely hitting and poor Milwaukee fielding to win the game.   

Starting pitcher Mark Appel (Monta Vista, Danville, Calif.) retired the side in the first inning for Milwaukee, but ran into some trouble in the second frame. Patrick Stover (Rocklin, Calif.) got on by an infield single, but he was promptly caught stealing by Brewers Gray catcher Geno Escalante (Rodriguez, Fairfield, Calif.).

The Bronx Bombers still manufactured a run as Appel loaded the bases with two outs courtesy of a base on balls to Mike Yastrzemski (St. John's Prep, Andover, Mass.). Regan Flaherty (Deering, Portland, Maine) was the next batter and he came up with a single that scored Shane Rowland (Tampa Catholic, Tampa, Fla.), but Brewers Gray leftfielder Joe Lewis (Pittsburg, Calif.) threw out Stephen Bruno (Gloucester Catholic, Audubon, N.J.) at home trying to score the second run.

The Brewers Gray got a gift run in the bottom of the second inning when Yastrzemski, the grandson of Major League Baseball's last Triple Crown winner Carl Yastrzemski, lost a high Danny Hayes (Jesuit, Carmichael, Calif.) popup in the sun that allowed Escalante to score from third base.

The run that Lewis saved with his outfield assist, the Yankees (made up primarily of players from the Northeast United States) got it right back in the top of the third inning. Mike Trout (Millville, N.J.) scored on a single to rightfield by Jake Mayers (Hanover, Mechanicsville, Va.) where he barely beat the throw. Escalante then prevented any further damage when he gunned down Marcus Stroman (Patchogue, Medford, N.Y.) leading off from third base with the sacs full. Escalante's play saved a run because the Yankees' Stetson Allie (St. Edward, Lakewood, Ohio) walked on the next pitch.

Escalante's fine defensive play was offset by a poor one in the next inning that cost the Brewers three runs after standing two runners of their own in the bottom of the third. With two outs and the bases loaded, an errant throw by the third baseman that the Brewers Gray first baseman could not cleanly field allowed the Yankees' Rowland and Yastrzemski to score. Trout then hit a bloop single that scored Tony Italiano (St. Anthony's, West Sayville, N.Y.) to make the score 5-1 heading into the fourth inning.

The Brewers Gray couldn't get anything on the board in the bottom of the fourth and the wheels started to fall off in top of the fifth. Milwaukee hurler Nicholas Berhel (De La Salle, Concord, Calif.) loaded the bases with one out by giving up a walk to Nelfi Zapata (Boston English, Dorchester, Mass.). Things got worse when Berhel beaned Jimmy Brennan (Suffern, N.Y.) in the back to walk in a run. The next batter, Christian Walker (Kennedy-Kenrick, Limerick, Pa.), then stroked a single up the middle to score two more runs and make the score 8-1.                                          

The Brewers Gray (a team which consists of prospects from both Northern and Southern California) chipped away at the deficit with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, highlighted by a run scoring double by Mitchell Haniger (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif.) that ricocheted off the top of the left field wall. The Brewers Gray could get no closer, however, as they went quietly in the bottom of the seventh. Mayers finished the game by retiring the side on a flyout, groundout and popup. Kyle Hansen (St. Dominick, Glen Cove, N.Y.) was credited with the win for the New York Yankees.

Corrections or comments? Email mark@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment so others can check it out.

by Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

Texas Rangers 5, Chicago White Sox 4

The 2008 Area Code Games started with the nation's top players in the Midwest Region (White Sox) facing an elite group of players from the state of Texas and Louisiana. Right off the bat, White Sox pitcher Ian Krol (Nequa Valley, Naperville, Ill.) struck out the side in the top of the first inning. Over two innings Krol impressed, as he fanned five and gave up one unearned run.

With one out in the top of the second, the Rangers' Colton Cain (Waxahachie, Texas) came through with a RBI single that drove in Randal Grichuk (Lamar Consolidated, Rosenberg, Texas).

The White Sox answered with a run in the bottom of the second inning on a fielder's choice after a hit and run single by Shelby Miller (Brownwood, Texas) put Slade Heathcott (Texas, Texarkana, Texas) on third base. The bats for the White came alive again in the bottom of the third as Josh Sheffert (Lincoln Southeast, Lincoln, Neb.) drove in a run with a stand-up double.

The White Sox then took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning as the two-run frame was highlighted by a two-out infield single by Luke Maile (Covington Catholic, Crestview Hills, Ky.) that drove in Justin O'Connor (Cowan, Muncie, In.).

The White Sox were in control of this game until the top of the seventh inning when the Rangers' Jake Miller (Stratford, Houston, Texas) scored on a RBI double by Jonathan Walsh (Coppell, Texas). The Rangers stranded a runner in scoring position in that inning, but got it right back and them some in the top of the eighth as the ChiSox pitchers could not hold onto the lead.

The rally started with two out and runners on the corners. Michael Hillard (Cy-Woods, Cypress, Texas) legged out an infield hit, that caromed off the glove of Chicago's second baseman, and scored Todd Glaesmann (Midway, Waco, Texas). Cain then came through with the game-winning hit, as he stroked a stand-up double into the left centerfield gap that cleared the bases.

The Rangers' Josh Turley, a southpaw who similar to Heathcott hails from Texas High in Texarkana, sealed the deal. He pitched the final two innings for the victors. He kept the Chicago hitters off-balance and struck out five batters while being credited for the win.


Cincinnati Reds 1, Washington Nationals 0

Both starting pitchers set the tone in the nine-inning night capper, as seven Cincinnati Reds pitchers combined for a no-hitter.

Nationals' hurler Matthew Boyd (Eastside Catholic, Mercer Island, Wash.), a southpaw, threw first and he gave up zero hits, runs and walks. He also struck out three of the six batters he faced. The Reds' Tom Lemke (Northwest Christian, Phoenix, Ariz.) was just as impressive, facing only one batter over the minimum while fanning three and giving up zero hits in two innings of work.

The Reds' second hurler, Michael Dedrick (Canyon View, Cedar City, Utah) also got the job done. He did allow two walks, but he did not allow a hit among the eight batters he faced. The Nationals kept pace with the live arm of Jeffrey Ames (Skyview, Vancouver, Wash.). The righty allowed one hit, but did strike out three batters in the two frames he pitched.

After five and a half innings the game remained scoreless and only one hit had been allowed by Ames, a harmless double by Kirby Pellant (Corona del Sol, Chandler, Ariz.). The Reds' Bryce Harper, a 6-foot-3 195-pound 2011 prospect from Las Vegas High School, changed all that with one swing of the bat.

Nearly every player in attendance can play at a high level so the scouts and media at Area Code use caution when singing the praises of any particular player. With Harper, however, it's hard not to talk about his potential. His frame defies logic for a 15-year old and the ball simply jumps off his bat.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the left-handed Harper hit a shot off the right field wall that was hit with such ferocity that it caromed back towards the infield. Harper can also run well, and ended up with a stand-up triple. Jacob Stewart (Rocky Mountain, Fort Collins, Colo.) then drove in the game-winning run, as Harper scored on a groundout to the shortstop with one out.

The Nationals had their chances to get on the board, but in the top of the seventh inning Bobby Joe Tannehill (Kentlake, Auburn, Wash.) struck out with two runners in scoring position to end the threat. Righty A.J. Carman (Judge Memorial, Bountiful, Utah) came in to close out the no-hitter for the Reds and he got the job done, as the Nationals' batters could only come up with three comeback grounders in their last go around.

All seven of the Reds' pitchers impressed and Casey Upperman (Notre Dame, Phoenix, Ariz.) was credited with the victory.

by Senior Editor, Ronnie Flores

Long Beach, Calif. -- The 2008 Area Code Games at Blair Field started off with all eight teams going through a player evaluation process that included SPARQ Testing and batting practice. All of the testing results will be posted on sparqtraining.com by the end of the week.

In addition to SPARQ Testing, batting practice is always of keen interest to the 320 plus major league scouts in attendance. This year, however, B.P. took on a whole other dimension because of the makeup of this year's player crop.

Last year's games produced seven high school players taken in the first round of the June Amateur Draft, including top pick Tim Beckham to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Considering that group of players signed for well over 10 million dollars, the MLB scouts were extra giddy this year as the scouts were all in agreement that this year's crop had superior size and more pop in their bats across the board.                      

"Natural raw strength, muttered one American League Area Scout.

"Different type of game this year, remarked a National League Area Scout.

One team in particular that carries heavy lumber is the Milwaukee Brewers Blue Team, a club with a heavy Southern California contingent. Deep power was displayed in batting practice by such notables as Kristopher Hobson (Stockdale, Bakersfield, Calif.) and Jonathan Singleton (Millikan, Long Beach, Calif.). Hobson is a lefthanded first baseman that stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 210 pounds while Singleton is a 6-foot-2, 215-pounder. Of the 32 players on the Brewers Blue team, only three are not six-foot tall and seventeen of them check in at over 190 pounds.             

One player on the Brewers Blue that was really stroking it during batting practice was Matt Davidson, a third baseman from Yucaipa (Calif.) High. One trusted American League Area Scout commented that Davison just might be the purest hitter in Long Beach this week.

Off the Milwaukee Brewers Gray club, which consists of prospects from both Northern and Southern California, Richard Stock has opened some eyes. The Agoura High product and younger brother of USC catcher Robert Stock put on a power display that included a shot off the scoreboard in right centerfield. A catcher, the left-handed hitting Stock had no problem clearing the outfield fence that sits 387 feet from home plate in right centerfield.                 

Other standouts during B.P. included Demetrius McKelvie (East Columus, Hallsboro, N.C.) of the Oakland A's (Southeast Region) and Randal Grichuk (Lamar Consolidated, Rosenberg, Texas) of the Texas Rangers, which won the first of nineteen games on Tuesday afternoon.

Posted by Andrew Drennen

NEW YORK, N.Y. It was a final workout for the Yankees Area Code Team. The trip to the Bronx not for evaluation, but to reward the players for their selection to the 2008 Area Code Baseball Games and represent the Northeast.

The East Coast has seen its fair share of ominous weather over the past couple of days, and because of the heavy rains in the morning the team could not scrimmage, something last year's team was able to do.

Yet, the players got to dress in one of the stadium's locker rooms and don the pin stripes that are so recognizable in baseball. Through the tunnels beneath the stadium the players walked where heroes of baseball's past once did.

"Amazing, stated Area Coder Jake Mayers of Mechanicsville, Va., "it's great to be under the same roof as DiMaggio, Ruth and all the great players.

Teammate Marcus Stroman (pictured), out of Medford, N.Y. agreed with Mayers.

"It's a historic ball park, he said. "I dreamed for the longest time to see Yankee Stadium.

Stroman also echoed Mayers in that it is a great place to be because of the history.

For all of these players, it was a chance of a lifetime, to play in a cathedral of sport and know all the great players who stepped out on the same field.

"This is definitely one of the best experiences of my life. I mean to just get the opportunity to be here and see what the Major Leaguers go through everyday is one of the best things I could do, Stroman added.

Fellow Yankee Area Coder, Mike Yastrzemski (Andover, Mass.) added, "It was a great place to visit, something I'll always will remember.

And with the rain, the players were still able to get a taste of Yankee Stadium, and they would be the last Area Code Team to do so.

Mayers summed it up perfectly, "Amazing.

Posted by Andrew Drennen

Torrance, Calif.- A year ago it was the Arizona Diamondbacks who brought the team from the Southeast and this year, it will be the Oakland Athletics.  Below is the roster for the the A's headed to Long Beach.

Posted by Andrew Drennen

Torrance, Calif.- The Miwaukee Brewers announced today their "Blue" roster for the 2008 Area Code Baseball Games this August.

The Brewers Blue Area Code Team roster has a star studded field of high school talent that is primarily assembled from Southern California region.  

Cameron Garfield (Murrietta Valley), a strong defensive catcher, Kristopher Hobson (Stockdale) and outfielders Matt Moyinham (Cathedral Catholic) and Jake Marisnick (Riverside Poly) head up a strong group of position players.  

The pitching staff features some of the top talent in all the country.  Tyler Matzek (Capistrano Valley), Scott Griggs (San Ramon Valley), Matt Hobgood (Norco) and Garret Hughes (La Costa Canyon) are all dominating in their own respects.  

Other notable players are Tony Renda (Serra), John Altobelli (Woodbridge) and rising underclassman Christian Lopes (Valencia), a 2011 player and perhaps one of the best overall players at his peer group in the nation.  

More pitchers of interest is sophomore Adam Plutko (Glendora) and Bryan Berglund (Royal) should make a splash at the Area Code Games.  

Posted by Andrew Drennen

Torrance, Calif. - Previously you read the list of players who were selected to play on one of the two Milwaukee Brewers' Area Code Team Rosters.  Now, the two final rosters are set and the Milwaukee Brewers Gray roster is below.  Twenty-nine players from the Golden State are on this year's roster, which is an increase of three from 2007.  

The team is loaded from top to bottom and the roster includes players from the San Fernando Valley to Northern California. Commonly, the gray team is referred to as the Northern California team, but in fact that is a misconsception.  Many players from Northern California are on the roster, but many of the top players from Southern California are also on the team.  In year's past Mike Moustakas, No. 2 overall pick to the Royals in 2007 draft, Matt Dominguez, No. 14 overall to the Florida Marlins in the 2007 draft wore the gray uniforms in the 2006 Area Code Baseball Games.  

This team has balance and depth throughout.  The position players are especially strong with a lot of offensive power potential.  Outfielders Andrew Aplin (Vanden) and Joe Lewis (Pittsburg) show promise coming into the games, as well as Kelly Dugan (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks) a switch hitter that displays power from both sides of the plate.  

Another fast moving player is Richard Stock (Agoura), a left handed hitting catcher, that had some of the best overall power at any of the three Area Code Tryouts in California.  

On the pitching front, returning Area Code player Nicholas Berhel (De La Salle), Scott Griggs (San Ramon Valley) and Nicholas Vander Tuig (Oakdale) all possess 90mph plus fastballs.  Vander Tuig is the lone underclassman on the gray team to be selected and one of five total from the state to be on either Brewers' roster.

 The gray team als features a strong rotation of lefties with Matt Nadolski (Casa Grande), Robbie Erlin (Scotts Valley), Billy Wardell (Freedom) and Justin Jones (Oakdale). All are anticipated to make an impact at the Area Code Baseball Games. 

Posted by Andrew Drennen

Torrance, Calif.- The roster for the team representing the Midwest is here.  All three tryouts for the Chicago White Sox Area Code Team were strong and look for another crop of talent to make some noise in Long Beach this year.  

Below are the players who will dawn the pin stripes in the 2008 Area Code Baseball Games, at Blair Field in Long Beach.

Posted by Deputy Editor Mark Tennis

Torrance, Calif. - It might seem like a quick pick to select Tim Beckham from Griffin High of Griffin, Ga., as the 2008 EA SPORTS National Player of the Year. After all, Beckham was the first choice overall in this year's June Amateur Baseball Draft, topping even players still in college.

But it wasn't easy at all. There were two players in California that would have been equally strong choices as well as others from Illinois, New Jersey and Florida. Beckham certainly had strong credentials, but the downside is that he wasn't able to lead his Griffin High team to a state title unlike some of the other candidates.

Still, none of the others were judged to have done enough to knock off Beckham. In addition to being named the EA SPORTS National Player of the Year, Beckham also headlines a group of 30 players chosen as first team EA SPORTS All-Americans with 30 more earning second team honors. These players are joined by EA SPORTS National Coach of the Year Larry Turner from Owasso High in Oklahoma.

"We're proud to honor these young men and are looking forward to seeing these players continue to compete at a high level as they move on in their baseball careers," said Brian Movalson, EA SPORTS Director of Sports Marketing. "The EA SPORTS All-American honor is becoming one of the best in high school athletics because of the way they are done and because of the people who do the research behind the scenes. These student-athletes truly represent the best in the game in high school athletics."

Beckham's high level of future competition will be in the minor leagues and not at his college choice of USC. Only a few days after the Tampa Bay Rays selected the Georgia star with the first pick of the draft, they signed him with a record $6.15 million bonus. He was to report to Princeton, W. Va., of the Appalachian League where he also will play with older brother, Jeremy. He was selected by Tampa Bay one day after his younger brother.

Beckham was more than just the highest draft pick, too. He led Griffin to a spot in the Georgia state championships, although the team lost in the final. He hit .667 during the team's playoff run and ended the season with a .482 average combined with six homers, 41 RBI and 22 stolen bases.

As a junior, Beckham showed what was yet to come with a season that was just as spectacular as his senior year. The 6-2, 190-pounder hit .512 with six triples, six homers, 39 RBI and 20 steals. After that season, he went on to showcase his skills in numerous summer events, highlighted by an MVP performance at the Aflac All-American Game in San Diego.

Beckham, who also was more than solid academically at Griffin High with a 3.10 GPA and a 1320 on his SAT, is foreseen to be a shortstop at the major league level. He has been compared favorably to former major leaguer Barry Larkin, who like Beckham also had a multi-sport background. In Beckham's case, he played both basketball and football and comes from a town steeped in football tradition, producing former NFL players such as Rayfield Wright (Dallas Cowboys) and Willie Gault (Chicago Bears).

After Beckham's first-round selection and signing bonus, Griffin High may never be the same as a football school again.

Turner, meanwhile, has turned Owasso High into the top baseball school in Oklahoma. He capped his 26th season at the school by guiding the Rams to a 35-3 record and second straight Class 6A state title. They also ended at No. 6 in the final Rivals.com FAB 50 national rankings.

Owasso's state title this year was the seventh under Turner and 10th overall. The coach actually was a standout on the school's first state title team in 1973 and since becoming the head coach in 1983 his teams have compiled a 762-200 record. The three-time Tulsa World News Coach of the Year also has led Owasso to the state final for 10 of the last 11 years.

2008 EA SPORTS BASEBALL ALL-AMERICANS FIRST TEAM

Catchers

Jean Rodriguez (George Washington, New York, N.Y.) Sr.
He led the Trojans to a 46-2 record and the city Public School Athletic League title while earning city Player of the Year honors. In the regular season, the 10th round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies batted a torrid .563 with four home runs and capped his career with a .389 average in the post-season playoffs.

Kyle Skipworth (Patriot, Riverside, Calif.) Sr.
Argbuably the best pure hitter on this team, Skipworth set a state record early in the season with a streak of getting 18 hits in 18 consecutive at-bats. The sixth pick overall in the MLB Draft by the Florida Marlins ended up hitting .543 with 51 hits and 51 runs scored. Skipworth also had 13 homers, 47 RBI and 13 other extra-base hits. He led his team to a 27-3 record, but the Warriors were upset in the CIF Southern Section Div. IV playoffs.

Pitchers
 
Gerrit Cole (Lutheran, Orange, Calif.) Sr.
Before the season, Cole was ranked as the top high school prospect in the nation by Baseball America. He ended up as a first-round pick by the New York Yankees. The flame-throwing right-hander struck out 121 batters compared to just 18 walks during the season and had an 8-2 record with a 0.47 ERA. Cole, who reached 98 mph on the radar gun, also struck out nine straight batters in one game in which numerous scouts were on hand.

Brett DeVall (Niceville, Fla.) Sr.
The state Class 5A Player of the Year was the 40th overall draft selection by the Atlanta Braves after posting big numbers as a senior. He was 12-1 on the mound, plus two saves, with an 0.41 earned run average. He struck out 140 in 86 innings and gave up only 21 bases on balls.

Ben Flora (Plano West, Plano, Texas) Sr.
Blossoming with a 13-0 record on the year and a 0.91 ERA, Flora was named the Dallas Morning News Player of the Year. In 77 innings, he struck out 112 and has signed with Texas Tech. During the postseason, Flora was 5-0 with a 0.37 ERA, including a win in the state semifinals. Plano West won its first Class 5A state championship and was No. 5 in the final Rivals.com FAB 50 national rankings.

Chase Hawkins (Brookwood, Snellville, Ga.) Sr.
The lefthander led the Broncos to a 34-3 record, a state Class AAAAA title and No. 7 ranking in the Rivals.com FAB 50 national ratings by tying a school record with 14 wins in 15 decisions. The University of Georgia recruit also owns the school record with 26 career victories as the No. 1 hurler on the state champion staff.

Danny Hultzen (St. Albans, Washington, D.C.) Sr.
The lefthander was selected the D.C. metro Player of the Year after helping St. Albans to a 32-2 record. A University of Virginia recruit who was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks, he won all his starts for a 13-0 record while striking out 140 batters in 73 innings and posting an 0.74 ERA. He also batted .386 with eight doubles, five triples and four homers while driving in 37 runs and scoring 36 times.

Taylor Jungmann (Georgetown, Texas) Sr.
The two-time All-Central Texas player of the year was a perfect 14-0 on the year, including a shutout win over nationally-ranked Plano West in a best two-of-three series. In 83 innings, he struck out 146 and was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels. Jungmann was an Area Code Games participant last summer and was an Aflac All-American. He has signed a letter of intent to play at the University of Texas.

Trevor May (Kelso, Wash.) Sr.
May went 11-1 with 128 strikeouts, picking up his final win in the state semifinals before being drafted in the fourth round by the Philadelphia Phillies. On the year, he threw six complete games, four shutouts and back-to-back no-hitters. May had signed with the University of Washington before being the highest amateur to be drafted from the state.

Eric Pfisterer (Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, N.J.) Sr.
The lefthanded Duke University recruit was an all-around player for the 33-0 record Ironmen, which capped the first unbeaten season in talent-rich Bergen County since 1950 with a state Non-Public A title and No. 1 ranking in the Rivals.com FAB 50 ratings. A draft selection by the Cincinnati Reds, he was 10-0 on the mound including the state final win over Christian Brothers. For good measure, he also batted .525 with 52 hits.

Jake Odorizzi (Highland, Ill.) Sr.
There's nothing odorous about what Odorizzi did this season. The Gatorade State Player of the Year was selected 32nd overall in the recent draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. On the field, he led Highland to its first state title and top ranking overall in both Illinois and for the St. Louis metro area. He allowed just one run all year on the mound going 14-0 with 146 strikeouts and just six walks. At the plate, he hit .412 with 15 homers, 41 RBI and stole 33 bases.

Tyler Stovall (Hokes Bluff, Ala.) Sr.
The lefthanded three-sport standout put up state record pitching and hitting numbers while starting on five straight state Class 3A title teams. This season the Eagles were 28-3 as the Auburn recruit, and 64th overall draft selection by the Atlanta Braves, posted a 14-1 record with three no-hitters, 187 strikeouts in 84 innings and an 1.00 ERA. The state Mr. Baseball set state career records with 54 wins and 683 strikeouts and also with 94 doubles at the plate.

Infielders

Tim Beckham (Griffin, Ga.) Sr.
The EA SPORTS National Player of the Year was the first No. 1 overall pick in this year's Major League Baseball Draft. Two others from Georgia also were among the first eight selections.

Andy Burns (Rocky Mountain, Fort Collins, Colo.) Sr.
The Rocky Mountain News All-Colorado player of the year for the second straight season is bound for the University of Kentucky. Burns dominated during the Class 5A playoffs once again as he hit .481 with 10 homers. He was walked 25 times but was still able to drive in 34 runs. Before his final season with the Lobos, he was selected as an Aflac All-American.

Anthony Hewitt (Salisbury School, Salisbury, Conn.) Sr.
The Brooklyn, New York native and Vanderbilt recruit was the 24th overall draft selection by the Philadelphia Phillies after posting big numbers at the boarding school. The shortstop, who also can play outfield, batted .536 with eight homers, nine doubles, and scored 30 runs.

Brandon Loy (Rowlett, Garland, Texas) Sr.
Loy was one of the top players in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and led Rowlett to a 32-3-2 record. Headed for the University of Texas, he hit .527 on the year with 33 RBI. Loy also had 17 doubles and four triples while scoring 48 times and stole 38 bases to help his team reach the Class 5A regional semifinals.

Steve Proscia (Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, N.J.) Sr.
The state Player of the Year honoree led the 33-0 record Ironmen to the state Non-Public A title and the No. 1 spot in the Rivals.com FAB 50 national rankings. A third baseman who signed with the University of Virginia and was drafted by the Minnesota Twins, Proscia batted .545 with 55 hits, including 24 extra base blows, and scored 56 times. He also belted nine home runs and drove in 45 runs.

Outfielders

Xavier Avery (Cedar Grove, Decatur, Ga.) Sr.
A two-sport standout who also stars as a football tailback, he batted .561 this season with eight home runs, 42 runs scored, and 35 stolen bases. The speedy lefthanded centerfielder was the 50th overall draft selection by the Baltimore Orioles.

Joey Belviso (American Heritage, Plantation, Fla.) Sr.
The state Class 3A Player of the Year, and runner-up for overall state honors, led the hard-hitting Patriots with 15 home runs and a .507 batting average. He also knocked in 34 runs for the 31-2 record Patriots, who captured a state title and was ranked No. 3 in the Rivals.com FAB 50 national ratings. The center fielder was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels.

Jaff Decker (Sunrise Mountain, Peoria, Az.) Sr.
Was named The Republic's West Valley and Big Schools Player of the Year after a standout final season. On the mound he was 9-1 with a 1.02 ERA and struck out 122 in 68.2 innings. At the plate, Decker batted .565 with 56 runs, 17 homers, and 53 RBI. He also stole 21 bases and is headed to Arizona St. unless he signs with San Diego after the Padres selected him 42nd overall.

Aaron Hicks (Wilson, Long Beach, Calif.) Sr.
With blazing speed in the outfield, a quick bat at the plate and a super throwing arm, Hicks was the Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year in California. The 14th pick in the first round of the recent MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins added dominant pitching to his resume this season. He went 8-2 with a 1.16 ERA, reached 97 mph on the gun and had 112 strikeouts. Offensively, Hicks, who led Wilson to the CIF Southern Section Div. I title game, batted .473 with 12 doubles, four homers, 23 RBI and 37 stolen bases. As a junior, Hicks stole 44 bases in 45 attempts and led Wilson in runs scored when it was the No. 1 team in the state.

Multi-Purpose

Tyler Chatwood (East Valley, Redlands, Calif.) Sr.
A second-round MLB Draft pick by the Los Angeles Angels, Chatwood is a two-time San Bernardino County player of the year honoree. He won it last year as an outfielder and this year as a shortstop-pitcher. Chatwood came back from Tommy John surgery during his sophomore year and this season went 9-1 with 95 strikeouts and a 0.81 ERA. He also batted .521 with 23 RBI and 18 steals in leading his school to the CIF Southern Section Div. II championship game.

Zack Cox (Pleasure Ridge Park, Louisville, Ky.) Sr.
The third baseman-pitcher helped the Panthers to a 38-4 record and the state one-class championship. The University of Arkansas recruit, and Los Angeles Dodgers' draftee, sported a 10-0 mound record, including two no-hitters, with an 0.97 earned run average and 108 strikeouts. At the plate, he batted .457 with 46 RBI and seven home runs.

Matt Hobgood (Norco, Calif.) Jr.
Despite being a junior, Hobgood was a serious candidate to be state player of the year in California. He was 10-0 as a pitcher with a 1.34 ERA and beat Orange Lutheran and fellow EA SPORTS All-American Gerrit Cole in the playoffs. With the bat, Hobgood cranked out 15 homers with a .489 average and 45 RBI. Hobgood, who reached 96 mph on his fastball, has already committed to Cal State Fullerton.

Eric Hosmer (American Heritage, Plantation, Fla.) Sr.
After EA SPORTS Player of the Year Tim Beckham, Hosmer was the next high school player chosen in the MLB Draft at No. 3 in the first round by the Kansas City Royals. He was a leader on a team that went 32-2 and was No. 3 in the final Rivals.com FAB 50 national rankings with a .471 batting average, 11 homers and 27 RBI. Hosmer also was used to pitch in relief where he picked up five saves and had a 0.93 ERA. He was a legitimate national player of the year candidate, but in Florida fellow EA SPORTS All-American and teammate Joey Belviso was the Class 3A state player of the year.

Jonathan Hughes (Valley Christian, San Jose, Calif.) Sr.
A finalist for Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year in California, Hughes led his team to a second straight CIF Central Coast Section Div. I title. As a hitter, he batted .432 with 10 doubles, one homer and 35 RBI. As a pitcher, he went 14-1 with a 0.82 ERA. Hughes, who got the wins in his team's final two games, was named the San Jose Mercury-News and San Francisco Chronicle player of the year. He is bound for the University of Santa Clara.

Casey Kelly (Sarasota, Fla.) Sr.
The state Player of the Year selection helped his team record a 25-3 record while starring as a shortstop-pitcher. A University of Tennessee recruit as a football quarterback and baseball player, he batted .473 with 13 doubles, one triple and five home runs with 47 runs and 31 RBI. For good measure. Kelly was 8-1 on the mound with a 1.16 ERA and 77 strikeouts. He was a first round draft pick, and 30th overall, by the Boston Red Sox.

Jeff Malm (Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas, Nev.) Jr.
One of only two juniors named first team EA SPORTS All-American is a 6-3 first baseman and pitcher who led the Gaels to their second straight Class 4A state title. Malm batted .582 with 61 RBI and scored 59 times. He also hit 25 doubles and seven homers while also going 5-2 on the mound where he struck out 62 in 41 innings. He has earlier been named the Southern Nevada Baseball Player of the Year.

Ethan Martin (Stephens County, Toccoa, Ga.) Sr.
The 15th overall selection in the Amateur Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the third baseman-pitcher batted .528 with 12 home runs this season. The Clemson recruit also was 9-1 on the mound with a 1.36 earned run average with 112 strikeouts in 60 innings.

Logan Verrett (Calallen, Corpus Christi, Texas) Sr.
Verrett was more than very good in leading the Wildcats (No. 2 in the final Rivals.com FAB 50 national rankings) to a 42-1 record and Class 4A state title. He finished the season a perfect 18-0 with an ERA under 1.00. Verrett hit a home run in the team's mercy-rule shortened championship game and batted .420 overall. He has committed to Baylor.

Posted by Andrew Drennen

Torrance, Calif.- What started with three tryouts, one in Northern California and two in Southern California, with a little less then 300 players, the Milwaukee Brewers Area Code Team is proud to announce the players on the final roster.

Below is the list of the names of players who will find themselves on either the Blue or Gray Rosters. Notable names from last year's Brewers' teams include, Kyle Skipworth (Gatorade Player of the Year) and Aaron Hicks (CalHiSports.com State Player of the Year). Here is the list of players from California, who will play in Long Beach. In the coming days, the players will be released again, but in their teams.

Posted by Paul Muyskens

While their dad, Bob, was nearly 365 miles away managing the Oakland Athletics in a game versus the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim both Bobby and Brett Geren were in Stockton earlier this week trying out for the Milwaukee Brewers Area Code Baseball team.

Brett Geren will be a sophomore next school year.

	Bobby Geren showed he could play at the hot corner during Area Code Games tryout.

Posted by Andrew Knepper

Costa Mesa, Calif.- Sunday, July 6, Area Code Baseball hosted the second of two California instructional camps under the sunny skies at Orange Coast College. The morning started with SPARQ Testing and recording the best SPARQ Rating was Logan Allen of Atascadero high school. Allen attended both camps and both days he recorded the best SPARQ Rating with a 71.62 rating at Delta College and a 72.18 at Orange Coast.

After the SPARQ Testing the players broke into groups by position and worked on defensive skills.  Looking good in the middle infield was Jordan Castro of Capistrano Valley High.  He showed natural instincts off the ball and moved gracefully during the defensive drills and awed the audience when he made a backhanded web gem in the simulated game. 

Another position player who impressed was 2011 graduate Jordan Bass out of Calabasas high.  Obtaining a strong projectable frame in the near future, Bass made an impression that looks to land him in a tryout this coming week.

Recording the fastest 60-Yard dash times on the day were Scott Liske (6.96), Logan Allen (6.98), and Joseph Luna (6.99).  The running surface was a dew-covered outfield which resulted in slower times. Going sub-seven today was impressive to say the least.

After the lunch break the players broke up into three groups and played a simulated game with one of the teams taking batting practice in the cage, one in the field and one team rotating at the plate. 

On the mound Donovan Gonzales out of Twenty One Palms high school topped out with the best fastball that ranged between 82-85 MPH.  His secondary stuff was good as well with a 73 MPH hook, which had nice late action and  a 71 MPH Change-up.

Julian Esquibel from Vista high threw well with a projectible fastball to touch around 90-91 in the future.  Today he was sitting around 84-85 MPH with 72 MPH breaking ball.

The Area Code Baseball Instructional Camps are over and there are only two more Area Code Baseball Tryouts left before the Area Code Baseball Games in August.

Posted by Andrew Drennen

Stockton, Calif.- The first of three Area Code Baseball Tryouts for the Milwaukee Brewers was held Thursday at Delta College. The strength of the tryout were the infielders and pitchers.

Griggs threw well at Delta