By Andrew Drennen; ESPNRISE.com Baseball

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.

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. 

Hilary May; Special to ESPNRISE.com

Kevin Gausman (Centennial, Colo.) is a 6-foot-4, 185 pound junior out of Grandview High School. In 2009 he threw 57 innings and struck out 60. He went 7-2 with a 2.23 and in his seven starts he had seven complete games. The right-hander is off to the Area Code Baseball Tryout in Denver, Colo.

	Courtesy of Gausman Family
	It's Mac and Cheese for Gausman in his pre game ritual.

If you could pick another sport to play, which would it be and why?
If I could pick another sport to play it would be basketball because it would be fun playing in front of crazy crowds.

What do your pre-game rituals consist of?
My pre-game rituals consist of eating Noodles and Company Mac and Cheese and listening to country music.

If you could face one hitter/pitcher of any era, who would it be and why?
I would have to say Micky Mantle because he is such a hard out to get and so I could get his autograph afterwards.

Why do you play the game of baseball?
I play the game of baseball because it is so unpredictable...anything can happen at any time.

Who are the key influences to your success in the game of baseball?
I would give most the credit to my dad for teaching me how to play the game the right way and my pitching coach, Coach Baum.

Where do you see yourself in baseball in the future and what are you doing now to get there? I see myself having an opportunity to play baseball at the next level and maybe become professional someday. I'm working really hard this summer on my legs to make them stronger so I can throw harder and become an overall better pitcher.

What are your plans for the summer?
I'm going to be really busy this summer. I'm going to the Perfect Game showcase soon and after that North Carolina for the team USA tryout. And of course I'm hoping I can make the Area Code Games also. This summer is going to be a once in a lifetime experience.

If you could hang out with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
I would most likely choose to hang out with Nolan Ryan because I could learn so much from him about pitching just by talking to him.

What do you do when you are not playing baseball?
I'm involved in a lot other than baseball, I am a link leader at my High School and we decide themes for dances and plan fun events. I also just like hanging out with my friends and having fun doing anything.

Who is your favorite music artist?
O.A.R. or Alan Jackson. It's a toss up.

If you had a free round trip ticket to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I would go to Fiji because I've always wanted to go there and because it looks pretty sweet on the water bottle.

Write something interesting about yourself that most people don't know.
Most people can't tell by looking at me, but I am a huge junk food fan. I eat constantly. My favorite kind of junk food is Little Debbie products. I love swiss rolls, cosmic brownies, honey bunns, and of course oatmeal cream pies.

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

Here are some news and notes from Colorado Springs, courtesy of The Gazette.  Looks like there will be some exciting baseball this year in the Rocky Mountain State.  

Players to watch in Colorado this year are:

• Geoff Baldwin (Grand Juntion, Colo.) 1B 2009
• Micah Green (Cherokee Trail, Aurora, Colo.) OF 2009
• Chris O'Dowd (Regis Jesuit, Cherry Hills, Colo.) C 2009
• Jacob Stewart (Rocky Mountain, Fort Collins, Colo.) OF 2009
  

If you know of more impact players in Colorado visit the High School Baseball Group on ESPNRISE.com.

Posted By Andrew Drennen

The Kentucky Wildcats received letters of intent from seven players for the 2010 season.  

Jon Carlson LHP (Rolling Meadows, Ill., Rolling Meadows High School)
Carlson played in the Perfect Game National Showcase this past summer.  In the 2008 spring season he won three games and pitched 50.2 innings.
 
Jordan Cooper RHP (Shelbyville, Tenn., Shelbyville Central High School)
According to Baseball America, Jordan Cooper is the top pitching prospect in Tennessee.  He had the opportunity to play in both the East Coast Professional Showcase (Yankees) and at the Area Code Baseball Games (Athletics).  
 
Sam Kidd RHP/OF (Hartford, Ky., Ohio County High School)
Kidd was a second-team All-State selection as a junior and led Ohio County to the district title in 2008. He had  an 0.88 ERA and a 9-2 record, striking out 97 in 64 innings. At the plate he hit .527 and drove in 30.
 
Luke Maile C (Crestview Hills, Ky., Covington Catholic High School)
Maile was named to the first-team All-State in 2008 and could arguably be the best player in Kentycky. He hit .554 with 62 hits and 40 RBI, while.  In the summer the played for the Chicago White Sox team at the Area Code Games. He has school records for season batting average (.554), RBI (66), runs scored (62). He was named all-state in 2007 and 2008.
 
Taylor Rogers LHP (Littleton, Colo., Chatfield Senior High School)
Rogers earned first-team All-State as a junior.  Last year he had a 1.98 ERA and a 5-2 record, while striking out 82 batters in 53 innings
 
Walter Wijas RHP  (Elk Grove Village, Ill., James Conant High School)
Wijas had a solid junior year ending with a sub 1.00 ERA and a 2-1 record. He also posted a sub 1.00 ERA as a sophomore as well.  At the plate he hit over .400 and drove in 17.

University of Kentucky release contributed to this report.

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

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

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

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

by 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.