Posted by Andrew Drennen, ESPNRISE.com Baseball

The 2009 Arizona Senior Fall Classic kicks off tomorrow at the Peoria Sports Complez, Spring Training home of the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners. This year's tournament will feature 56 teams primarily from the Western portion of the United States. This year there are two teams from Canada and even a few teams from New York.

Players will have an opportunity to SPARQ Test this year, as they had in year's past.  

Click here for the 2009 schedule.

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By Andrew Drennen, ESPNRISE.com Baseball

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.

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By Hilary May, Special to ESPNRISE.com Baseball

Aaron Slegers is a right handed pitcher out of Notre Dame Prep in Scottsdale, Ariz.  Reportedly, in 2009 he 6-1 with an ERA of 1.32.  In his 41 innings pitched, he struck out 43 hitters.

ESPNRISE.com: If you could pick another sport to play, which would it be and why?

Aaron Slegers: I would play golf because I love how I'm responsible for 100% of my performance, whether it results in success or failure.  Also, when I play with other people it can get extremely competitive which really excites me.

ESPNRISE.com: What do your pre-game rituals consist of?

Aaron Slegers: During my pre-game rituals I always enjoy listening to fast, upbeat music like hip hop or rap.  This gets me excited and loose for the upcoming game.  I always try to get a long, deep stretch before each practice and game.  Right before the game, however, I always say a prayer to thank God for this opportunity and ask to keep me safe.

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Posted by Andrew Drennen, ESPNRISE.com Baseball

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.

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By Hilary May; Special to ESPNRISE.com

Kurt Jahnke is a pitcher/infielder out of Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.) High School.  In 2009 he hit .308 at the plate and on the mound posted a 6-2 record with a 2.51 ERA.  His Sabercats' team went 19-13 on the year and made it to the first round of the playoffs, where they fell to Cienega.  

	Courtesy of Jahnke Family
	If Jahnke could go anywhere it would be to Australia.

ESPNRISE.com: If you could pick another sport to play, which would it be and why?

Kurt Jahnke: Hockey, because it's really run to play and the action never stops.

ESPNRISE.com: What do your pre-game rituals consist of?

Kurt Jahnke: I don't have any.

ESPNRISE.com: If you could face one hitter/pitcher of any era, who would it be and why?

Kurt Jahnke: Bob Gibson, because he was one of the most intimidating pitchers ever.

ESPNRISE.com: Why do you play the game of baseball?

Kurt Jahnke: I love going out to the field and not worrying about anything except baseball.

ESPNRISE.com: Who are the key influences to your success in the game of baseball?

Kurt Jahnke: The great players I've observed in the past as well as my teammates.

ESPNRISE.com: Where do you see yourself in baseball in the future and what are you doing to get there?

Kurt Jahnke: Play college and professional baseball. By working hard everyday on hitting, running, pitching, and on being a teammate.

ESPNRISE.com: What are your plans for the summer?

Kurt Jahnke: Play summer club ball, take a summer class and get ahead in school.

ESPNRISE.com: If you could hang out with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Kurt Jahnke: Chris Farley. He was hilarious.

ESPNRISE.com: What do you do when you are not playing baseball?

Kurt Jahnke: Relax and hang out with friends.

ESPNRISE.com: Who is your favorite music artist?

Kurt Jahnke: Chronic Future.

ESPNRISE.com: If you had a free round trip ticket to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Kurt Jahnke: Australia, seems like a cool place to go.

ESPNRISE.com: What is something interesting about yourself that most people woudn't know?

Kurt Jahnke: I really like history, particularly Word War II.

Andrew Knepper; ESPNRISE.com

The final of the three Cincinnati Reds Area Code tryouts was almost stopped due to some eerie weather that brought rain, thunder and even some funnel clouds to Regis University.  The state of Colorado produced a fair amount of players for the Area Code Games, but this year the talent was far superior in the Rockies than in the desert.  In a tryout that was loaded in catchers and pitchers, the Reds seem to be set in completing their roster for this year's tournament in August.

The first bright spot of the tryout was when lone Hawaiian in Denver, Christian Carmichael, stepped up to the plate for his batting practice.  He displayed a smooth, potent swing with raw power. Behind the dish he threw a 1.89 pop time and showed a great deal of quiet confidence and great feel.

Another out of state athlete hailing from Farmington, N.M., was Jake McCasland, a pitcher/first baseman, who showed well on the mound.  Hitting 87-89 with his heater, 73-71 with this curve and 75-76 with his change, Jake made an impression on every scout in attendance with his consistency and his ability to throw all pitches for strikes.

Yet another out of state player, Trey Nielsen, from Holladay, Utah, had an impressive day in the field and at the plate.  With natural actions playing third, his defensive work during batting practice caught the attention of every person paying attention.  It is rather difficult to get noticed when all the attention is focused on the hitter during batting practice, but Nielsen displayed his own show.  This 6-foot-1, 195 pound gamer just fit the bill. 

Moving onto the home body of Colorado, one person needed no introduction when he stepped on the mound.  Kevin Gausman out of Grandview High School has been on scout's radars for a couple of years now.  Trying out last year as an underclassman, Gausman had a good chance of making the team, but knowing he had another year to go, he had to wait. On the mound, he was clocked at 90-92 with his fastball, 67 with his curve, and 76 with a change, he made the impression everyone that he was "electric”. 

Below are players who made a strong contribution to attend this year's game in August under the Californian sun.

Tito Nava – With one of the best performances of the day, Nava threw all three of his pitches for strikes and sat at 88-90 with his fastball with an average curve.  His change is what got every hitter off balance, clocking in at 75mph and had great sink working off of his fastball.  The most impressive part of Nava's game his he creates such quality velocities with a frame of 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds. 

Adam Duke – The little brother or Brock Duke, who tried out for the Reds team last year, looks to be a little further advanced at this stage than his brother was.  Sitting at 89-91 with the fastball, 73-74 with his breaking ball, Adam repeated his delivery consistently and made one of the strongest cases to make the team.

Matt Wollenzin – A well-built catcher out of Green Mountain High School displayed raw power and good times behind the dish.

Aaron Berk – This 6-foot-3, 205 pound catcher absolutely hit the leather off of the ball in batting practice.

Marco Gonzales – being athletic, Marco ran well and hit 85-86 consistently with his fastball and a good change at 74-75.

Underclassman who impressed:

Greg Bird – Being an underclassman, you would never know it by looking at him.  Weighing in at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, Greg is the perfect build for behind the plate.  He hit for great power and threw well in the pop times with a 2.03.

Austin Darby – Austin is a smooth swinging lefty with good power potential that we are looking forward to see moving in on the years.

With the Reds tryouts now officially over, the final rosters for this years games should be release within the next two weeks, check back soon to see who made it.
 

Andrew Knepper; ESPNRISE.com

ARIZONA -- The Cincinnati Reds Area Code Tryouts continued on Saturday at Chandler-Gilbert community college in Arizona and with the temperatures steaming at a hundred degrees, the hotbed for the four corners was ready to work.  Last year the Reds team consisted of Arizona draft picks Tommy Joseph, Jake Barrett, Trent Stevenson, Matt Helm, and Thomas Lemke and today we are in search for next year's crop.
 
With the usual professional workout, the 60 yard dash kicked off the tryout and it consists of all eighty scouts at the end with their stop watches and all position players running their tails off to get that sub-seven number.  The player who ran their way to the under the "Line” speed number were:

Drew McKeever – Sahuaro High School, Arizona (6.90)
Michael Benjamin – Basha High School, Arizona (6.94)
Jake MacWilliam – Arcadia High School, Arizona (6.97)
DW Warner – Desert Ridge High School, Arizona (6.98)
Chaz Contreras – McClintock High School, Arizona (6.87)
Christian Muscarello – Catalina Foothills High School, Arizona(6.97)
Hunter Zwart – Mingus High School, Arizona (6.84)
Michael Howard – Prescott High School, Arizona (6.74)
Joey Rocha – Mountain Point High School, Arizona (6.81)
Sam Wilson – El Dorado High School, New Mexico (6.82)
Trever Allen (6.84)
CJ Rodriguez (6.77)

Next it was the outfielders chance to display their prized arms:  below are the top arms at the tryout.

Michael Howard – Prescott High School, Arizona
Sam Wilson – El Dorado High School, New Mexico
Jacob Doyle – Deer Valley High School, Arizona

The infielders were next: Below are the top fielders in this crop:

James Farris – 1B, Highland High School, Arizona
Jake MacWilliams – 2B/SS, Arcadia High School, Arizona
Darian Ramage – SS, Deer Valley High School, Arizona (2011 Graduate)
Alex Real – SS, Pinnacle High School, Arizona, (2011 Graduate)
Jackie Samora – SS, Apollo High School, Arizona

The next drill was the Catchers Pop Times (the duration from when the pitch hits the catcher's glove to when the middle infielder catches it at the second base bag).  Below are the recorded best pop times of the day:

Jason Parks (2.00)
Tanner Murphy (2.06)
Nathaniel Causey (2.00)
Kevin Cron (2.12)
TC Mack (2.02)
Shaun Chase (2.00)

More to come on this tryout this week.
 

Andrew Knepper; ESPNRISE.com

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- The 2009 Area Code Baseball Tryouts started this weekend at Cashman Field, Home of the Toronto Blue Jays AAA ball clubs the Area 51's.  The Cincinnati Reds hosted 45 top recruits to tryout for the Area Code Games in Long Beach Calif., this coming August.  There were some returning faces from last year's tryouts which showed confident strides due to their previous experiences.  Brett Harrison, Derek Dunaway and Marquise Hall showed improvement from last years performance and look to be becoming fine ball players.
 
Taking in the top 60 yard dashes were Drew Robinson (6.81) Bobby Stahel (6.96) and Jeremy Ioane (7.00).  The running surface was uncharacteristically shaggy for Cashman Field and with the wind gusting into the players faces the slow overall times was directly affected.
 
With the outfield arms not bringing too much noise to the show, the infield work brought about an emerging player from the Island of Oahu.  Chace Numata from Pearl City (Honolulu, Hawaii) High School showed a good glove with a strong arm. 

The strength of Chace's arm drew strong curiosity to how he would fare behind the dish, and with never playing catcher before; he threw pop times of 1.97, 2.09, 2.06 and 2.03.  It was easy to see that his footwork was off, but never throwing from home to second this was impressive.  Listing in at 6-foot-0 and 165 pounds, Chace is currently playing shortstop, but down the line it looks like catcher might be a perfect fit.
 
Joining Chace in the catching drills was Jordan Stewart out of Foothill (Henderson, Nevada) High School, who tossed the best times of the day with a 1.87 and 1.93.  Not only were his pop times impressive and accurate, his bat was just was strong.
 
Moving on to batting practice with the wind howling in form right field, nothing left the yard until the second to last group batted and Cameron Harper belted three no doubters to left field.  His smooth approach and power stroke got attention of the fifty plus scouts in attendance.
 
Also showing good bats during batting practice were Marquise Hall, Jordan Stewart, Brett Harrison, Drew Robinson and Patrick Gallagher.
 
Once the simulated game began the first pitcher of the day, Eric Holdren, retired all five batters he faced with an 87-88 MPH fast ball and a good breaking ball. 
 
Players Below are a few player who made a good showing in Las Vegas.
 
Patrick Gallagher, a 6-foot-2 225 pound first baseman out of Reno showed good raw power in batting practice and also mashing an impressive opposite filed homerun in the simulated game.
 
Drew Robinson, a 2B/OF out of Silverado (Las Vegas, Nevada) High School displayed a good arm in the outfield drills and took home the best 60 yard dash with a 6.81.
 
Jake Hager, an underclassman at the tryout, a 2011 graduate, showed good overall tools and soft hands at the plate.  Look for him to possibly make some noise next year at the tryout.
 
Kavin Keyes, a switch-hitting middle infielder from Sandy, Utah, showcased good plate discipline, a good arm in the infield drills and an overall polished game.  He too is a 2011 graduate.
 
Brett Harrison, another 2011 graduate and two time Area Code tryout attendee, showed once again why the underclassman keeps receiving an invitation to tryout.  He squared up on every plate appearance during the simulated game.
 
Zack Hartman, a shortstop from Arbor View (Las Vegas, Nevada) High School displayed at strong arm in the infield drills and good fielding ability with crushing a few in the simulated game.
 
Cameron Harper had the best batting practice out of any player in attendance showing good raw power coming from his 6-foot-1 190 pound frame.
 
Buddy Bordon, the 6-foot-2 righty from Las Vegas showed one of the better repitoires of the day with a 88 MPH fastball and a good 72 MPH breaking ball.
 
The tryouts are moving on the Chandler Arizona and Denver Colorado as the Cincinnati Reds and Area Code Baseball look to compile the best player out of the four corners and Hawaii. 

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.

Last year's team showed great talent, with pitchers like Casey Upperman (Notre Dame Prep, Scottsdale, Ariz.), Jake Barrett (Desert Ridge, Mesa, Ariz.) and 2011 phenom, Bryce Harper (Las Vegas, Nevada).

Taylor Kaczmarek, a 6-foot-2, 210 pound first baseman / outfielder is one of over 100 players heading to a tryout next weekend.  He is a teammate of Jake Barrett, and his Desert Ridge High School baseball team just won the Arizona Class 5A II state title.  They did it topping another of Arizona's top programs, Horizon (Scottsdale, Ariz.) High School.

"It was a once in a life time opportunity,” he said of winning a state title. "Not a lot of teams win it and knowing that our team was talented and will be next year, too.  It was a crazy game and Horizon is a good team.”

This past year, Desert Ridge topped Horizon twice and with its success earned a spot in the ESPNRISE.com FAB 50 National Rankings at No. 16, and with baseball in other parts of the nation still in season, they could move even higher. 

"Trying to do well and make it to the next level,” he said of his goals for the workout on June 13.  "I just want to play anywhere D1.”

Schools that are talking to him now include Oregon, Virginia Tech and Arizona.

Kaczmarek is one of three players from Desert Ridge invited to the Reds' tryouts.  And his teammate Barrett had the opportunity to play in Long Beach, Calif., last year.

"Two of my friends, who are seniors, got invited last year and tried out.  I think it is a big deal,” he remarked. 

Coming off a remarkable season, even if they did fall one game short of winning another state title, right-handed pitcher Josh McAllister is headed to the tryout in Denver.  This year his La Cueva (Albuquerque, N.M.) team finished as the runner ups in the New Mexico Class 5A finals and is currently No. 49 in the FAB 50 National Rankings. 

"I kind of relate it to playing at ASU in a way,” McAllister remarked. "Everyone is out to try and get you and you are going to have a god team every year.  Every year you can compete for a state title.”

There is a reason why he chose to compare La Cueva to Arizona State.  He recently gave a verbal to the Sun Devils and he looks forward to the Pac-10 Conference.

"My dream is to play in the college world series and obviously they have a good chance year in and year out,” he said of Arizona State.  "I love the coaches there and I love the town. It was a no brainer after I visited there.”

He was open to play anywhere but he noted that the Pac-10 is one of the premiere conferences. 

McAllister will be one of the players at the Area Code Baseball Tryout in Denver on June 15. 

"I am expecting to see a lot of good players and everything good competition and pitch real well,” he said of his expectations going into Denver. 

From the three tryouts, the Cincinnati Reds will build a roster to represent the four corners, Nevada and Hawaii this August.
 

Posted by Andrew Drennen

Kelly Dugan (Notre Dame; Sherman Oaks, Calif.): Dugan blasted two homers in an 8-6 win over Jesuit (Carmichael, Calif.)

Jimmy Bosco (Jesuit) launched a homer over the centerfield wall in the 8-6 loss to Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 

Ryan Arnold of Northview (Covina, Calif.) is headed off to UNLV.  He hit one out Monday against Mitty.  He has a strong arm and a good bat.  Interesting thing about that game is that it will be finished at 9am on Tuesday morning with the score tied at seven.

Matt Hobgood hit one out Monday against Casey Upperman of Notre Dame Prep (Scottsdale, Ariz.). Norco (Calif.) fell 9-8.  Hobgood is scheduled to throw on Tuesday in their game against Aptos (Calif.). There is anticipation when he takes the mound against Aptos.  There should be many scouts in attendance for that game and wouldn't be surprised if there are scouts coming in from other areas.  

Scores from the day:

Mater Dei - 4 Aptos 3
Notre Dame (AZ) 9 - Norco 8
Esperanza 8 - Mamaroneck (NY) 7
Palm Beach Central (FL) 3 - Spanish Fork (UT) 1
Notre Dame (CA) 8 - Jesuit 6
El Dorado 9 - Don Bosco Prep (NJ) 7
El Toro 8 - De La Salle 6

Best matchup on Tuesday may be Notre Dame Prep (AZ) vs Mater Dei
Best matchup story may be De La Salle vs Don Bosco Prep.  The last time these two schools met in the 08-09 school year was on the football field and the boys from New Jersey came out on top.

ESPNRISE.com asked athletes from the Area Code baseball tournaments for their feedback on Alex Rodriguez's recent admission that he used performance enhancers from 2001-03 with the Texas Rangers. Here's what they had to say.

"The news is always looking for steroid use. I think it has damaged the fans faith in the players. It seems like everyone is guilty.

"I do think steroid use is cheating. I would want a fair shot based on my ability and hard work, but not against someone who feels better and stronger every day.

"I think they should test High School players."

-- Trey Ford, Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Class of 2009, Infielder


"I would definitely say steroid use is cheating. And I do think there is a trickle effect in a lot of places. But I don't agree with all the media attention on it. The late '90s and early 2000s were loaded with steroid users. In those days if you look at the best players of that era they were mostly all on them."

-- Hoby Milner, Paschal (Fort Worth, Texas), Class of 2009, Pitcher/Outfielder

"I think that the news surrounding steroids in Major League Baseball is terrible. The cloud that has now been cast over all of the players in the 'steroid era' is not fair to the players that were clean and put up legit numbers without performance-enhancing drugs.

"I absolutely think using steroids is cheating. Using steroids not only shows disrespect to the players of the past who earned their numbers with hard work but it also steals money from players trying to get contracts who did not use steroids. They better numbers you put up the bigger contract you will get. And I'm sure many players believe they were cheated of money from players who were using steroids.

"I think there is already a trickle effect to high school players. There are many players using in high school because they see the pros using them and they think it is fine and its just apart of the game now.

"Also, with college baseball recruiting being so competitive, a player may want to get a scholarship so bad that they will try to get any advantage as they can. It is a very sad situation in baseball right now, and that Major League Baseball needs to have a more strict policy on steroids and longer suspensions for people who fail drug tests.
-- Casey Upperman, Notre Dame Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.), Class of 2009, Pitcher


"On one hand, I get very tired of always hearing news about players taking steroids. I like to hear more about the game of baseball and which players, or teams are doing well. On the other hand, I do think its interesting to find out which of today's top players are using steroids, like the recent story of A-Rod.

"My opinion on steroids is simple, I strongly believe that is cheating and is taking the purity out of the game I love so much. Granted, fans love to see the 500-ft. homer, but there is a lot more to baseball than that.

"Some fans would also like to see a guy up there throwing 100mph rather than a guy throwing 86 and can put the ball where ever he wants it. This brings me to the next question. Yes, I do believe some high school players experiment with steroids.

"I think this is partially the blame of major leaguers using. It is my guess that some serious high school baseball players feel that they need to take steroids just to be able to make it to the big leagues. How can an individual that is not taking steroids compete with a player of the same ability level that is taking them? I just hope that by the time my generation of players makes it to the majors they with have the whole steroid thing cleaned up so players like me, who will refuse to take steroids, have a better chance to be able to play major league baseball."
-- Tyler King, Republic (Mo.) High School, Class of 2010, Pitcher

"I've come to suspect everyone and nobody will surprise me if they are caught using steroids."
-- Nick Palewicz, Ballard (Seattle), Class of 2009, Pitcher

"Steroids are hurting the image of the game, great players have done grate things without the addition of steroids.

"I personally believe steroids if taken after steroids were banned from MLB it is cheating but if taken before it is just a mistake they have to live with.

"I think high school players see that there is no way to really hide the use of steroids somehow, some way the truth always catches up with them..."
-- Lucas LaPoint, Knight (Palmdale, Calif.), Class of 2009, Pitcher

"I wish they would concentrate on the problem today fix it and leave the past alone. I hate the fact Congress got involved and with the current state of the country there are other problems they should be concerned with. It's an MLB problem and they (Players, Managers, Agents, Owners, commissioners) should have taken steps back in the '70s before the drugs reached the popularity they have today.

"In the '70s and '80s YES [steroid use was cheating]. In the '90s that's more complicated they were available to everyone. Do I think they should punish the ones who were using? Not unless they are able to go back and punish every single one who was using steroids. Couple of thousand maybe?

"Steroids have been and will continue to be used by high school students. It's talked about casually in the locker rooms and on the field of most sports, including girls' sports. Students all know who is using and who is not. Very few can keep it hidden and get away with it. High schools are in the same position college football was in 20 years ago. It's just now starting to surface as a problem and they are starting in a few schools to do testing but it should be mandatory for all student/athletes for them to be able to participate in any sport.
-- Dylan Bundy, Sperry (Okla.), Class of 2011, Pitcher

Posted by Andrew Drennen

Randal Grichuk is gearing up for the future. The Lamar Consolidated (Sugar Land, Texas) midfielder stands at 6-foot and 195 pounds.

	Courtesy of the Grichuk Family
	Grichuk is off to Arizona next fall.

Last year, the Mustangs finished 29-9-1, and lost a best of three series to Friendswood (2-1), which knocked them out of advancing to the state tournament. This year, Grichuk and the Mustangs look to get into the state tournament.

"We are predicted to make state this year," Grichuk said. "We have a pretty good team."

The Mustangs are going to get a couple of players back this year who got hurt last year.

This year, the team's strength looks to be on the offensive side of the ball. Not only do the Mustangs get Grichuk back, but they also get Cody Robinson back. Robinson is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound outfielder who played with Grichuk on the 2008 Texas Rangers Area Code Baseball Team.

"We have me and Cody Robinson. We both committed to DI schools. We should be able to put some numbers up offensively."

That may be an understatement. Last year, Grichuk put up some solid offensive numbers, including a .406 average with 17 homers and a .924 slugging percentage.

"In high school I would consider myself a power hitter, but maybe at the next level maybe not," he said when asked about his junior year stats. "If I see the right pitch and put a good swing on it, the ball will take care of itself.”

Like many other top high school baseball players -- Grichuk is ranked No. 69 by Baseball America -- he has the opportunity to go this June's amateur draft.

When asked whether there was any pressure to perform this year because of the draft, Grichuk said, "I am going out on my senior year, play and have fun. When draft time comes and if the offer is there and it is right, than that is a possibility, too.”

Before that happens, though, Grichuk committed to the University of Arizona.

"I have already committed and signed with Arizona and I have a great scholarship there,” he said.

He chose Arizona because the coaches showed a lot of interest in him. "I liked the phone conversations we had," he said.

When he went to Tucson and visited the school, Grichuk was able to talk to other players, tour the facilities and get acquainted with the school.

"I went down there, and the facilities they have there are really nice," he said. "I got to talk to some of the players and they liked the way the coaches conducted themselves and the practices. It seemed like a perfect fit for me.”

The Arizona signing class for 2010 is strong. "I met Tommy Joseph and Matt Helm at the home run derby [in Tampa] and then a couple more players when I went on my official visit.”

He said he didn't mind leaving the state to play; he just wanted to go to a winning program. The opportunity to possibly play and contribute right away were keys in his decision.

"We [Arizona] have a chance to go pretty far next year,” he added.

And it looks like Grichuk has a chance to go far this year, too.

Posted by Andrew Drennen

Last year Brophy College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) finished with a record of 18-11 and a 6-3 league record. The team made it to the third round of the Arizona Class 5A playoffs where it fell to Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 7-2. The playoff loss was the fourth meeting between the two teams; the Broncos took two of three regular season conference games.

	Elaine Shepard for ESPN RISE
	Trent Stevenson shined at the 2008 Area Code Baseball Games.

At 6-foot-6 and 170 pounds, right-handed Trent Stevenson is one of the top pitchers in Arizona. Last summer, the tall righty played for the Cincinnati Reds at the 2008 Area Code Baseball Games in Long Beach, Calif. This past August, Stevenson was part of the staff that threw a no-hitter at the games, which was the only no-hitter thrown at the event.

Baseball has played a prominent role in Steveson's life. "I don't think I can remember a weekend where I wasn't hitting in the back with my dad or playing in a tournament out in the middle of nowhere and loved every minute of it," he said.

As he got older and his skills improved, baseball has opened some doors for him and given him opportunities he may not have had.

"I had no clue I would have the opportunities I have right now from baseball and I'd like to first thank Jesus Christ my Lord and savior because He has got me where I am today. Without Him none of this is possible," he said. "I'd like to thank my mom and dad for sticking with me through all these years and my brothers Troy and Todd for always having my back.”

One of the opportunities that Stevenson has is the chance to play baseball at the University of Arizona. During the signing period this past November, Stevenson decided to go to the Pac-10 powerhouse.

"I've always loved Tucson and the fact that it is such a college town, I like Arizona's program because they are always very competitive and they expect excellence,” he said.

And there were no objections from family and friends to staying in-state.

"I chose Arizona because of the coaching staff and how I know they will help me improve both physically and mentally as a pitcher and person," Stevenson said.

Stevenson is part of an Arizona signing class that, based on high school premium talent, could be the best in the nation. Other top high school standouts to sign with Arizona are: Randal Grichuk (Texas), Jared Forestieri (New Jersey), Ian Krol (Illinois), Matt Helm (Arizona) and Tommy Joseph (Arizona). The Wilcasts also signed Nick Dolsky (Minnesota) and Joe Effertz (Wisconsin).

"I have met most of the other players who plan on going to Arizona and all of them are great kids as well as athletes and I am very excited to compete with them," Stevenson said.

Another opportunity afforded to Stevenson is the chance to be drafted in the upcoming June MLB Amateur Draft. "The draft is also another great opportunity; my parents and I discuss a lot about what I will do so I think they are a big influence, but in the end it is my decision.”

But before that, Stevenson expects to lead the Broncos to a Class 5A state title.

"We have much more depth in our pitching staff this year, our defense will be solid with Cullen Mahoney taking over at short and Brandon Bayardi bringing the power our offense needs,” said Stevenson.

The next few months will be an exciting time in the Stevenson household. Check ESPN RISE regularly for updates on the high school season and baseball recruiting.

By Andrew Drennen

Here are the top 60 yard times from the Area Code Baseball Winter Camp in Santa Barbara, California.  There was only one time to be posted under 7.00 on the day. The conditions were not ideal, there were wind gusts up to 20 mph throughout the day and the grass on the field was long and damp.

Top 60 Yard Times:

Bijan Rademacher | Canyon | 2010 | 6.91
Brent Peterson | Bakersfield North | 2010 | 7.09
Adam Scott | Fountain Valley | 2010 | 7.22
Jesus Meza | Tustin | 2011 | 7.23
Bobby Stahel | River Valley (AZ) | 2011 | 7.24
Ben Wylly | Woodbridge  | 2011 | 7.26
Cody Buckel | Royal | 2010 | 7.29
Spencer Ruggles | Atascadero | 2011 | 7.36
Jason Wilcoxson | Claremont | 2010 | 7.37
Dante Flores | St. John Bosco | 2011 | 7.41
Josh Flyer | Crossroads | 2010 | 7.41 

By Andrew Drennen

The first session of Area Code Baseball Winter Camp put the players through SPARQ Testing.  The SPARQ Rating for baseball is the end result of four tests: 30 yard dash, 20 yard shuttle, vertical jump and rotational power ball toss. The top SPARQ Rating at the camp this winter was posted by 2011 catcher Bobby Stahel, out of River Valley High School in Arizona.  His 63.32 SPARQ Rating topped Spencer Ruggles' SPARQ Rating of 61.59 for No. 1 in the camp. 

Stahels's posted a 3.96 (30 yard), a 5.06 (shuttle), a 30.6 vertical jump and a 55 foot power ball toss. 

Here are the top SPARQ Ratings from the camp.

1. Bobby Stahel | 2011 | River Valley HS (AZ) | 63.32

2. Spencer Ruggles | 2011 | Atascadero HS | 61.59

3. Cody Buckel | 2010 | Royal HS | 59.24

4. Dante Flores | 2011 | St. John Bosco | 58.68

5. Brent Peterson | 2010 | Bakersfield North HS | 58.64

6. Jonathan Maciel | 2010 | Esperanza HS | 57.90

7. Jason Wilcoxson | 2010 | Claremont HS | 57.56

8. Ben Wylly | 2011 | Woodbridge HS | 57.43

9. Bijan Rademacher | 2010 | Canyon HS | 57.01

10. Adam Scott | 2010 | Fountain Valley HS | 55.47

For all the SPARQ Ratings at the Area Code Baseball Camp visit sparqtraining.com.

By Km Allen and Nate Trosky; Special to ESPNRISE.com

Earlier this month, Trosky Baseball held their elite Monterey Showcase. This annual event is hosted just two days prior to the National Letter Intent signing period. The primary purpose is to give college coaches a final opportunity to evaluate potential prospects before making their final scholarship determinations.  

For the first time, this tryout was held at Cal State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB). CSUMB is a new NCAA Division II program in Northern California., coached by a Monterey local, Rich Aldrete. Coach Aldrete is a former Cal Berkley graduate as well as a San Francisco Giant. . Mike, his older brother, is a former Stanford graduate and San Francisco Giant. He is currently a hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals' big league club.

CSUMB facilities are ideal for this yearly showcase. The spacious stadium with and astro-turf field is easily home to 130 high school and junior college players participating in this event. The 45 college coaches and pro scouts have ample space for player evaluations. College coaches make their way from various parts of the country, largely due to the established reputation of Trosky Baseball (Representatives include: USC, Gonzaga, Santa Clara, UC Santa Barbara, Portland, University of Hawaii, UC San Diego, Sonoma State, Washington State, MPC, Cal Poly, UC Davis, Azuza Pacific, Patton, Menlo, CSU Monterey, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Pomona, Sacramento St, San Francisco St., Fresno Pacific, San Jose St, UOP, Nevada Reno, St Marys, Occidental, CSM, CSU East Bay, and Vanguard.)  Professional baseball scouts also take time from their busy schedules to observe players during evaluations (Teams represented include: the Giants, Mets, Rockies, Braves, Marlins, Astros, Phillies, Royals, White Sox, Brewers, Rangers, and the Mariners.)

According to Nathan Trosky, founder of Trosky Baseball, the selection process for this elite showcase is a grueling one. "We had over 200 applicants apply, players from all over the western United States, and it is my job to choose top players to fill the limited slots on the roster. This is difficult because we are looking for DI and DII prospects.  NCAA caliber players aren't easy to find. This year's roster consisted of 60 pitchers and 70 position players, 130 in total.
 
Why is the Monterey Showcase considered one of the top showcases in the country? This is largely due to the high level of talent and large number of recruiters in attendance.  When asked what separates the Monterey Showcase from all the others, Trosky stated, "There are several reasons our event is different from the many showcases that are held annually. First, Trosky Baseball has recruited one of the largest numbers of attending college coaches and pro scouts on one field at a given time. Second, our showcase results are posted on the ESPN "Rise, the largest high school athletic website in the country. Third, communication occurs before and after our events with the college coaches and pro scouts, focusing on individual players that are potential college prospects. Forth, the showcase roster (filled with notes on each player) is forwarded to all of the coaches and scouts that attended, as well as to 100 other college coaches and pro scouts that aren't able to attend. Fifth, the showcase entry fee is about half the price of competitors. When families spend up to $15,000 a year attending showcase camps and tournaments, this can help ease the financial burden. Sixth, I work with the California Area Code team. Therefore, all of the underclassman participating in our event get viewed and will be considered for invitation to the nationally attended Area Code Tryout. This event represents over 100 college coaches and pro scouts and is free of charge. 

Year    Position      Name              MPH    School    
2009    RHP    Mason Magleby    88-89    Deloro   
2010    RHP     James Roberts    87-89    Archbishop Mitty   
2010    RHP    Danny Davis    84-87    Valley Christian   
2010    RHP    Craig Lanza    86-88    Monte Vista   
2010    RHP    Matt Nichol    88-89    Seirra    
2010    RHP    Eric Walbridge     86-89    Notre Dame   
2010    RHP    DJ Slatton    84-86    Palma   
2010    LHP    Ben Griset     83-85    Gustine   
2010    RHP    Luke MeCreesh    84-87    Aptos   
2010    RHP    Buddy Borden    87-88    Arbor View   
2010    RHP    Andrew Herrera     84-86    Wilcox (Vegas)
2010    LHP    Vince Littleman     83-87    Page (Arizona)
2010    LHP    Jordan Mills    83-84    Oak Ridge   
2010    RHP    Vince Wheeland     84-86    Turlock   
2010    RHP    Greg Plauk    83-84    Harker   
2010    RHP    Ian Davis    84-85    Monte Vista  
2010    MIF    Brandon Drury         Grant Pass    Oregon
2009    MIF    Jamie Vega        Palma   
2010    MIF    Jacob Valdez        Tracy    
2010    C    Michael Sticklinski         Bellarmine   
2009    C    Shea Adams        Sabrato    
2010    C    Dax Turner        Golden West   
2010    OF    Garrett Schwartz        Palma   
2009    1B    Devin Zenn        Benicia  

The University of San Diego announced the signing of eight players for the 2010 season. Singing with USD are: Mike Dedrick (Canyon View / Cedar City, Utah), Evan DeLucca (Immaculata HS / Whitehouse Station, N.J.), Cameron Garfield (Murrieta Valley HS / Murrieta, Calif.), Matt Moynihan (Cathedral Catholic HS / San Diego, Calif.), James Needy (Santana HS / Santee, Calif.), Andrew Walter (Cactus HS / Peoria, Ariz.), Jake Williams (Brophy Prep / Scottsdale, Ariz.), and Aaron Wirsch (El Toro HS / Trabuco Canyon, Calif.).

	Elaine Shepard
	Andrew Walter will play at USD next year for Coach Rich Hill.

 
Mike Dedrick is a 6-3 right-handed pitcher, who is ranked No. 39 top high school prospect by Baseball America. He was first-team All State as a junior, selected as an Under Armour All-American. He had a busy summer playing in the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars, the Perfect Game National Showcase and the Area Code Baseball Games, where he suited up for the Cincinnati Reds.

"Mike is a very competitive RHP, low 90's with a dynamic curve ball, stated Coach Rich Hill in a USD press release.  "He has one of those electric arms that we can't wait to get here.
 
Evan Deluca is a 6-1 left-handed pitcher, comes to San Diego all the way from New Jersey and the coaching staff of USD thinks he is a sleeper. 
 
Cameron Garfield is catcher out of Southern California and is one of the best catchers in the state. He was selected to the Angels Elite Scout Team this fall and over the summer played for the Milwaukee Brewers Blue team. He was named to the CalHiSports.com All-State Underclass Team in 2008.  The other two catchers on that team were Max Stassi (Yuba City, Calif.) and Andrew Susac (Jesuit, Carmichael, Calif.).

"Cameron has that rare quality of being a physical offensive player while playing a premium defensive position, stated Hill.  "He should step right in and provide a serious punch to our line-up and is one of the premier position players in the country.
 
Matt Moynihan, an outfielder, will bring more athleticism and speed to the team. At the 2008 Area Code Games (Milwaukee Brewers Blue) Moynihan posted the seventh best SPARQ Rating at 76.94. This past summer he played at the Perfect Game National Showcase in Minnesota.   

"With his speed and athleticism, both centerfield and the top of the order are in good hands for years to come, commented Rich Hill.

James Needy was selected as the No. 68 top high school prospect by Baseball America.  He was selected as the Santana Varsity Most Outstanding Athlete and was selected to the Area Code Games for the
Milwaukee Brewers.  He played in the USA Baseball's Tournament of the Stars and in Perfect Game National Showcase.
 
Andrew Walter goes to USD from Cactus High School in Glendale, Ariz.  He was a member of the Arizona Junior Sunbelt team as a junior and played in the Area Code Games for the Cincinnati Reds.  As a junior he pitched in 48.7 innings and posted 84 strikeouts with a 2.01 ERA.
  
Jake Williams was a teammate of Walters on the Cincinnati Reds Area Code Team. He was selected to the Tournament of the Stars with AABC and played in Perfect Games' National Showcase. He is the son of former Major League slugger Matt Williams.
 
Aaron Wirsch, joins the Toreros is a stand-out hurler at El Toro High School. When the Milwaukee Brewers decided to to take him to the 2008 Area Code Games, the Oakland Athletics picked him up.  He recently played in the Southern California Scouts Association Jesse Flores Memorial Game at USC this November.

"Aaron has that ideal pitcher body with a very loose arm action and his command of three excellent pitches, said Rich Hill.  "Aaron has a chance to be the next great left-handed pitcher in a long line of Torero star lefty's.

 USD Press Release contributed to this story.

Posted by Andrew Drennen

Another weekend in Peoria, Ariz., and the second of three Arizona Fall Classics.  This time it is the Arizona Junior Fall Classic, and ilke that one that just concluded last weekend, this event will take place at the Peoria Sports Complex.  

Last year at the Junior Fall Classic, the top SPARQ Rating was set by Pat Hirschberg, with a 75.95.  His SPARQ Rating was the only on in the 70s.  When he tested this year at the Senior Fall Classic, he posted a 75.47 SPARQ Rating, which was No. 6 overall.  His testing marks a year ago were 3.76 30-yard dash, a 32.9 vertical jump, a 4.44 shuttle and 56 foot power ball toss. 

This year Hirschberg posted a 75.47, just slightly below his score he set a year ago.  This last weekend, at the Senior Fall Classic he posted a 3.82 30-yard dash, a 4.38 shuttle, 56 foot power ball toss and a 32.5 vertical jump.  

Last weekend, there was only one SPARQ Rating in the 80s and there were 20 SPARQ Ratings in the 70s.  Last year, year at the Junior Fall Classic there was only the one SPARQ Rating in the 70s and there were 75 SPARQ Ratings in the 60's last year.  Will we see these numbers improve?

 The SPARQ Testing will take place all day tomorrow and the SPARQ Ratings will be posted on Monday.  

By Andrew Drennen

The first full day at the Arizona Senior Fall Classic was when the teams SPARQ Tested.  Over 460 players went through the four testing elements, that comprise the SPARQ Baseball Rating (30-yard dash, shuttle, vertical jump and rotational power ball toss).

The top SPARQ Rating was set by Trevor Sanderlin of the All Star Baseball Academy.  Sanderlin stands in at 6-2, 205 pounds and is an RHP/3B out of Mingus High School in Arizona.  His marks were 3.89 (30-yard), 4.34 (shuttle), 33.5 (vertical jump) and a 62 foot power ball toss.  All those marks totaled an 81.68 rating, which was the only SPARQ Rating to crack the 80 point barrier.  His SPARQ Rating would have been the best one at last year's tournament, topping the 76.55 SPARQ Rating set by Brian Carr. 

Here are the top SPARQ Ratings from the Arizona Senior Fall Classic:

1. Trevor Sanderin RHP/3B (All Star Baseball) 81.68
2. Karl Kobler OF (NorCal Black) 78.72
3. Jon Poch INF (Baseball Northwest Washington Green) 78.30
4. Kyle Phillips OF (Baseball Northwest Washington Green) 75.90
5. Hunter Zwart RHP/OF (All Star Academy) 75.82
6. Pat Hirschberg OF/1B (Colorado Rockies) 75.48
7. Skip Spencer RHP/C (Baseball Northwest Oregon) 75.03
8. Rhett Nelson RHP (Angels Elite RM) 74.85
9. Sean Washington OF (Bellaire Off Season) 74.59
10. Ryan Bergman INF (ABD) 73.49

The rest of the SPARQ Ratings can be found at SPARQtraining.com.

The Arizona Junior Fall Classic will take place this weekend and SPARQ Testing will occur on Friday.  

By Andrew Drennen

PEORIA, Ariz.  The first of the three Arizona Fall Classics kicked off today at the Peoria Sports Complex, the spring home to the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners.  The Senior Fall Classic started this afternoon with the Junior Fall Classic to follow next weekend and the Sophomore Fall Classic the weekend after that. 

For those who have never been to the Peoria Sports Complex, it is a great place to watch baseball.  Everywhere you look there is a game on one of the 14 fields.  Teams primarily the Western portion of the United States, including a team from Alaska and teams from Hawaii. 

The highlight of the day was the Home Run Derby inside the main stadium.  The dimensions are favorable, if you are a pitcher and with the kids using wood bats, homeruns would have to be earned. 

Tommy Joseph ended up winning the Home Run Derby with two monster shots, out of the 15 swings he took.  His furthest ball traveled over the 385 sign in the left center power alley.  It was a no doubter.

We saw Joseph, playing for the Diamond Backs this weekend, at the 2008 Area Code Baseball Games when he played for the Cincinnati Reds team.  He was selected to the All Area Code Team at week's end and had a tremendous week offensively. 

At the plate tonight he showed some of the same power he showed back in August.  He got through the zone well and it seemed effortless. 

Carlton Tanabe, from Hawaii Blue, may not have hit one out, but still showed he had some power.  He hit three that just missed going out, as they thudded off the wall.  Tanabe was invited to tryout for the Reds Area Code Team back in June and fell just short of making a trip to Long Beach.

Another Hawaiian, Bryson Namba of Team Hawaii Gold, also showed some pop in his bat.  Like Tanabe, Namba did not hit one out, but he did come close twice.  He too tried out for the Reds Area Code Team in Las Vegas last June, but fell short.  Only one player from Hawaii made the trip to Long Beach and that was Devon Kell, who this weekend is a teammate of Namba. 

A couple more players that caught our eye today were Parker Morin, playing for the Utah Green this week and Brian Corliss playing for Baseball Northwest Washington Green Team.

Morin is a 5-11, 185 pound catcher out of Park City High School in Utah.  In the innings he caught he showed knowledge of the strike zone and called a good game. At the plate he showed a good approach and took with the pitchers gave him. 

Corlissm 6-0,170 pound infielder/pitcher out of Todd Beamer High School, was solid in his outing against Snow Canyon.  He showed a good fastball and a nice breaking ball. He worked the zone and changed speeds effectively.

Tomorrow the teams will SPARQ Test and we will have those results as soon as they are posted.

By Area Code Baseball

This years Area Code Games produced a deep crop of premium high school talent. With well over 300 Major League Scouts in attendance throughout the week the scouts walked away with many players from around the country to follow into next spring. The games featured eight power packed teams that were run and organized in an excellent manner. The detail in which the games are run is truly a unique model.

The Texas Rangers in the final game defeated the last years defending Area Code Champions the Milwaukee Brewers Blue 4-2. The Rangers from top to bottom had a tremendous group of players which featured a 23 player roster. The Rangers had a balanced attack of offense and solid pitching. Shelby Miller a 6'3 195lb. righthander from Brownwwod High School and Todd Glaesmann an athletic 6'4 190lb.outfielder from Midway High School were standouts.

The games also unveiled many of the rising underclassman around the country. Bryce Harper a 2011 catcher from Las Vegas showed power at the plate well ahead of his years leaving many MLB Scouts in the stands to make comparisons to the Minnesota Twins Catcher Joe Mauer. Other notable underclassman at the Area Codes were Josh Sale a 2010 outfielder from Seattle WA displayed one of the best all around swings and hit for the cycle against the Chicago White Sox. Christian Lopes from Valencia High School a 2011 shortstop had solid performances the entire week. 

Name	Position	Year	Area Code Team
Camero Garfield	C	2009	Milwaukee Brewers (Blue)
Tommy Joseph	C	2009	Cincinnati Reds
Bryce Harper	C	2011	Cincinatti Reds
Geno Escalante	C	2009	Milwaukee Brewers (Gray)
Clay Cederquist	1B	2009	Milwaukee Brewers (Gray)
Colton Cain	1B	2009	Texas Rangers
David Nick	2B	2009	Milwaukee Brewers (Blue)
Matt Davidson	3B	2009	Milwaukee Brewers (Blue)
Eric Brady	SS	2009	Oakland A's
Steven Bruno	SS	2009	New York Yankees
Kenny Diekroeger	SS	2009	Milwaukee Brewers (Gray)
Mike Trout	OF	2009	New Your Yankees
Demetrius McKelvie	OF	2009	Oakland A's
Joshua Sale	OF	2010	Washington Nationals
Jake Marisnick	OF	2009	Milwaukee Brewers (Blue)
Randal Grichuk	OF	2009	Texas Rangers
Todd Glaesmann	OF	2009	Texas Rangers
Trent Stevenson	RHP	2009	Cincinnati Reds
Tyler Skaggs	LHP	2009	Milwaukee Brewers (Blue)
Nicholas Berhel	RHP	2009	Milwaukee Brewers (Gray)
Niko Spezial	LHP	2009	New York Yankees
Ian Krol	LHP	2009	Chicago White Sox
Chad James	LHP	2009	Chicago White Sox
Paul Strong	LHP	2009	Milwaukee Brewers (Blue)
Shelby Miller	RHP	2009	Texas Rangers
Jonathan Meyer	Utility	2009	Milwaukee Brewers (Gray)

By Andrew Knepper

	Scott Kurtz for Area Code Baseball
	Tim Beckham 2008 No. 1 overall pick took home 6.15 million.

Now that the 2008 signing period is over for this year's draft, we see that three total players in the first round were not able to negotiate their way into a professional contract, and of those three was young flame-thrower Gerrit Cole out of Orange Lutheran High in California. Being advised by the Scott Boras Corp., Cole was unable to reach terms with the New York Yankees, but he is committed to play at UCLA this upcoming season as UCLA looks to be a biggest winner after this year's MLB Draft. 

In the first round, nine high school players were selected out of the first thirty picks totaling over an astounding twenty-four million dollars in signing bonuses.

Today we look at how the organizations dealt with the signing bonuses for the high school players that were selected within the first 100 overall picks.

RD	PK	Team	Name	Signing Bonus
1	1	Tamp Bay Rays	Tim Beckham (Griffin HS, Ga.)	6,150,000
1	3	Kansas City Royals	Eric Hosmer (American Heritage HS, Fla.)	6,000,000
1	6	Florida Marlins	Kyle Skipworth (Patriot HS,Calif.)	2,300,000
1	14	Minnesota Twins	Aaron Hicks (Wilson HS, Calif.)	1,780,000
1	15	Los Angeles Dodgers	Ethan Martin (Stephens Country HS, Ga.)	1,732,500
1	16	Milwaukee Brewers	Brett Lawrie (Brookswood, B.C.)	1,700,000
1	24	Philadelphia Phillies	Anthony Hewitt (Salisbury, Conn.)	1,380,000
1	28	New York Yankees	Gerrit Cole (Orange Luthern HS, Calif.)	unsigned
1	30	Boston Red Sox	Casey Kelly (Sarasota HS, Fla.)	3,000,000
1s	32	Milwaukee Brewers	Jake Odorizzi (Highland HS, Ill.)	1,060,000
1s	34	Philadelphia Phillies	Zach Collier (Chino Hills HS, Calif.)	1,020,000
1s	36	Kansas City Royals	Mike Montgomery (Hart HS, Calif.)	988,000
1s	38	Houston Astros	Jordan Lyles (Hartsville HS, S.C.)	930,000
1s	40	Atlanta Braves	Brett DeVall (Niceville HS, Fla.)	1,000,000
1s	42	San Diego Padres	Jaff Decker (Sunrise Mountain HS, Ariz.)	892,000
2	47	Tampa Bay Rays	Kyle Lobstein (Coconino HS, Ariz)	1,500,000
2	50	Baltimore Orioles	Xavier Avery (Cedar Grove HS, Ga.)	900,000
2	51	Philadelphia Phillies	Anthony Gose (Bellflower HS, Calif)	772,000
2	52	Florida Marlines	Brad Hand (Chaska HS, Minn.)	760,000
2	53	Milwaukee Brewers	Seth Lintz (Marshall County HS, Tenn.)	900,000
2	54	Milwaukee Brewers	Cutter Dykstra (Westlake HS, Calif.)	737,000
2	55	Washington Nationals	Destin Hood (St. Paul's Episcopal HS, Ala.)	1,100,000
2	56	Houston Astros	Jay Austin (North Atlantic HS, Ga.)	715,000
2	57	Texas Rangers	Robbie Ross (Lexington Christian Aca., Ky.)	694,000
2	63	Toronto Blue Jays	Kenny Wilson (Sickles HS, Fla.)	644,000
2	64	Atlanta Braves	Tyler Stovall (Hokes Bluff HS, Ala.)	750,000
2	70	Atlanta Braves	Zeke Spruill (Kell HS, Ga.)	600,000
2	71	Philadelphia Phillies	Jason Knapp (North Hunterdon HS, N.J.)	590,000
2	74	Los Angeles Angels	Tyler Chatwood (Redlands East, Calif)	547,000
2	76	Cleveland Indians	Trey Haley (Central Heights HS, Texas)	1,250,000
2	77	Boston Red Sox	Derrik Gibson (Seaford HS, Del.)	600,000
3	80	Kansas City Royals	Tyler Sample (Mullen HS, Colo.)	500,000
3	81	Baltimore Orioles	L.J. Hoes (St. John's HS, D.C.)	490,000
3	83	Florida Marlins	Edgar Olmos (Birmingham HS, Calif)	478,000
3	88	Houston Astros	Chase Davidson (Milton HS, Ga.)	unsigned
3	91	St. Louis Cardinals	Niko Vasquez (Durango HS, Nev.)	423,000

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.

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.

Posted by Andrew Knepper

This year the Cincinnati Reds Area Code team consists of the top players from the four corners and Hawaii. After three tryouts in Denver, Las Vegas and Chandler (Arizona), the coaches of the team have complied the players who they find the most deserving to attend this year's event in Long Beach this August. A rarity in the Area Code Games is the attendance of an underclassman, always a sophomore entering his junior season, but this year we have one of those players who stand out like a shining star. Bryce Harper, a 2011 graduate, will be entering his sophomore season this upcoming year, and joins the likes of Justin Upton, Delmon Young and Robert Stock as the few ever participants to attend as such a young player.

This left-handed hitting catcher has been impressing scouts since his brother was on the showcase circuit last year and he followed in his shadow. Bryce is known to have one of the best prep power bats to be seen in years and he is only 15 years of age. The upcoming Area Code Games deem to be the breaking out party for this young promising player.

2008 Cincinnati Reds Area Code Roster

Chris O'Dowd	C	2009	Regis Jesuit (CO)
Bryce Harper	C	2011	Las Vegas (NV)
Tommy Joseph	C	2009	Horizon (AZ)
Lance Harper	C	2009	Desert Mountain (AZ)
Geoff Baldwin	1B	2009	Grand Junction (CO)
Jake Williams	1B	2009	Brophy Prep (AZ)
Taylor Terassas	INF	2009	Sante Fe (TX)
Trey Ford	INF	2009	Chaparral (AZ)
Tony Piazza	INF	2009	Notre Dame (AZ)
Kirby Pellant	INF	2009	Corona (AZ)
Michael Reynolds	INF	2009	Mountain Ridge (CO)
Jacob Stewart	OF	2009	Rocky Mountain (CO)
Micah Green	OF	2009	Cherokee Trail (CO)
Seth Mejias-Brean	OF	2009	Cienega (AZ)
Brandon Bayardi	OF	2009	Brophy Prep (AZ)
Matt Ozanne	OF	2009	Notre Dame (AZ)
Keenyn Walker	OF	2009	Judge Memorial (UT)
Devon Kell	OF	2009	Hilo (HI)
A.J. Carman	P	2009	Judge Memorial (UT)
Michael Dedrick	P	2009	Canyon View (UT)
Casey Upperman	P	2009	Notre Dame (AZ)
Miguel Ortiz	P	2009	Las Vegas (NV)
Josh Dahl	P	2009	Deer Valley (AZ)
Jake Barrett	P	2009	Desert Ridge (AZ)
Trent Stevenson	P	2009	Brophy Prep (AZ)
Tom Lemke	P	2009	Northwest Christian
Andrew Walter	P	2009	Cactus (AZ)
James Pazos	P	2009	Highland (AZ)
Karson Kravec	OF	2009	Riverview (FL)