The New York Yankee Area Code Baseball Tryout dates are listed below. This year there will be five workouts in the Northeast for a spot in Long Beach. The tryouts are invite only and will be sent out later this Spring.
Saturday, June 12 @ Syracuse Chiefs Ballpark in Syracuse, NY (9:00 AM - 2:00 PM) Sunday, June 13 @ Syracuse Chiefs Ballpark in Syracuse, NY (Morning Workout TBA) Monday, June 14 @ Trenton Thunder Ballpark in Trenton, NJ (9:00 AM - 2:00 PM) Tuesday, June 15 @ Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Ballpark in Allentown, PA (9:00 AM - 2:00 PM) Wednesday, June 16 @ Bentley College in Waltham, MA (9:00 AM - 2:00 PM)
According to the AP, Stanford running back and Heisman Runner-up, Toby Gerhart is headed to the NFL Draft. He was a dual sport-star at Stanford and before he got to Palo Alto he was a three sport star at Norco. He eventually stopped playing basketball to focus on football and baseball. CLICK HERE to read about Gerhart's move.Below is a story that appeard in the Winter 2006 issue of SPARQ Magazine about Gerhart and his time at Norco.
Before the suburban building boom of the Eighties, the Southern California town of Norco was famed for its numerous horse farms.
Still clinging to its history, the city proudly declares itself "Horse Town, USA.” Today, mini-vans outnumber the mustangs, but Norco has produced a thoroughbred of an athlete who has fans of the local high school ponying up their dollars at the ticket booth.
He's 18-year old Toby Gerhart. Before you begin his story, there's an epic roll of glory and honor that you need to hear.
Last fall on the football field, the 6-1, 228-pounder led all of California with 3,233 yards rushing, scored 39 touchdowns and was the key cog for a Norco High team that went 13-1 and won the CIF Southern Section Division V title. Among his memorable outings were a 458-yard, six touchdown effort in a semifinal playoff win and a 441-yard, six touchdown night against a team that was No. 5 in the state at the time.(Read full post)
Torrance, Calif. -- The dates for the 2010 Area Code Baseball Games are set. The games will get underway on August 5, 2010 and run though August 10, 2010. There will be 20 games over the six day period and all will be played at Blair Field in Long Beach, Calif.
The same teams will be back in 2010:
Milwaukee Brewers: California Washington Nationals: Pacific Northwest Cincinnati Reds: Four Corners and Hawaii Texas Rangers: Texas and Louisiana Chicago White Sox: Midwest Oakland Athletics: Southeast New York Yankees: Northeast
Last year it was the Cincinnati Reds who posted the best record at 4-1. It came down to the final day when they squarred off against the Oakland Athletics. Both teams entered 3-1.
The tryouts will start in June and run though mid July. The rosters for the teams will be made public this summer after all the tryous are completed. Check back to ESPNRISE.com Baeball and AreaCodeBaseball.com when the tryout dates are released.
Blake Grant-Parks is a junior at Yuba City (Calif.) High School, the same high school where Max Stassi, now in the Oakland Athletics' organization hailed from. Grant-Parks was invited to the Area Code Baseball Tryout last year, as a sophomore and he went to the workout at Delta College in Stockton, Calif. We saw him again this past December at the Area Code Baseball Camp at Delta.
We threw some questions out to him and here is what he had to say.
ESPNRISE.com: Why did you decide on baseball? Blake Grant-Parks: When I was younger, I liked to watch baseball on TV, my mom bought me a bat and ball for my first birthday.
ER.com: Do you play any other sports? BGP: I play basketball but not competetively.
ER.com: What is the outlook for your high school team this year? BGP: It is my goal to help my team win a 4th consecutive section championship.
ER.com: What is your dream school, and why? BGP: My dream school is Arizona State University because, they have the best baseball program for potential future pro ball players.
ER.com: If you could face any MLB pitcher who would it be and why? BGP: If I could face any MLB pitcher it would be Tim Lincecum because, he is one of the best pitchers in the league and I like the challenge of hitting off the best pitchers.
ER.com: I understand you attended an Area Code Tryout last summer, what was that like for you? BGP: I was looking forward to showing off my catching, throwing and batting talents, it also give me the opportunity to see other playing I will be playing and competing with in the near future.
QUICK HITS:
Favorite sports team: The San Francisco Giants The Arizona Diamondbacks
Dream car: Range Rover
On your iPod: Lupe Fiasco Drake Will
One thing I'd grab from my burning house: My catchers glove
Favorite athlete to watch: Yadier Molina
Pregame ritual: Bowl of Frosted Flakes and bottle of Vita Water
Best player ever competed against: Cody Kent
Goal for the season: Assist my team to get sectional title.
Biggest rival: Benicia High School
Best advice from a coach: Play the game like its ment to be played, "Play Hard"
Major League Baseball had its Rule 5 Draft Thursday in Indianapolis. The Milwaukee Brewers selected Chuck Lofgren with the No. 13 pick. The Brewers took him from the Indians organization.
Photo by Tom Hauck
Lofgren finds himself in a familiar uniform
"Obviously it's sad in a way because I made a lot of friends with Cleveland, and I respect the players and the front office in that organization," Lofgren told BaseballAmerica.com. "But I have to be excited because I have been picked by a club like Milwaukee that wants me.
Wearing the Brewers jersey will be nothing new to Lofgren, as in 2003 he played for the Milwaukee Brewers Area Code Team at the 2003 Area Code Baseball Games.
That same year Phil Hughes, Sean O'Sullivan, Justin Upton, Yovanni Gallardo and Matt Bush were all in Long Beach, Calif., that year.
Lofgren went in the fourth round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft.
The big lefty got drafted out of high school, Serra (San Mateo, Calif.). That is the same Serra of San Mateo that produced Tom Brady and Barry Bonds.
"I think it kind of pumps you up as a player playing in the shadow of Barry Bonds, Gregg Jefferies, some of the greatest players,” he said to Student Sports back in 2004.
Back in March of 2004, Student Sports Magazine, featured the lefty on its cover. That same year, he was selected to the CalHiSports.com First Team All-State. He lost out on state player of the year honors, to the No. 1 pick in the 2004 draft, Matt Bush. Trevor Plouffe, Matt Bush, Mark Trumbo and Sean O'Sullivan were all members of that team.
He actually decided on Santa Clara as his college choice and he made that decision over Cal-State Fullerton and Arizona State.
"I like the Catholic atmosphere,” he said in the Student Sports cover story. "It's a really strong academic school.”
In 2009 he posted a 6-10 record with a 5.31 ERA and did that after a 3-1 record with a 1.48 ERA in Double A.
Tyler Beede, out of Lawrence Academy (Auburn, Ma.) was one of two 2011 players to play on the 2009 Yankees Area Code Team. The righty is one of the top pitchers in his year. We caught up with the young arm back in August and this is what he had to say.
A member of the New York Yankees Area Code Team, Alex Farkes from Buckingham Brown & Nichols (Cambridge, Ma.), decided on Penn State, to further his education and to play baseball.
Kealani Kimball/ESPN RISE
Farkes off to Happy Valley
"I chose Penn State because of the potential of the program, along with its academic prestige, and because of their coaching staff,” the infielder/catcher said of his choice to be a Nittany Lion. Last year, Penn State finished 25-26 (8-16 in Big Ten play).
As mentioned earlier, Farkes is an infielder/catcher, but it looks like his future may be behind the plate. Because of that change in positions, Farkes knew Penn State would be a good fit for him.
"Robbie Wine was drafted in the first round as a catcher,” he said. "He also converted from the infield to being a catcher like me.” That is the same Robbie Wine who is now the head coach of Penn State.
"I saw many similarities between us two that really made Penn State the place I wanted to go, he is a great guy and I am very excited to play for him for the next three years.”
Plus, Penn State has a new stadium and it couldn't be better for Farkes in Happy Valley.
The process of choosing Penn State was fun for Farkes. "It was very cool getting phone calls from colleges that wanted you. I told Penn State that I was coming there in early August so it felt great to be secure, but I just knew it was the place for me after I took my unofficial visit there.”
Now, with the decision out of the way, he can focus on finishing up his senior year. No more stress on whether or not he will have a place to play in college. He does.
Living in the Northeast poses its own set if obstacles for baseball players. They cannot play year round, and that is not necessarily a bad thing, in comparison to players in the Sunbelt states. But not playing baseball year round was fine with him.
On the gridiron he peaked some schools' interest. "I am happy that I can enjoy other sports. I love football and I received a lot of interest from D1 schools like Duke, Rutgers, BC, and Syracuse.”
Athletics runs in his family. He has three older brothers, all of whom played in college. His oldest brother, Zak, went to Harvard and then spent five seasons in the Red Sox organization. He was drafted in 2004 in the 39th round by the Red Sox.
The second oldest, Josh, played at UConn. Then this third oldest brother, Adam, chose football over baseball and went off to the University of Maine to play quarterback. He has since transferred to Texas A&M Commerce where he is the signal caller now.
"They are the reason why I am who I am. They taught me everyday regardless of what happens to make sure I am playing as hard as I can, and not worrying about results,” he remarked on following his brothers.
"It was tough at first trying to follow in their footsteps but I really use it to my advantage because I have all their experiences in my mind and they have made me a much stronger and more intelligent person and athlete.”
Now, that the decision is made he can focus on playing the game he loves.
Kellen Sweeney is an infielder out of Jefferson High School. He hails from Cedar Rapids, Iowa and played on the Chicago White Sox Area Code Team. His older brother, Ryan, plays for the Oakland Athletics and is currently hitting .288 with six homers and 47 RBIs.
Ryon Healy and Josh Mason played together for one of the best teams in California last year. In 2009 the Crespi (Encino, Calif.) Celts started unranked by CalHiSports.com. When the season ended, the Celts finished with a 21-11 record, a No. 19 final state ranking and the CIFSS Div. II champions. They topped Huntington Beach 8-1 at Angel Stadium. Healy had a heck of a game in the finals against the Oilers, as he homered and went the distance on the mound. Here is a conversation at the 2009 Area Code Games with Ryon Healy and his teammate, Josh Mason.
Starting on Saturday, September 12, the Team USA 18U Trials are set to begin. There are a total of 44 players who will be in the Cary/Raleigh, N.C. part of the state trying to secure a roster spot for when Team USA travels to Barquisimeto, Venezuela, to play in the 2009 COPABE Pan Am "AAA" (18U) Championships. That tournament gets underway later this month, September 24.
Last year, Team USA took home the Silver Medal in the International Baseball Federation's XXIII AAA World Junior Championships, which was held in Canada. The 2009 team looks to better last year's international competition's results in a couple of weeks.
Looking at the roster there are some names that stand out.
The catcher out of Las Vegas has been everywhere it seems. Bryce Harper has tremendous power at the plate and has a strong arm in the field. Harper is no stranger to international competition. Back in 2008 Harper played on 16U Team USA, in the COPABE "AA" Youth Pan American Championships. In that tournament, Harper hit .571 with four homers and 16 RBIs. Team USA captured the Gold Medal in that tournament.
Other 16U players trying out for the 18U team:
Matt Lipka: Out of McKinney (Texas) High School, Lipka played in the 2009 Area Code Baseball Games as a shortstop for the Texas Rangers. In 2008, while playing in the COPABE "AA" Youth Pan American Championships, he hit .467.
Marcus Littlewood: Out of Pine View (St. George, Utah) High School, Littlewood is an alternate at this year's tryout. Back in 2008 Littlewood hit .375 with 12 RBIs. He was named to the COPABE "AA" Youth Pan American Championships All Tournament Team, along with Bryce Harper.
Christian Lopes: The infielder out of Valencia (Calif.) High School is another player on the roster for the trials. Lopes is a smooth fielding shortstop, who played in the 2008 and 2009 Area Code Baseball Games. In 2009, for Valencia, Lopes hit .453 with 15 homers. He was named to the First Team All State by CalHiSports.com, as a sophomore. There were only three underclassman on that team. He was also named State Freshman of the Year by CalHiSports.com and threw his first two years in high school has hit 25 homers.
Anthony Wolters: The infielder from Rancho Buena Vista (Vista, Calif.) High School had a solid summer, to say the least. He was named the 2009 AFLAC All-American Game MVP, has he came up with a big hit to send the AFLAC All-American Game into extra innings. He was named to the Second Team All-State by CalHiSports.com.
There are a total of 16 players from California, by far the most from any state, in North Carolina this week. Florida came in second with five players.
Players from the 2009 Area Code Baseball Games
Jesse Biddle | LHP | Germantown Friends | Philadelphia, Pa Cody Buckel | RHP | Royal | Simi Valley, Calif. Sean Coyle | INF | Germantown Academy | Chalfont, Pa. Gabriel Encinas | RHP | St. Paul | Whittier, Calif. Kevin Gausman | RHP | Grandview Aurora | Centennial, Colo. Cory Hahn | OF | Mater Dei | Corona, Calif. Travis Harrison | OF | Tustin | Aliso Viejo, Calif. Keenan Kish | RHP | Germantown Academy | Worcester, Pa. Matthew Lipka | RHP | McKinney | Frisco, Texas Christian Lopes | IF | Valencia | Canyon Country, Calif. Justin O'Conner | IF | Cowan | Muncie, Ind. Brian Ragira | OF | Martin | Arlington, Texas Jake Rodriguez | IF | Elk Grove | Elk Grove, Calif. Stefan Sabol | C | Aliso Niguel | Aliso Viejo, Calif. AJ Vanegas | RHP | Redwood Christian | Alameda, Calif. Tony Wolters | IF | Rancho Buena Vista | Vista, Calif. Marcus Littlewood | IF |Pineview | Saint George, Utah Griffin Murphy | LHP | Redlands East Valley |San Bernadino, Calif.
Players from the 2009 AFLAC All-America Game
Justin O'Conner | IF | Cowan | Muncie, Ind. Karsten Whitson | RHP | Chipley | Bartow, Fla. Kevin Gausman | RHP | Grandview Aurora | Centennial, Colo Bryce Harper | C | Las Vegas | Las Vegas, Nev. Matthew Lipka | RHP | McKinney | Frisco, Texas Tony Wolters | IF | Rancho Buena Vista | Vista, Calif. Marcus Littlewood | IF |Pineview | Saint George, Utah Brian Ragira | OF | Martin | Arlington, Texas Stefan Sabol | C | Aliso Niguel | Aliso Viejo, Calif. AJ Vanegas | RHP | Redwood Christian | Alameda, Calif. Jameson Taillon | RHP | The Woodlands | The Woodlands, Texas.
Players from the 2009 Under Armour All American Game
Nick Castellanos | IF | Archbishop McCarthy | Davie, Fla. Drew Cisco | RHP | Wando | Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Karsten Whitson | RHP | Chipley | Bartow, Fla. Daniel Child | RHP | Jesuit | Carmichael, Calif. Garin Cecchini | IF | Barbe | Lake Charles, La. Brian Ragira | OF | Martin | Arlington, Texas Jameson Taillon | RHP | The Woodlands | The Woodlands, Texas.
Just as Austin Wilson committed to Stanford, so did Bubank (Calif.) High School's Lonnie Kauppila. The infielder, transferred to Burbank from Crescenta Valley (La Crescenta, Calif.) High School after in the second semester of his junior year.
Scott Kurtz/ESPN RISE
Kauppila said yes to Stanford.
"While I was at Crescenta Valley the first semester of my junior year, I knew all along I would be transferring to Burbank,” he said. "Keeping it a secret was the hardest and as second semester approached, I got more and more anxious.
Eventually, people found out and Kauppila said that is when it [transferring] hit him. In his first season at Burbank he reportedly hit .508, with 25 RBIs and 12 homers. After his 2009 season he was named to the All-State Baseball Second Team Underclass by CalHiSports.com.
Changing schools is tough on anyone, and even more so when a student transfers mid-year. It is hard enough to make new friends starting at the beginning of the year, let a long mid-year.
"It wasn't until baseball practice that I made most of my friends and from that point on it was the best time for me.”
This past August, he gave a verbal to Stanford.
"There aren't really many colleges that a kid can go to that offer one the of the best educations, the opportunity to play in the prestigious Pac-10, and have a coaching staff like Stanford does,” he said.
After taking everything into account he knew that Palo Alto was the right choice.
The recruiting process can be daunting at times for athletes and combine that with a new school, it would not be a surprise of he felt over whelmed. It wasn't though for Kauppila. "The recruiting process was a blast for me.”
When you think of about it, it should be a fun time for players. Having colleges make their best pitch to get you into their school and their program. Around the first of July, reality started to sink in and the decision about his future got more serious.
"From there, it was all a matter of doing my own research and seeing where the best option would be, ranging from academics, facilities, reputation, and other infielders in the program.”
He would of course take a trip up North to visit with Coach Marquess and visit the campus. "Coach Marquess took my family and me around the school for almost two hours.”
And after that tour, he knew Stanford would be his choice.
"Going around the campus and visiting almost each aspect of the campus was amazing to me, it didn't really compare at all to the other schools I had previously been around. In the end, the baseball diamond and whole environment of the school made my jaw drop. It was really an unforgettable trip.”
Now, that the choice has been made, Kauppila said he will be more relaxed. He does not have to worry about making his choice or worry if he is going to play at the next level. He has a place to play and that feeling would sooth any athlete.
"The only thing I have to worry about is doing well in my classes,” he remarked. And there will be a change in the classes he will take in his senior year. All this to help prepare him for the challenging academic climate at Stanford.
"The work I have to put in to school is more demanding but then again, it is a lot better than having to apply to schools and go through the process that 99% of other people have to go through.”
This decision was the culmination of hard work, which there is still going to be plenty of, and a busy summer. A trend that is common, especially during the summer of a junior year. It seemed that he was playing in some sort of game or event every weekend.
"I had a Perfect Game showcase in San Diego the first weekend of summer, then went to Minnesota and played at the national showcase at the Metrodome a couple weeks later,” he said of his summer schedule.
"The Stanford camp and Area Codes were the other two main events I went to so it was pretty packed. Also, since my brother was home for the summer, everyday we were doing something baseball related to try and get better.”
Lonnie's older brother Kris just completed his freshman year at the University of Portland.
"This fall, I think I'll be playing occasionally but I'm not going to overdue it. Our school has a fall league (VIBL) and I believe I'll be playing with the Brewers Elite team for scout ball.” Kauppila's fall schedule will be just as busy, if not more so when you take into account school.
"I pretty much have my hands full but I'm going to try and take it easy for the most part.”
Dillon Moyer (The Pendleton School, Bradenton, Fla.) has baseball blood lines. His father, Jamie, is a left handed pitcher with the Phillies won a World Series ring in 2008. Moyer is also the grandson of ESPN basketball analyst Digger Phelps. Hilary May caught up with the infielder this past August.
Alex Balog played on the Milwaukee Brewers Gray team at the 2009 Area Code Baseball Games this past August. Balog is out of Northern California's Archbishop Mitty in San Jose. Balog is a dual sport athlete and it may be a surprise that his second sport is water polo. He is a big kid, standing in at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds. He is physical and has some power in his swing. He is also good around the bag, at first base.
Recently, Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz) High School's James McDonald (INF) gave a verbal commitment to Arizona State University.McDonald was an infielder on the 2009 Cincinnati Reds Area Code Team, which went 4-1 for the week, this past August.
Kealani Kimball/ESPN RISE
James McDonald is off to ASU in the fall of 2010.
"I like the coaches and players and I have always been a fan of ASU baseball,” remarked McDonald. "It's a place I fit in."
To make the decision easier, one of his older brothers recently graduated from ASU. Another influence on his decision was the fact that Arizona State has a chance at Omaha and the College World Series each year.
In 2009 the Sun Devils made it to Omaha and lost out to Texas in the semi-finals. There were other schools McDonald considered and many of them perennial baseball powers.
He talked to both Oregon schools, Virginia Tech (his oldest brother went there), Arizona, Fullerton and Baylor. "I talked a lot to Oregon State and would have liked it there,” he said. In the end he chose to play for the home-town Sun Devils and is delighted to be in the Pac-10."I wanted to play in the Pac 10.”
For many players the recruiting process is hard. Receiving phone calls and letters it can be overwhelming at times.It seems, though, that the process never got to McDonald. After the Area Code Games, he gained some interest from Wake Forest.
"I enjoyed the calls from coaches and overall thought the whole process was exciting,” McDonald noted. "It's interesting to have coaches from so many schools watching and actually a lot of fun."
Now, that the decision is made he can focus on baseball.Chaparral is one of the top high school programs in the state and in the nation.
Last year, the Firebirds finished 19-13, but don't let the record fool you. They made it all the way to the Division 4A State semi-finals where they fell to Cactus (Glendale, Ariz.) 5-1.
"It's tough to play at Chaparral,” McDonald said, "It is very competitive and it takes a lot of hard work. We have the talent to be the best team, but we have to put it all together.With the decision made he can focus on just playing baseball.
Back in high school, Storen played at Brownsburg (Ind.) and in his senior campaign (according to GoStanford.com) went 8-1 with a 0.89 ERA. At the plate, batted .400 with eight home runs and 33 RBI. He was named to the Louisville Slugger All-America First Team, but was left off the 2007 EA SPORTS All American Team. In that year, some of the pitchers who made it over Storen were Tim Alderson (Giants), Rick Porcello (Tigers) and Jarrod Parker (Diamondbacks).
Storen did play in both the East Coast Professional Showcase and the Area Code Games (Chicago White Sox NE). On his Northeast team, at the 2006 Area Code Baseball Games, were Jarrod Parker (Norwell High School, Ind.) and Rick Porcello (Seton Hall Prep, N.J.)
Now, the righty is moving through the Washington Nationals organization. He started the summer off in low Class A (Hagerstown). He moved quickly through the ranks with stops in high Class A (Potomac), just a month into his pro career and in August moved into Class AA (Harrisburg).
He will play for the Phoenix Desert Dogs this fall in the Arizona Fall League.
Christian Colon's high school career did not start in California. In fact, it started in Utah and the first time we saw him was at the Spring Training event, hosted by the then Utah Baseball Academy. He was on the 2005 Area Code Games roster for the Cincinnati Reds Team, as Christian Rodriguez. He played his high school ball at Taylorsville (Utah) High School.
The next high school season, in 2006, Rodriguez moved out to California and Canyon (Anaheim, Calif.) High School and changed his name to Christian Colon.
In his summer before his senior year, Colon played for the Milwaukee Brewers (Blue) Area Code Team, and it is the first time that we can remember a player in the two consecutive Area Code Games playing for two different teams.
He played for the 2006 Junior National Team, a team that finished in second place at the International BAseball Federation "AAA" World Junior Championships, in Cuba. He earned a special tournament award, being recognized as the top second basemanin the tournament. He was also on the 2006 AFLAC All American West Team.
Zach Lee is a 6-foot-4, 190 pound righty out of McKinney (Texas) High School. He was on the 2009 Texas Rangers Area Code Baseball Team, along with his teammate Matt Lipka. Lee also plays quarterback on the McKinney football team, where Lipka is a wide-receiver. Lee verbaled to LSU where he looks to further his athletic career.
Looking back on the 2009 Area Code Baseball Games one interesting outcome actually came at the beginning of the week when the first three games all ended in ties. Call it timely hitting, faulty pitching or both, there were three ties. The second game on August 5, 2009 was one to remember. Two of the Chicago White Sox pitchers were dominant. Both Dylan Bundy and Archie Bradley were lights out in that first game, and Bradley, a member of the 2011 class, looks to be one of the best arms in the nation.
The Cincinnati Reds Area Code Team turned in the best record of the week and for the second straight year it came down to the final day in determining the best team of the week. The Reds had a solid team this year and it may have been one of their best teams they have brought from the Four Corners. In an event such as Area Code, when there are no practices and such, it is hard for a group of players spread across a region to show up and play together. That is what the Reds did and they looked like a group of players that had been out there together before.
A couple more names that standout on the 2009 All Area Code Team are Josh Sale and Tony Wolters.
Sale is a two-time member of the Washington Nationals Area Code Team and he is a two time member of the All Area Code Team. Sale, hit two homers this year at Blair, which is no easy feat. It just sounded different when he hit the ball, in comparison to others there.
Tony Wolters was one of the best infielders at the Area Code Games. He got hit in the head early in the week, but still came back and finished the week strong. A couple of days later Wolters traveled down to Petco Park and played in the AFLAC All American Game.
ESPN RISE caught up with Central Kitsap (Bremerton, Wash.) pitcher Drew Vettleson. Vettleson pitched for the Washington Nationals team at Area Code Baseball. And, oh by the way, he's ambidextrous.
Contributing: Hilary May, Grant Bomann, Andrew Drennen
Long Beach, Calif. -- For a high school baseball game played in central Florida, the scene was electric; with an unprecedented throng of reporters and national media on hand.
Patrick Schuster, a crafty left-hander out of Mitchell High School in New Port Richey, Florida, had set a Florida state record by tossing four consecutive no-hitters. But in this particular game and the quest for no-no No. 5, Schuster was facing a tough playoff game against a familiar foe with a good hitter that had previous success against the no-hit maestro.
The foe on this late April day in a District 6A-7 Semifinal showdown was Gaither High out of Tampa. The Cowboys' contact hitter with the cool demeanor was one Drew Doty, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound centerfielder who is competing at the 2009 Area Code Games for the Oakland Athletics' sponsored team.
In a previous meeting against Mitchell earlier in the 2009 season, Doty recalled hitting a double and striking out against Schuster. Before a standing room only crowd, the soft-spoken Doty felt the electric atmosphere of the event but treated it as any other game when it was time to play.(Read full post)
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)
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)
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)
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.
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
It was the second of two tryouts in Southern California for the Milwaukee Brewers. Like the tryout yesterday, it seems that the arms were all standout.
Out of Barstow High School, pitcher Aaron Sanchez led off the simulated game on the mound. The righty was up to 93 on the gun and overpowered batters he faced. He has a good body, standing in at 6-foot-3, 175 pounds and he should get stronger. His delivery was clean and had a good arm.
Out of the 2012 class is Rio Ruiz, a 6-foot-1, 180 pound infielder out of Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.) High School. In 2009 he reportedly hit .358 and scored 31 times. He showed a good steady glove during the infield evaluations and at the plate he showed a good approach. Ruiz is one to watch in the 2012 class.
Chris Wilson, out of St. Paul High School, was another player to watch at the tryout on Wednesday. In 2009 he reportedly had an ERA of 2.96 in 52 innings pitched. Opponents only hit .194 off him last season. On the mound, on Wednesday, he sat 90-92.
Coming off of Capistrano Valley's CIFSS Div. I title, Brandon Brennan showed that the Cougars have a good young arm ready to go for next year. On the gun he was 91-92. He threw strikes and worked quickly in the simulated game.
Another young player to watch is yet another pitcher. This one out of the 2011 class and that is Henry Owens out of Edison High School in Huntington Beach, Calif. Like Brennan, who got to watch Tyler Matzek pitch, Owens got to watch Kurt Heyer pitch. The same Kurt Heyer, who lost to Matzek in the CIFSS Div. I title game, 1-0.
Owens was 87-88 on the gun. The 6-foot-3, 165 pound southpaw has a bright future. He threw strikes and kept the hitters off balance.
The Milwaukee Brewers Area Code rosters will be announced on AreaCodeBaseball.com within in the next couple of days.
It was the second of three tryouts for the Milwaukee Brewers Area Code Baseball Team, with the final workout coming on Wednesday. With over 70 players in attendenc, up for grabs was a shot at a spot on one of two Brewers Area Code Rosters.
Interestingly, there was not much speed at the tryout, when the players ran the 60-yard. There were only three times that cracked sub-seven and the fastest time was by Desmond Henry, a 5-foot-11, 167 pound OF/SS from Los Angeles Centennial High School. He was one of the fortuante players to make the cut to the afternoon session, which was the simualted game. He had one of the better arms of the players at the workout.
Royal (Simi Valley, Calif.) High School was where Bryan Berglund attended. He played in the 2009 Area Code Games last year and was drafted in the second round by the Florida Marlins. This year another pitcher from Royal, Cody Buckel (P/SS). He was 89-91 on the mound and he was invited after attending the Area Code Baseball Instructional Camp, last December at Santa Barbara City College.
Shortstop Philip Evans had a good day at the tryout. He is out of La Costa Canyon and is a member of the 2011 class. He had a good approach at the plate and was balanced. He was able to hit the fastball and the breaking ball in the game.
A couple of pitchers from Crespi (Encino, Calif.) High School lit up the gun during the game in the afternoon. The first was Ryon Healy (6-foot-4, 200 pound junior), a right handed pitcher, who led the Celts to the CIFSS Div. II finals against Huntington Beach High School. In that game the righty went the distance in the 8-1 win. He went 11-0, in 2009, with an ERA of 1.81. In the game he was 87-88 with good command and he worked fast.
His Crespi teammate Josh Mason, a 6-foot-3 180 pound P/OF had a good showing on the mound. He was 88-91 on the gun with a good breaking ball. He pitched well and was able to keep the hitters off balanced.
One other pitcher who did well was Jesus Valdez out of Hueneme (Oxnard, Calif.) High School. Eric Sondheimer, of the Los Angeles Times, said that Valdez was one to watch this summer. He did not dissapoint. Warming up, Valdez was 88-89 on the gun and then it was batter up he turned it on. He overpowered batters with his fastball the got up to 93. He had a solid breaking ball that had some bite in it.
The second tryout for the Southern California players will take place on Wednesday.
It was the second Area Code Baseball Camp of the summer and it took place at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Calif. Over sixty players were in attendance in an effort to hone their baseball skills and look to improve for summer ball, fall ball and their season in 2010.
Players started off running the 60-yard and here are the top times from the camp:
Jacob Anderson | Chino | 2011 | 1B | 6.90 Kenneth Peoples | Westchester | 2011 | SS | 6.97 Nigel Nootbaar | El Segundo | 2011 | P | 7.00 Jesus Mesa | Tustin | 2011 | SS | 7.08 Ryan Forkel | Orange Lutheran | 2010 | OF | 7.13 Steven Fisher | San Marcos | 2011 | P/SS | 7.16
After that the players went into defensive work, where the players broke up into specific positions. After that they got a brief taste on what what goes on at an Area Code Baseball Tryout. Outifleders threw to thrid base and the plate, infielders threw from the deep hole and catchers were timed from glove to glove.
Top Pop Times:
Matt Bailliet | Mission Viejo | 2010 | 1.98/2.05 Boyd Bell | Granada Hills | 2010 | 1.90/2.00 Justin McCullough | El Segundo | 2010 | 2.00/2.05 Danny Hayes | Loyola | 2010 | 2.05
After the defensive work the players went into the simulated game. Here are the top velocities from the afternoon session.
Ryan Albert | Newport | 2010 | FB: 84-87 CB: 72-75 Chris Hubocan | Mission Viejo | 2010 | FB: 84 CB: 68-71 Nigel Nootbaar | El Segundo | 2011 | FB: 83 CB: 69-71 Reed Reilly | JSerra | 2010 | FB: 83-85 CB: 68
The first of the two Southern California Area Code Baseball Tryouts start on Tuesday at Orange Coast College.
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