By Andrew Drennen, ESPNRISE.com Baseball

For the second straight day and the second straight game the Blue Team tops the Red Team at the USA Baseball Trials, in Cary, N.C.  The score was 8-6 in favor of the Blue, who with the win move to 2-0.  

Bryce Harper (Las Vegas, NV) was quiet in the firs game going 1-for-5 with four strikeouts.  In the second game he went 2-for-5 with four RBIs.  Teammate and AFLAC MVP Tony Wolters was 1-for-3 for the game and scored three times.  

Robbie Ray had the longest outing of any pitcher on the evening going 4.2 innings.  He surrendered two runs and had five of the Blue Team's seven collective strikeouts.  

The Red and the Blue face each other until September 17.  When the team is announced the squad will face Pitt CC and Louisburg College in four exhibition games before traveling to Venezuela to play in the 2009 COPABE Pan Am "AAA" (18U) Championships.

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.

(Read full post)

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. 

By Hilary May; Special to ESPNRISE.com

Jake Hager (2011) is a shortstop out of Sierra Vista (Las Vegas, Nev.) High School. In 2009 he hit .505 and started all 34 games. He only struck out eight times in 109 at-bats. Adding to his offensive production he scored 55 times and drove in 35. His Sierra Vista Mountain Lions 23-7 this year before falling in the second round of the playoffs.

	Courtesy of Hager Family
	If Hager could, he would want to face No. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg.

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

Jake Hager: I would pick basketball because I grew up playing it and I love the sensation of the game.

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

Jake Hager: Listen to music first, then take a jog, stretch, infield fundamentals, then be mentally prepared.

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

Jake Hager: As of right now I would love to face Stephen Strasburg because I would love to hit his 102 fastball and 91 slider.

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

Jake Hager: The smell of the glove, the amazing grass, the sensation of the ball of the bat and making great plays.

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

Jake Hager: My father.

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

Jake Hager: I see myself playing Division 1 baseball and possible making it to the bigs. I am working as hard as I can to get there by lifting and going 100% in practice and all games.

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

Jake Hager: Summer I play legion with Sierra Vista. And also the 16 and under Jr. Olympic team.

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

Jake Hager: My grandma because she was the one that was always there for me.

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

Jake Hager: Thinking about baseball.

ESPNRISE.com:Who is your favorite music artist?

Jake Hager: Drake.

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

Jake Hager: I would go to Japan and explore Tokyo.

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

Jake Hager: I am 6-foot-1 and can dunk!

Andrew Drennen; ESPNRISE.com

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

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

Posted by Andrew Drennen

	Steven Mally/Icon SMI
	Jeff Malm.

Bishop Gorman's Jeff Malm is one of the top hitters in the nation.  Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 53 prospect in the nation.  He has been a huge part to the Gaels' success, winning three straight Nevada State titles in Class 4A.  

According to MaxPreps.com, Malm in 2008 hit .564 with seven homers and 73 RBI.  This past summer, Malm suited up for Team USA in the International Baseball Federation's XXIII AAA World Junior Championships.  Team USA lost to Korea, 7-0.

In that tournament, Malm started all eight games and hit .464, collected 13 hits and 11 RBI.  He was one of four Americans selected to the tournament all-star team.  

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  

By ESPNRISE.com

Today we take a look at the top 5 power hitters entering the 2009 season.  It looks like the power will come from the west, but maybe not the state you would think.  Two players from Nevada take the top two spots, Bryce Harper and Taylor Malm.  

Harper, led Team USA to the Gold Medal in the 2008 COPABE "AA" Youth Pan American Championships in Mexico this past September, and was named tournament MVP.

Malm, played for the Team USA 18U team in the 2008 IBAF World AAA Junior Championships, where they lost to Korea in the Medal Rounds.  Their loss to Korea was their only one of the tournament, which they took the silver.  Malm hit an impressive .464 and led the team with 11 RBIs.   

1.  Bryce Harper-C 6'3 195lbs. '11 Las Vegas/Las Vegas, NV
A true power hitter with explosive wood bat power and a lightning quick stroke.
Just a sophomore with all the credentials to warrant the #1 ranking. Area Code and Team USA phenom.

2.  Jeff Malm-1B 6'3 225lbs. '09 Bishop Gorman/Las Vegas, NV
Left-handed power to all fields capable of tape measure shots. Has sound hitting fundamentals and a great eye at the plate. Also has led his team to three consecutive state titles. 

3.  Matt Davidson-3B 6'3 205lbs. '09 Yucaipa/Yucaipa, CA
Displays a compact right-handed power swing with towering home run shots. A big stage player at Area Codes and AFLAC All-American Game.

4.  Robert Borchering-3B 6'4 200lbs. '09 Bishop Verot/Fort Myers, FL
Switch hitter that possesses prolific power. The premier power hitter on the East Coast with excellent bat speed with a short smooth swing.

5.  Jonathan Singleton-1B 6'2 215lbs. '09 Millikan/Lakewood, CA
One of the quickest bats in the country with an aggressive hitting style. Physically dominating for the high school level and has a natural power swing.
 

Posted by Andrew Drennen

Team USA topped host country Mexico in the Gold Medal game of the 2008 COPABE "AA" Youth Pan American Championships.  The United States trailed early, but Marcus Littlewood came up big a bases clearing double to give Team USA the lead for good.  

Several players took home tournament honors.  Marcus Littlewood and Bryce Harper were named to the All Tournament Team, Harper was named tournament MVP and pitcher Daniel Camarena (Bontia, Calif.) received the award for lowest ERA of the tournament with a 0.00.

The Team USA 16U team is in Mexico playing in the COPABE "AA" Youth Pan American Championships.  Going into their fifth game today Team USA is 4-0 with their closest game thus far coming against Cuba.

The United States opened things up with a 15-0 smashing over Panama.  Scoring for the Americans did not come until the bottom of the third.  The highlight of the inning was when Las Vegas (Nev.) High School's Bryce Harper blasted two homers in the third and Jake Rodriguez (Elk Grove, Calif.) left the yard twice himself.

According to USABaseball.com, the twelve run third inning was a record for the 16U team.

Cody Buckel got the win for Team USA going five strong innings with eight strikeouts.  

Game two for Team USA was a match against Cuba.  Thus far, the team's closest game coming out on top 3-1.  The game went scoreless through ten innings and was decided in the eleventh.  Because of the game entering the eleventh inning, a new rule regarding extra innings applied.  Now, each team had to place a runner at first and second.

Bryce Harper drew a bases loaded walk moving the Americans into the lead at 1-0.  The score moved to 2-0 on a passed ball and the third run of the inning came via a sacrifice fly by Jake Rodriguez.

The Cubans scored one in the bottom of the eleventh off an error by Harper, who came into pitch.  He did earn the save as Team USA improved to 2-0.  

Game three for the Americans pitted them against Puerto Rico, and it was another blowout, 16-1.  Harper, Rodriguez and Christian Lopes (Canyon Country, Calif.) did the damage in this game.  Rodriguez and Lopes added two hits a piece and Bryce Harper collected three hits and drove in a trio.  

The Americans won their third game of the tournament and it was their second game via a blowout.  

Game four was a 23-3 win over Guatemala.  Marcus Littlewood, Jake Rodriguez and Bryce Harper all had five RBIs in the blowout.  Harper, Rodriguez, Will Allen (Will Allen (Gainesville, Fla.) and Michael Lorenzen (Anaheim, Calif.) each hit homers in the win.

Information complied from USABaseball.com

Posted by Andrew Drennen

Here are the group of players on the Team USA 16U roster, competing this week in the COPABE 'AA' Youth Pan Am Championships.  

	Elaine Shepard
	Bryce Harper is one of the top 2011 players in the nation.

Catchers:

Will Allen | 6-2 | 200 | Gainesville, FL
Ladson Montgomery | 5-8 | Jacksonville, FL

Pitchers:

Cody Buckel | 6-1 | 170 | Simi Valley, CA
Daniel Camerena | 6-0 | 180 | Bonita, CA
Dan Child | 6-5 | 230 | Rocklin, CA
Michael Kelly | 6-4 | 185 | Boynton Beach, FL
Phillip Pfiefer | 5-11 | 170 | Knoxville, TN
Bryan Radziewski | 6-0 | 180 | Miami, FL
Peter Tago | 6-2 | 170 | Laguna Niguel, CA
Kyle Van Alstine | 6-3 | 180 | Merritt Island, FL

Infielders:

Nicky Delmonico | 6-2 | 185 | Knoxville, TN
Marcus Littlewood | 6-2 | 180 | St. George, UT
Christian Lopes | 6-0 | 180 | Canyon Country, CA
Connor Mason | 6-1 | 185 | Suwanee, GA
Jake Rodriguez | 5-9 | 175 | Elk Grove, CA
Tony Wolters | 5-10 | 165 | Vista, CA

Outfielders:

Bryce Harper | 6-3 | 205 | Las Vegas, NV
Matt Lipka | 6-1 | 188 | Frisco, TX
Michael Lorenzen | 6-1 | 165 | Anaheim, CA

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. 

By Andrew Knepper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Washington Nationals 7, Milwaukee Brewers Gray 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chicago White Sox vs. Milwaukee Brewers Gray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oakland Athletics 7, New York Yankees 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Andrew Knepper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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