Texas signs strong class 
November 19, 2009 11:00 PM
Posted by Andrew Drennen, ESPN RISE
The Texas Longhorns inked another strong class. The class includes four pitchers, a catcher, three outfielders and three infielders (one of which is a pticher). Of the nine players, one hails from outside of Texas, that would be Mike Foltynewicz from Minooka, Ill.
Here is the class:
Kirby Bellow LHP/1B Nederland, Texas (Nederland HS)
Jacob Felts C –Orangefield, Texas (Orangefield HS)
Mike Foltynewicz RHP Minooka, Illinois (Minooka HS)
Dex Kjerstad OF Canyon, Texas (Randall HS)
Alex Silver IF Houston, Texas (Bellaire HS)
Christian Summers IF San Angelo, Texas (Central HS)
Trevor Teykl RHP Fort Bend, Texas (Kempner HS)
Nathan Thornhill RHP Cedar Park, Texas (Cedar Park HS)
Erich Weiss IF Brenham, Texas (Brenham HS)
TX, Texas Longhorns
Rice signs 11
November 17, 2009 2:19 PM
Posted by Andrew Drennen, ESPN RISE
The Rice Owls have inked another strong recruiting class for the fall of 2010. The class is led by one of the top pitchers in the nation, Jameson Taillon. In 2009 he posted an 8-1 record with a 2.82 ERA on the hill for The Woodlands High School. He also led Team USA to the Gold Medal at the 2009 COPABE Pan Am "AAA" (18U) Championships in Venezuela.
Here is the class:
Keenan Cook OF The Woodlands, TX (College Park HS)
Jaime Esquivel RHP South Houston, TX (South Houston HS)
Derek Hamilton Inf./RHP Lake Jackson, TX (Brazoswood HS)
Shane Hoelscher Inf. Belton, TX (Belton HS)
Austin Kubitza RHP/OF Colleyville, TX (Heritage HS)
Connor Mason RHP/Inf. Suwanee, Ga. (home school)
Kyle Mueller LHP Bellville, TX (Bellville HS)
Tyler Pearson C Lubbock, TX (Monterey HS)
John Simms RHP The Woodlands, TX (College Park HS)
Jameson Taillon RHP The Woodlands, TX (The Woodlands HS)
Richard Thon Inf. Dorado, Puerto Rico (Academia Del Terpetuo Socorro)
TX
Baylor Inks Seven
November 13, 2009 2:40 PM
Posted by Andrew Drennen, ESPN RISE
The Baylor Bears signed seven players during the early signing period, six are in state high school students, the other was a transfer from UC Davis. Here is a list of the high school students. They will be added to the master list on the Baseball Index page.
Doug Ashby LHP McKinney, Texas (McKinney Boyd)
Trae Davis RHP Mexia, Texas (Mexia)
Brad Kuntz LP Austin, Texas (Lake Travis)
Dillon Newman RHP Belton, Texas (Belton)
Grayson Porter IF Linden, Texas (McLeod)
Sean Spicer RHP Dallas, Texas (J.J. Pearce)
TX
Big Day For Texas Panhandle
November 12, 2009 6:04 PM
Posted by Andrew Drennen, ESPN RISE
Four Amarillo (Texas) area high school students signed with Big XII teams during the early signing period. Dexter Kjerstad (Texas), Parker Birdwell (Texas Tech), Charlie Curl (Texas A&M) and Blair Dickey (Texas A&M).
"This is a great day for the Panhandle," said Tascosa baseball coach Jason Patrick on Amarillo.com. "It's true we do play baseball north of Lubbock."
For more on the signings, click here.
TX
TCU Inks Seven
November 11, 2009 6:47 PM
Posted by Andrew Drennen, ESPN RISE
The TCU Horned Frogs signed seven players, all from the Lone Star State. Of their seven players, six are out of high school, with one Junior College transfer.
Brett Johnson (INF, Plano/Plano Senior High), Tony Rizzotti (RHP, Arlington/Martin High School), Stefan Crichton (RHP, Katy/Cinco Ranch High School), Nicholas Frey (RHP, The Woodlands/The Woodlands High School), Tyler Green (RHP/INF, Lake Jackson/Brazoswood) and Andrew Mitchell (RHP, Houston/Stratford High School).
Tony Rizzotti played in the 2009 Area Code games for the Texas Rangers and played in the Texas Scouts Association Game. In his junior year he reportedly posted an 8-1 record, with 82 strikeouts and a 0.74 ERA.
Tyler Green led the Houston area in home runs and posted a .400 batting average. As a pitcher, he finished with a 1.98 ERA. He was a teammate of Rizzoti at the 2009 Area Code Baseball Games (Texas Rangers) and at the Texas Scouts Association All-Star Game.
"Tyler, in our opinion, is one of the top two-way players not only in Texas but in the entire country in the 2010 class,” remarked Horned Frog coach Todd Whitting in a released statement. "He will hit for not only average but should put up big power numbers for the Frogs during his career. He is also an elite pitcher with a mid 90's fastball and power breaking pitch. Tyler is a great athlete and a fierce competitor.”
Nicholas Frey played in the 2009 Area Code games as a member of the Texas Rangers. He comes from The Woodlands (Texas) High School, which is one of the top high school programs in the state and one of the top programs in the nation.
TX, TCU, Tony Rizzotti, Nicholas Frey, Tyler Green
Kjerstad to Texas
October 15, 2009 12:00 PM
By Andrew Drennen, ESPNRISE.com Baseball
If you have seen the start of the college verbal list, then you would have read that Dexter Kjerstad out of Canyon Randall (Amarillo, Texas) High School, decided on the University of Texas. Kjerstad played for the Texas Rangers Area Code Baseball Team in August and is the fourth player from that team to commit to Texas.
"They have the greatest baseball program, coaching staff, and facilities," Kjerstad remarked, "plus they also have one of the greatest academic programs."
He joins Alex Silver, Jacob Felts and Trevor Teykl.
"I'm looking forward to playing baseball with them (Teykl, Felts and Silver)," he said.
"Staying in state or not wasn't a factor on my decision, I wanted to go to the best place for me and that was University of Texas."
With his decision made, it looks like Texas will have another strong recruiting class for the Fall of 2010. That of course depends on the 2010 MLB Draft.
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TX, Dexter Kjerstad
Texas Trio Stays Home
September 30, 2009 1:00 PM
By Andrew Drennen, ESPNRISE.com Baseball
The University of Texas got verbal commits, recently, from three of the top players in the state. Dex Kjerstad, Jacob Felts and Alex Silver all said yes to the Longhorns, who finished second to LSU in last year's NCAA College World Series.
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| | Scott Kurtz/ESPN RISE |
| | Jacob Felts is one of three Texas preps off to Texas |
"As a little kid I had always dreamed of going to Texas. I watched every Longhorn game I possibly could whether it be baseball, football or basketball,” remarked Bellaire (Houston, Texas) High School infielder Alex Sliver.
Last year, Silver's Bellaire team was ranked No.1 in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 National Baseball Rankings. That came to an end when they lost to Brazoswood (Clute, Texas) in the Class 5A state playoffs. Bellaire would end up No. 19 in the final rankings.
When Silver heads to Austin, he is following in the footsteps of his family. Silver's parents and sister all went to Texas, plus he added that it will only be a two and a half hour drive for his family to watch him play.
Jacob Felts, a catcher out of Orangefield (Orange, Texas) High School, shared the same dream of playing at Texas as Silver did. And like Silver, Felts has always been a fan of the Longhorns. Felts, Silver and Kjerstad all played on the Texas Rangers Area Code Team this past summer, so they will be a little more relaxed when they head off to Austin next fall.
"I have gotten to know both Alex and Dex over the last couple of months and have become good friends so it's good to have some familiar faces to look at when I arrive at Texas,” said Felts.
Silver was too thrilled that Kjerstad and Felts said yes to Texas. "After playing with
Dex on the Rangers Area Code Team, I am very excited for him to be a part of our class as well.”
Both players said they felt the pressure of making this choice and why not?
This is a big decision to make, for anyone, not just these two.
"There has honestly never been a bigger pressure and I was so happy to have that pressure lifted,” Felts said.
Silver agreed that some of the pressure was removed, but noted that the pressure to perform is still there. "In some ways I feel more relaxed but in others I don't. I feel better now because the whole recruiting process is over, but I know I have to work hard everyday to get better.”
Both players are looking to improve and get better for 2010.
"The outlook is looking very good because with the end of last year we only lost one senior so we have the entire team basically coming back and looking to make another run at the playoffs,” said Felts of his outlook for 2010. Orangefield finished last year with a 23-11 record. Felts had a great year at the plate hitting a reported .471 with six home runs and 38 RBIs.
Silver is looking for big things this year from Bellaire. They finished with a 33-4-1 record they have 15 guys returning with varsity experience. "I hope this year we will have a stronger team since we are returning seven starters.”
The Longhorns should be excited about these three players who said yes to Texas.
Dexter Kjerstad, Alex Silver, Jacob Felts, TX, University of Texas, Longhorns, high school, baseball
Notes on Team USA Trials
September 11, 2009 7:00 PM
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.
Team USA Baseball, CA, FL, IN, TX, TN, SC, UT, CO, PA, Area Code Baseball, AFLAC All America, Under Armour All American
Dual Sporter; Zach Lee
August 25, 2009 2:00 PM
Zach Lee is a 6-foot-4, 190 pound righty out of McKinney (Texas) High School. He was on the 2009 Texas Rangers Area Code Baseball Team, along with his teammate Matt Lipka. Lee also plays quarterback on the McKinney football team, where Lipka is a wide-receiver. Lee verbaled to LSU where he looks to further his athletic career.
Area Code Baseball, Zach Lee, baseball, high school, ESPNRISE, LSU, TX
2009 All Area Code Team
August 21, 2009 3:00 PM
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)
Area Code Baseball, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, high school baseball, CA, MO, NY, NM, AZ, TX, UT, NV, PA, OK, NC, WA
Area Code Player Notebook
August 10, 2009 6:16 PM
By Ronnie Flores, ESPNRISE.com
Contributing: Hilary May, Grant Bomann, Andrew Drennen
Long Beach, Calif. -- For a high school baseball game played in central Florida, the scene was electric; with an unprecedented throng of reporters and national media on hand.
Patrick Schuster, a crafty left-hander out of Mitchell High School in New Port Richey, Florida, had set a Florida state record by tossing four consecutive no-hitters. But in this particular game and the quest for no-no No. 5, Schuster was facing a tough playoff game against a familiar foe with a good hitter that had previous success against the no-hit maestro.
The foe on this late April day in a District 6A-7 Semifinal showdown was Gaither High out of Tampa. The Cowboys' contact hitter with the cool demeanor was one Drew Doty, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound centerfielder who is competing at the 2009 Area Code Games for the Oakland Athletics' sponsored team.
In a previous meeting against Mitchell earlier in the 2009 season, Doty recalled hitting a double and striking out against Schuster. Before a standing room only crowd, the soft-spoken Doty felt the electric atmosphere of the event but treated it as any other game when it was time to play.(Read full post)
Area Code Baseball, CA, FL, Colton Keough, Dillon Moyer, Ryon Healy, Josh Mason, Christian Carmichael, HI, Chucky Jones, Drew Vettleson, WA, TX, Zach Lee, Matt Lipka, Patrick Schuster
Arms light up the gun in Houston
July 1, 2009 8:25 PM
By Andrew Drennen; ESPNRISE.com
HOUSTON, Texas – It was the second of two Area Code Baseball tryouts this week for the Texas Rangers. Smaller than the tryout up in Weatherford, the talent was just as strong, and the pitching may have been stronger. It seems that every year it is the arms of the Lone Star State that stand out.
Like the first tryout there were two cuts made throughout the day, the first involving position players and the second involving the pitchers. After the second cut, players were summoned back to Baseball USA for the simulated game, that traditionally ends the tryouts in Texas.
There were a total of 14 righties that made the cut and two south paws. Every right handed pitcher touched 90 and the two lefties were around 89, which made the game that much more competitive. The only problem, and it was a good problem, was that the coaching staff has some tough choices when it comes to the team, especially the pitching staff.
Tyler Green out of Brazoswood (Texas) High School entered the tryout as a pitcher and second baseman. It was on the mound where he shined, as he was up to 95 on the gun and competed all throughout the game. He showed a good curveball and good feel for his change.
Another player who stood out was John Simms of College Park (The Woodlands, Texas) High School. The 6-foot-3, 190 pound righty was between 89-92 on the gun, with a heavy sinking fastball. He also showed a hard slurve pitch, too.
For pitcher Trevor Teykl out of Kempner (Texas) High School it was a great improvement from a year ago. Last year, when the 6-foot-7, 215 pound righty attended the tryout he was around 83-86, but this year was much different. He added more power behind his fastball and was 88-92 on the gun, during the game.
A couple of position players stood out as well. Kendrick Perkins, a 6-foot-3 outfielder from La Porte (Texas) High School was a good looking hitter at the plate. He also posted a sub-seven 60 yard time with a 6.86.
Dex Kjerstad (2010) out of Canyon Randall (Amarillo, Texas) had a good day as well. He showed well offensively and defensively and posted 60-yard time of 6.66, one of the fastest times at the tryout.
Here are the top 60-yard times:
Keenan Cook | 2B | 2010 | College Park | 6.89
Ryan Kadala | 2B | 2011 | Alvin | 6.94
Brandon Mims | SS | 2010 | Newman Smith | 6.90
Spencer Davis | SS | 2010 | The Woodlands | 6.99
Drew Webber | SS | 2010 | Episcopal | 6.99
Trey Masek | OF | 2010 | Giddings | 6.89
Lukas Forsythe | OF | 2010 | Espicopal | 6.85
John Williamson | OF | 2011 | Lamar | 6.83
Kendrick Perkins | OF | 2010 | La Porte | 6.86
Andrew Blum | OF | 2010 | Plano West | 6.95
Sean Washington | OF | 2010 | Bellaire | 6.66
Dex Kjerstad | OF | 2010 | Canyon Randall | 6.66
Chuck Keeton | OF | 2011 | Cy Creek | 6.74
Carrington Byndom | OF | 2010 | Lufkin | 6.59
Jonathan Henderson | OF | 2011 | Leander | 6.77
The Rangers roster will be announced shortly on ESPNRISE,.com and areacodebaseball.com.
Area Code Baseball, TX
Rangers wrap up first tryout
June 23, 2009 12:26 AM
By Andrew Drennen; ESPNRISE.com
WEATHERFORD, Texas – It was the first of two tryouts for the Texas Rangers Area Code Team and this may be the largest gathering of players at the first tryout in recent memory.
It was a full day for many of the players, with the tryout starting at 9am.
The position players go in the morning, starting with the running of the 60, the defensive evaluations and then batting practice. After the first cut of the day was made, the pitchers took their turn and were divided into two groups.
The top 60 time of the day went to Anthony Bryant (2010), a 6-foot-3, 215 pound outfielder from Connally (Austin, Texas) High School. He posted a 6.44 60-yard, which was by far the fastest at the camp. In addition to playing on the baseball team, he also plays on the Cougars' football team.
All totaled there were 22 players to run a sub –seven 60. They are listed in no particular order:
Madison Carter | Catcher | 2010 | Sherman HS | 6.67
Corey Knebel | First Base | 2010 | Bastrop HS | 6.84
Tommy Avers | Second Base | 2010 | Southlake Carroll HS | 6.83
William Russ | Third Base | 2010 | Evangel Christian | 6.98
Dalton Vannatta | Shortstop | 2010 | Clifton HS | 6.89
Carlton Bailey | Shortstop | 2010 | Texas HS | 6.78
Christian Summers | Shortstop | 2010 | Central HS | 6.76
Riley Good | Shortstop | 2010 | Godley | 6.99
Cory Raley | Shortstop | 2012 | Uvlade | 6.87
Jordan Allen | Outfield | 2010 | Joshua | 6.94
Andre Wheeler | Outfield | 2010 | Anderson | 6.95
Blake Parker | Outfield | 2010 | Plano West | 6.95
Max Farmer | Outfield | 2010 | Lorena | 6.95
Brandon Lewis | Outfield | 2010 | Arlington | 6.67
Andrew Holmes | Outfield | 2010 | Euless Trinity | 6.92
Anthony Bryant | Outfield | 2010 | Connally (Austin) | 6.44
Matt Walker | Outfield | 2010 | Robinson HS | 6.79
Blair Dickey | Outfield | 2010 | Amarillo HS | 6.69
Travis Brewster | Outfield | 2010 | John Horn HS | 6.72
Trevor Simms | Outfield | 2011 | Liberty Christian | 6.92
Jordan Jolly | Outfield | 2010 | Elkins HS | 6.70
Jace Statum | Outfield | 2010 | Orangefield | 6.72
Bryant, the who posted the fastest time at the camp may have been the best overall athlete at the tryout. At the plate he showed some raw power, as evident by the five that left the yard, including the one mentioned earlier that traveled over the scoreboard.
Another player who showed well on Monday was Christian Summers, a 6-foot-3, 190 pound senior to be out of Central (San Angelo, Texas) High School. He had one of the fastest times at the tryout when he posted a 6.76 60-yard. Summers has a tall lean build and good actions at the shortstop position. At the plate he showed a good swing. He has a lot of upside.
Catcher Jacob Felts (2010) was one of the top catchers at the tryout. He had one of the best pop times, with a 1.92. Only one of three catchers to go sub-two. Behind the plate he showed a good arm and a quick release. At the plate he has a short compact swing and centers the ball well.
Another player, who showed exceptional hustle on Monday was outfielder Travis Brewster. The senior to be, at John Horn (Mesquite, Texas) High School, posted a sub-seven 60 time with a 6.72.
"I think I ran a pretty good sixty,” said Brewster at the end of the tryout. "I made some good throws to third.
He had a good arm from the outfield and he said he is always looking for ways to improve. Brewster went 110% on every play. One play stood out in the simulated game, when he reached on groundball to short. Where most people would have dawdled down to first, he went all out and beat the throw. That was how he treated the entire day.
The Rangers have one more tryout and that is June 30 in Houston.
Area Code Baseball, TX
Rangers tryouts kick off in Weatherford
June 21, 2009 1:00 PM
by Andrew Drennen; ESPNRISE.com
The Texas Rangers Area Code Baseball Tryouts get under way in Weatherford, Texas on Monday, June 22. It will be the first of two tryouts in the Lone Star State, with the second tryout coming in Houston on June 30, at Baseball USA.
One of the players who will be at the tryout, in Weatherford, is Austin Kubitza. The 6-foot-5, 185 pound righty also plays first base and said he will tryout at both positions. The standout from Colleyville Heritage won four games in 2009 and looks to have a strong tryout this year.
"I just think it is a great way to be seen by a lot of college and pro scouts,” Kubitza remarked. "It's an easy thing to do, just go there do your thing and there is a lot of people there watching.”
For the Colleyville Heritage standout this is the second time he was invited to tryout. In 2008, Kubitza was invited, but fell short and with another shot at a final roster spot he feels more prepared and ready to go.
"Last year I was really nervous. I was probably one of the few sophomores there,” he added, "I will know what it's going to be like and I will be more comfortable.”
Last year there were over 250 players at the tryout for one spot on a final roster that included 24 players. The 2008 team was led by Randal Grichuk, Todd Glaesmann, Colton Cain and Shelby Miller.
Off of last year's roster there were three Rangers taken in the first round: (Shelby Miller; No. 19; St. Louis, Randal Grichuk; No. 24; Los Angeles Angels, Slade Heathcott; No. 29; New York Yankees).
Last year, the tryout at Weatherford was loaded in pitching talent, Heathcott and Miller both attended Weatherford. Randal Grichuk also attended the tryout and was one of the top outfielders there.
The Rangers look to have another strong team in Long Beach this summer and it starts on Monday.
Area Code Baseball, TX, LA
Bellaire off to hot start
March 17, 2009 7:47 PM
Posted by Andrew Drennen
Bellaire High School (Texas) started in th pre-season ESPN RISE FAB 50 National Baseball Rankings out as the No. 4 team, ranked behind Bishop Gorman (Nevada), Farragut (Tennessee) and Coppell (Texas). Right now the Cardinals could be one of the hottest teams in the nation as they are a reported 11-0-1 with their latest win coming against Milby 6-0. That was the second time that Bellaire topped Milby, with the first coming in the Knoblauch Tournament 6-4.
Their season got off to a bang when they jumped all over Sam Houston 20-0 as the Cardinals pounded out 15 hits. They have scored ten or more runs a reported three times and they have recorded a reported four shutouts.
They are currently ranked No. 1 in the Texas High School Baseball Association's Class 5A poll. With the top two teams in the pre-season ESPN RISE FAB 50 National Rankings already posting losses and then No. 3 Farragut having a 2-0 record, the Cardinals could find themselves in the top spot when the next set of rankings are released.
TX
Bullard wins Oil Belt Classic
March 11, 2009 12:32 PM
Posted by Andrew Drennen
Bullard High School went 4-0 in the Oil Belt Classic, topping Kilgore High School in the championship game, 12-3. Bullard topped Pine Tree, Lindale, Pleasant Grove and Kilgore to win the title.
TX
Prep stars weigh in on steroid use
March 3, 2009 8:49 AM
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
steroids, high school baseball, OK, CA, MO, WA, AZ, TX
Rangers Area Code Tryouts announced
January 27, 2009 12:00 PM
Posted by Andrew Drennen
The Texas Rangers announced their tryout dates and locations for the 2009 Area Code Baseball Games. As they did a year ago, the Rangers will once again have two tryouts for their region (Texas and Louisiana). The first tryout will be on June 22, 2009 at Weatherford College in Weatherford, Texas. The second tryout will be held at San Jacinto College North on June 29, 2009.
Last year both tryouts had over 110 players at each and saw some of the best players from the region.
Click on the links below and read the tryout recaps from 2008.
2008 Tryout in Brenham, Texas
2008 Tryout in Weatherford, Texas
2008 Texas Rangers Area Code Roster
TX, Area Code Baseball
Grichuck talks about Arizona
January 20, 2009 2:25 PM
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.
TX, AZ, Randal Grichuk, high school baseball, University of Arizona
Top five righties
December 3, 2008 1:00 PM
Today ESPN Rise features the top high school right-handed pitchers in the nation. Typically the premium right-handed pitchers are more in abundance than lefties, but this years looks to be a lot of volume of lefties than the right handed hurlers.The premium crop of right-handed pitchers is centered around Jacob Turner a flamethrower from Westminster Christian Academy from Saint Charles, MO. Another interesting note at this year's top 5 list is Southern California's Norco High School pitchers Matt Hobgood and Wes Hatton.
1. Jacob Turner-P 6'4 205lbs.'09 Westminster Christian Academy/Saint Charles, MO.
Has an excellent pitchers physique that features an explosive 90mph plus fastball. Fundamentally sound mechanics and has pin-point control of his pitches.
2. Scott Griggs-P 6'2 180lbs '09 San Ramon Valley/Alamo, CA
The top rated overall high school player from Northern California has a superb delivery with a dominating fastball and curveball. Excellent overall package.
3. Matt Hobgood-P 6'4 240 '09 Norco/Norco, CA
A physically imposing player with a powerful arm. Undeafeated 10-0W-L record and 1.32 era as a junior and features a 92mph fastball coupled with a hard breaking curveball.
4. Shelby Miller-P 6'3 195lbs. '09 Brownwood/Brownwood, TX
A superb pitcher that has a natural pitchers frame. Has all the ingredients of a power type pitcher and could shoot up the last with a solid spring season. Low 90's fastball and good control of his curveball.
5. Wes Hatton-P 5-10 175lbs. '09 Norco/Norco, CA
Small in stature relative to his peers, but has a 90mph plus fastball and arguably the best curve ball in the high school game. Posted a 1.69 era last season. Was a Team USA and Area Code standout last summer.
CA, TX, MO
Baylor's Bears sign eight
November 14, 2008 6:00 PM
By Andrew Drennen
Baylor University signed eight in the early signing period this year. "We are really pleased to be able to announce this class, Bears head coach Steve Smith said in a released statement.
| |  |
| | Elaine Shepard |
| | Jake Miller at the 2008 Area Code Games. |
"This is a very good group of players, and we feel like this group will go a long way toward meeting our needs in the next year. The position players particularly the infielders are all athletic and versatile enough to play anywhere on the field. Obviously, we focused on left-handed pitching, and we're very pleased with what we were able to get in that area.
Three of the Bears' signees played for the 2008 Texas Rangers Area Code Team this past August. The trio,
Logan Vick, Josh Turley and Jake Miller helped guide the Rangers to the best record and tournament winners.
Turley's Texarkana-Texas High School team went 25-5 in 2008 and on the mound, the hurler posted an 8-1 record with a 1.03 ERA. Over his career, Turley, has won over 25 games with a 1.24 ERA. He was the 2008 District MVP and made the THSBCA second team all-state.
Jake Miller is going into his senior year at Stratford High School, in Houston, Texas. In 2008 he batted .419 with five homers and 32 RBI. In addition to playing in the Area Code Baseball Games, he was selected to play in the Texas Scout Association North-South Game.
Out of Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas, Logan Vick was named to the first team all-state, all-area and all-district teams. He hit over .500 last year, with six homers and 36 RBIs. Not only does Vick excel on the baseball field, but also he is a solid football player, too, playing both wide receiver and kicker.
Here is the list of signees to Baylor:
Tyler Collins | OF | Trophy Club, Texas (Justin Northwest)
Zackry Dodson | LHP | LaCoste, Texas (Medina Valley)
Taylor Eikenberry | LHP | Rock Falls, Ill. (Rock Falls)
Lawton Langford | IF | Uvalde, Texas (Uvalde)
Jake Miller | IF | Houston, Texas (Stratford)
Max Muncy | IF | Keller, Texas (Keller)
Josh Turley | LHP | Texarkana, Texas (Texas)
Logan Vick | IF | Kerrville, Texas (Tivy)
TX, Baylor, Area Code, Logan Vick, Jake Miller, Josh Turley
Left handed power
October 30, 2008 4:42 PM
By ESPNRISE.com
| |  |
| | Elaine Shepard |
| | Paul Strong at the 2008 Area Code Baseball Games. |
Around the horn today in high school baseball the top lefties from across the country are featured. For many of the top high school players they play year around whether it is the spring season, summer showcase circuit, or the top fall/winter tournaments and these five pitchers have put themselves in the premier spot heading into the high school season.
Tyler Matzek-P 6'3 185lbs. '09 Capistrano Valley/Capistrano Valley, CA
This is the standout lefty in the country with an advanced delivery and a mid 90's fastball. Has all the ingredients of a power pitcher.
Matthew Purke-P 6'3 180lbs. '09 Klein/Spring, TX
An excellent pitcher with a low 90's fastball and a strong breaking pitch that is one of the best overall in the 2009 class.
Ian Krol-P 6'1 180lbs. '09 Neuqua Valley/Naperville, IL
A standout with pin point control of his fastball and has smooth delivery. Dominating lefty at the high school level.
Tyler Skaggs-P 6'4 175lbs. '09 Santa Monica/Los Angeles, CA
Known mainly for his devastating curve ball. He also features a 90mph fastball that is perhaps his best pitch.
Paul Strong-P 6'2 200lbs. '09 Marina/Huntington Beach, CA
Is a consistent strike thrower that has a three-pitch repertoire. Hitters have a tough time gauging his curve ball.
CA, TX, IL
Kazmir goes for Rays, Hamels for Phils in Game 1
October 22, 2008 1:10 PM
Game One of the 2008 World Series goes tonight starting in Tampa, Fla. The Rays are making their first appearance in a World Series and for the Phillies it is their sixth appearance, and their only win came in 1980. Kazmir is one of ten players, combined on both rosters, to play in the Area Code Games. He played in 2001 for the Texas Rangers Area Code Team.
Both Cole Hamels and Scott Kazmir were drafted in 2002, two picks away from each other. Kazmir was the 15th pick in that 2002 draft to the New York Mets. He was then traded to Tampa in 2004 for Victor Zambrano.
Hamels was taken by the Phillies with the 17th pick and signed that August. He made his MLB debut at the age of 22 and when he takes the mound tonight against Kazmir, you will see two up and coming lefties in the game today.
FL, PA, TX, CA
Top SPARQ Ratings from Fall Classic
October 20, 2008 6:58 PM
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:
- Trevor Sanderin RHP/3B (All Star Baseball) 81.68
- Karl Kobler OF (NorCal Black) 78.72
- Jon Poch INF (Baseball Northwest Washington Green) 78.30
- Kyle Phillips OF (Baseball Northwest Washington Green) 75.90
- Hunter Zwart RHP/OF (All Star Academy) 75.82
- Pat Hirschberg OF/1B (Colorado Rockies) 75.48
- Skip Spencer RHP/C (Baseball Northwest Oregon) 75.03
- Rhett Nelson RHP (Angels Elite RM) 74.85
- Sean Washington OF (Bellaire Off Season) 74.59
- 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.
Arizona Senior Fall Classic, AZ, CA, TX, OR, WA, CO
All-Time Area Code Baseball Team
September 17, 2008 3:43 PM
Posted By Andrew Knepper
Over the past 22 years the Area Code Baseball Games have come across some of the best players in the modern era. Today we take a look at what we feel is the All-Area Code Team. This team is compiled of veterans who have had successful careers, All-Stars that are still at the top of their game and some young ones that look have lasting impressions on the baseball community
PLAYER HIGH SCHOOL DRAFT YEAR/RD/PICK
Catchers
Jason Kendall Torrance (Calif.) 1992 1st Rd. (23rd pick)
Mike Lieberthal Westlake (Calif.) 1990 1st Rd. (3rd pick)
Gerlad Laird La Quinta (Calif.) 1998 2nd Rd. (45th pick)
Fisrt Basemen
Albert Pujols Fort Osage (MO) 1999 13th Rd. (402nd pick)
Prince Fielder Florida Air Aca (Fla.) 2002 1st Rd. (7th pick)
Ryan Howard Lafayette (MO) 2001 5th Rd. (140th pick)
Second Basemen
Brian Roberts Chapel Hill (N.C.) 1999 1st Rd. (50th pick)
Dustin Pedroia Woodland (Calif.) 2004 2nd Rd. (65th pick)
Short Stop
Troy Tulowitski Freemont (Calif.) 2005 1st Rd. (7th pick)
Jimmy Rollins Encinal (Calif.) 1996 2nd Rd. (46th pick)
Thrid Basemen
Eric Chavez Mount Carmel (Calif.) 1996 1st Rd. (10th pick)
Troy Glaus Carlsbad (Calif.) 1997 1st Rd. (3rd pick)
Hank Blalock Rancho Bernardo (Calif.) 1999 3rd Rd. (105 pick)
David Wright Hickory (Va.) 2001 1st Rd. (38th pick)
Outfielder
Ryan Braun Granada Hills (Calif.) 2005 1st Rd. (5th pick)
Grady Sizemore Cascade (Wash.) 2000 3rd Rd. (75th pick)
Jim Edmonds Diamond Bar (Calif.) 1988 7th Rd. (169th pick)
Torii Hunter Pine Bulff (Ark.) 1993 1st Rd (20th pick)
Delmon Young Adolfo Camarillo (Calif.) 2003 1st Rd. (1st pick)
Pat Burrell Bellarmine (Calif.) 1998 1st Rd. (1st pick)
Carlos Quentin Univ. High San Diego (CA) 2003 1st Rd. (29th pick)
BJ Upton Greenbrier Academy (Va.) 2002 1st Rd. (2nd pick)
Jacoby Ellsbury Madres (Ore.) 2005 1st Rd. (23rd pick)
Pitchers
Roy Halladay Arvada (CO) 1995 1st Rd. (17th pick)
Scott Kazmir Cy Falls (Texas) 2002 1st Rd. (15th pick)
Dan Haren Bishop Amat (Calif.) 2001 2nd Rd. (72nd pick)
Barry Zito Univ. High San Diego (CA) 1999 1st Rd. (9th pick)
Josh Beckett Spring (Texas) 1999 1st Rd. (2nd pick)
Clayton Kershaw Highland Park (Texas) 2006 1st Rd. (7th pick)
C.C. Sabathia Vallejo (Calif.) 1998 1st Rd. (20th pick)
Aaron Harang Patrick Henry (Calif.) 1999 6th Rd. (195th pick)
Jered Weaver Simi Valley (Calif.) 2004 1st Rd. (12th pick)
Dontrelle Willis Encinal (Calif.) 2000 8th Rd. (223rd pick)
CA, MO, TX, VA, Area Code Baseball
Team USA 16U Roster
September 16, 2008 7:00 PM
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
CA, TX, NV, TN, GA, FL, UT
High school participation on the rise
September 4, 2008 5:03 PM
Posted by Andrew Drennen
A new record has been set of 7.4 million high school athletes participating in high school sports, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. The number of athletes playing baseball sits at just over 475,000 players. Football was No. 1 with almost 1.2 million players. Baseball ranked No. 4 behind football, basketball and track. Check the article out here.
High School, Baseball, CA, TX, FL, NY, MN, MI, PA, IL
2008 All Area Code Team
August 30, 2008 6:00 PM
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)
|
Area Code Baseball, ESPNRISE, CA, NV, TX, FL, NY, NJ, VA, AZ
Glaesmann looks to build off strong Summer
August 27, 2008 3:06 PM
by Andrew Drennen
Todd Glaesman had a memorable summer when he played in two elite high school baseball events, the 2008 Area Code Baseball Games (Long Beach, Calif.) and the 2008 Under Armor All-American Game, at Wrigley Field.
The 6-foot-4, 200 pound outfielder is out of Midway High School and hails and from Waco, Texas. Before he made the final Texas Rangers roster, for the 2008 Area Code Baseball Games, he tried out in Weatherford, Texas.
| |  |
| | Elaine Shepard for AC Baseball |
| | Glaesmann at the 2008 Area Code Baseball Games. |
That tryout was loaded with Lone Star State talent as Slade Heathcott (Texas HS), Hoby Milner (Paschal HS), Randal Grichuk (Lamar Consolidated) and Keifer Nuncio (Katy HS), were some of the big names from Weatherford to make the final Area Code Roster, along with Glaesmann.
"The experience at Area Code was unbelievable, recalled Glaesmann. "The competition was so much better then what I had faced throughout the summer and it helped me see where I stood with the other talent around the country.
At the tryout, Glaesmann ran two sub-seven 60-yard dashes, 6.96 and a 6.94 and was one of the top outfielders at the tryout. There was fierce competition this year for a spot on the Rangers roster as an outfielder. On the final roster Glaesmann was one of seven outfielders to represent Texas in Long Beach.
After the Area Code Games, it was off to Chicago and historic Wrigley Field, where he played in the 2008 Under Armor All-America Game. Like the Area Code Games, the players for the Under Armor All-America Game were selected via nationwide tryouts.
Glaesmann tried out in Texas where he ran a 6.83 60-yard dash.
"The Under Armor game was such a great experience, Glaesmann said. "To be named as one of the top 36 players in the nation was enough, but getting to play at Wrigley was just icing on the cake.
"The history of Wrigley field was amazing and I was so honored to be selected for that, he said.
Glaesmann selected Texas A&M as his school of choice in the fall of 2009. He said he chose to be an Aggie because he felt comfortable in College Station. Also, another factor, that helped him make his choice was his father went there and his older brother is currently a sophomore in Aggie Land.
"When it all came down to choosing, Baylor University and Texas A&M were my top two choices but like I said I just felt comfortable."
For many players going through the recruiting process a myriad of emotions follow. Glaesmann described the process as long, but fun and he had many schools show interest.
"I was overwhelmed with the decision, but I am very pleased with the place I chose.
Glaesmann played football up until this year, in which he played quarterback. When it came down to it, baseball was going to be his future and he needed to work on some things, which is why this year he will not be on the gridiron.
"Playing both sports is very beneficial, he said of football, "it was tough to decide, but it was the best for me.
Going into his senior year, Glaesmann said it will be fun. He is going to work hard to improve, but knowing his decision is made will ease the tension of making a choice that followed him throughout the summer.
"I hope to do great things this spring into the summer so that I am prepared for Texas A&M the next fall.
Todd Glaesmann, TX, Area Code Baseball
Young Guns Making Big Bucks
August 22, 2008 10:00 PM
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
|
MLB draft, CA, FL, AL, TX, GA, AZ, Signing Bonuses
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