Roseburg and Richland/Hanford  won Baseball Northwest's 2009 High School Fall Ball State Championships. Roseburg topped North Eugene 5-3 to win the Oregon/SW Washington League.  Hanford/Richland won the East Washington Championship  8-4 over the Baseball Northwest Tri-Cities team.  For more click here.

Posted by Andrew Drennen, ESPNRISE.com Baseball

Over the weekend, SeattleTimes.com reported that twelve schools districts in the Emerald State have eliminated some sports from junior high to the junior varsity level.  They have had to make these drastic cuts in order to save money in budget tight times.  One school district has nearly tripled the fee that athletes must pay to participate in a sport this upcoming year.  The fee jumped from $100.00 to $275.00 per athlete / per sport.  Click here to read this story.  

The 2009 Northwest Championships helps players in the Northwest be seen by college coaches and pro scouts.  There is a tryout process that leads to this final event, which includes six states (Utah, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming) and another country, Canada.  The event is complete in five days and during the first two days over 700 players SPARQ Tested.  The No. 1 SPARQ Rating went to Matt Kimmel with an 81.81 SPARQ Rating.

You can read more about the championships on BaseballNorthwest.com.  

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)

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)

By Grant Bomann, special to ESPNRISE.com

Long Beach, Calif. -- He is recognized at the 2009 Area Code Games as the guy who hit for the cycle at last year's games. In his second year of duty, Joshua Sale (Bishop Blanchette, Seattle, Wash.) is proving to be the real deal. He made the Area Code Games as an underclassman, and looks like he's put on ten pounds of muscle and gained an infinite amount of experience.

"This year I have a bigger comfort level, I know what to expect, last year I was the young guy, wide-eyed and not as focused,” Sale said.

	Scott Kurtz / ESPN RISE
	Sale is off to strong start this week

On the first day of the '09 Area Code Games, Sale added to his Area Code success by hitting a home run and recording an outfield assist by throwing out a Red's player at home plate on a frozen rope from left field.

Sale credits his experience last year in allowing him to be more relaxed and focused this year.

When asked about last year, coming up to the plate needing a homerun for the cycle, Sale responded by saying, "Honestly, yeah I was thinking about it. I wasn't trying to [hit a homerun] but it was in the back of my mind.”

In his second game of the week (he still has three more to go), Sale proved to be a legitimate threat in what has turned out to be a scrappy Nationals' lineup. One player who has benefited thus far hitting in front of Sale is Drew Vettleson (Central Kitsap, Bremerton, Wash.), who in the 9-7 loss to the Rangers on Thursday night, had four hits.

It seems that every time Sale makes contact with the ball it is hit hard. And another, more visible notation on Sale. He has matured over the past year and looks like a different person. He seems to be more of a physical specimen.

At the Washinton Nationals' tryout in Bellevue, Wash., Sale was able to pass along information to the players about to make their first trip to Long Beach. On this team, he was the veteran and in his first two games he played like it.

Sale, who has a verbal commitment to Gonzaga, is striving for the pros and believes the Area Code Games can bring him the exposure he needs to play at the next level.

Being a second-year player, Sale is helping the new guys out this year by giving them advice on how to handle the exposure with scouts.

As for next spring at his high school, Sale is focused on having a good season, but is taking it in stride.

"I just want to relax and have fun.”

For more Area Code game updates, please visit AreaCodeBaseball.com, the ESPN RISE Baseball blog and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ACBaseballGames

By Andrew Drennen; ESPNRISE.com

Bellevue, Wash.-The Washington Nationals held their first and only tryout at Bellevue Community College on July1.  There were over 100 players representing the Pacific Northwest, with the hope of earning a spot in Long Beach. 

Last year, then junior to be, Josh Sale, put on a show in the second game of the week for the Nationals.  He had hit for the cycle, which was the first one that could be remembered in the recent history of the event. 

When Sale was in Long Beach, a year ago, he showed raw power potential and today he showed that he is a definite big power guy.  Last year, he played in the outfield, but this year there may be a chance that he gets a look behind the plate.  No matter where he plays in the field, he will be a big bat in the lineup for the Nationals. 

The top velocity at the tryout went to Cameron Boozer out of Fife High School in Washington.  His fastball was up to 93 on the gun and according to BaseballNorthwest.com, he is the No. 4 player in the Emerald State. 

There were a pair of 2011 kids who made an impression on Wednesday.  Spencer O'Neil out of Southridge High School in Washington plays in the outfield. He is ranked as the No. 1 player in the 2011 class for the state of Washington by BaseballNorthwest.com. 

The other 2011 player to make an impression was Dylan Davis out of Redmond High School in Washington.  This young pitcher / outfielder was up to 92 on the gun when they pitchers had their chance to throw. 

It looks like the Nationals will be solid on defense and at the plate.  Their pitching may be down from a year ago, but will still be solid.  They only had one tryout this year and their roster should be released within a week. 
 

Posted b Andrew Drennen

The Bainbridge Spartans scored 21 runs in the first inning a game last week against Rainier Beach.  The Spartans took the game easily 21-4.  They pounded out 15 hits led by Colby Morse, who went 2-for-2 with a homer and 3 RBIs, Will Martin went 2-for-2 with a homer and four RBIs and Mike Callahan 2-for-2 with a homer and five RBIs. Callahan's homer was a grand slam.

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

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

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

"I think they should test High School players."

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


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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by Andrew Drennen

The Washington Nationals' Area Code Team Tryout is set for July 1, 2009 at Bellevue Community College.  This is the same facility that the tryout was held at last year.  Like the other Area Code Tryouts, the Nationals' one is invitation only, and those should go out in the spring. For more information on the 2009 Area Code Baseball Games, visit AreaCodeBaseball.com.

Posted by Andrew Drennen

BaseballNorthwest.com released their top player lists from the great state of Washington.  Kyrell Hudson, an OF from Evergreen High School is the top 2009 player.  Hudson played on Washington Nationls Area Code Team this past summer and back in October was ranked No. 59 by Baseball America.

Last summer, in addition to the Area Code Games, Hudson played in the AFLAC All-American Game (Dodger Stadium) and the Under Armour Game in Chicago (Wrigley Field).

He signed with Oregon State this past fall.  "Oregon State really believes in the family atmosphere and family comes first. Family is real important to me and being able to be in that type of environment will make me a better stronger man. I also think I can come in and help make an impact right away," Husdon said in an interview with BaseballNorthwes.com.

Like many top high school players, the possibility of being drafted is there for Hudson.  He said,on BaseballNorthwest.com, that he is going to college and when it gets closer to that time.

2009     2010     2011     2012

Posted by Andrew Drennen

The University of Washington baseball team received National Letters of Intent from nine high school seniors during the early signing period.

The nine signees, all from Washington, are: Chase Anselment (Edmonds/Meadowdale), Adam Cimber (Edgewood/Puyallup), Jake Lamb (Seattle/Bishop Blanchet), Collin Monagle (Port Orchard/South Kitsap), RHP Nick Palewicz (Seattle/Ballard), Eric Peterson (Renton/Liberty), Andy Smith (Poulsbo/North Kitsap), RHP Tyler Sullivan (Kingston/Kingston), and Brian Wolfe (Snohomish/Snohomish).

"It's an excellent class," Washington head coach Ken Knutson stated on GoHuskies.com. "The thing that stands out is that its well-balanced with hitters and pitchers. We're bringing in a lot of left-handed power, plus three power arms and a top strike-thrower. It could be one of those special classes if all of them make it to college after the draft."

By Andrew Drennen

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Andrew Drennen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Andrew Drennen

 When Josh Sale's name appeared on the Washington Nationals' Area Code Roster this past August, he was one of two underclassmen to play for the Northwest.  In fact he was the only 2010 player to actually hail from the region, the other 2010 player was Jacoby Almaraz out of San Antonio, Texas.

	Elaine Shepard/AC Baseball
	Sale made some noise at the 08 Area Code Baseball Games.

From ESPNRISE.com.

There was a common occurrence during Kent-Meridian (Kent, Wash.) baseball games this past spring. When Brody Leach came to the plate, the opposing team's outfielders and infielders would not-so-subtly creep in from their respective positions. The pitcher would then invariably attempt to blow Leach away with a steady diet of fastballs.

These probably weren't meant as signs of disrespect, but there's no mistaking the language of America's pastime: Leach was being underestimated. In baseball, there's only one way to effectively answer, and more often than not, Leach would oblige.

"He'd rip a line drive over the head of the third baseman," Kent-Meridian coach Todd Moser says.

Leach, now a senior, stands 4-foot-3. But you'll have about as much luck getting him to discuss his height as you will getting him to submit a poor at-bat. "I don't really deal with it," he says.

He hasn't had to. Though at a tangible disadvantage playing baseball -- he doesn't have much range in the field and he's not speedy or particularly powerful -- Leach is a tremendously smart and hard-working player.

Used as a relief pitcher and reserve second baseman last season, Leach hopes to crack the starting rotation next spring. On the mound, he has a two-seam fastball, an effective curve and a knuckleball that's still being perfected. He even manages to use his height to his advantage.

"When he keeps the ball down, with the unique arm angle he can pop guys up and get them to hit it into the ground," Moser says.

Leach is also among the top players on Kent-Meridian's golf squad. He's typically upwards of 150 yards off the tee, having honed his swing since his grandfather acquainted him with a set of toy clubs when Leach was only 4 years old.

Even that most height-demanding of sports, basketball, isn't beyond Leach. He played as a freshman and still has some game.

"He's got great ball-handling skills and hustles all over the court," Moser says.

But baseball is his true love, and pitching what he likes best. Although Leach might give batters a different look, his approach is hardly unorthodox.

"When I'm up there I'm just trying to help my team out, trying to get the outs," Leach says. "I just want to strike some guys out so we can win the game."

His unwavering confidence and perpetually positive attitude are impressive to others, but he doesn't give it a second thought. While he understands the attention his height brings, Leach says he steers "mostly clear of that."

"We've never had a conversation about him not being of normal height," Moser says. "It's always been about baseball."

Those conversations have convinced Moser that Leach will one day make an excellent coach. His attitude, demeanor, intelligence and refusal to be intimidated are staggering -- and that has nothing to do with height. An opposing coach once told Moser that, if he could, he'd trade his All-League player for Brody, just based on the attitude Leach brings to the table. He wasn't kidding.

But Moser responded that he'd never take the deal.

So many athletes focus on what they don't have, what they lack. They could take a lesson from Leach, who won't even entertain a conversation about his height.

"He looks at life as a set of challenges, not as a set of problems," Moser says. "He looks at how he can succeed, not why he can't."

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 Ronnie Flores, Senior Editor

Texas Rangers 5, Chicago White Sox 4

The 2008 Area Code Games started with the nation's top players in the Midwest Region (White Sox) facing an elite group of players from the state of Texas and Louisiana. Right off the bat, White Sox pitcher Ian Krol (Nequa Valley, Naperville, Ill.) struck out the side in the top of the first inning. Over two innings Krol impressed, as he fanned five and gave up one unearned run.

With one out in the top of the second, the Rangers' Colton Cain (Waxahachie, Texas) came through with a RBI single that drove in Randal Grichuk (Lamar Consolidated, Rosenberg, Texas).

The White Sox answered with a run in the bottom of the second inning on a fielder's choice after a hit and run single by Shelby Miller (Brownwood, Texas) put Slade Heathcott (Texas, Texarkana, Texas) on third base. The bats for the White came alive again in the bottom of the third as Josh Sheffert (Lincoln Southeast, Lincoln, Neb.) drove in a run with a stand-up double.

The White Sox then took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning as the two-run frame was highlighted by a two-out infield single by Luke Maile (Covington Catholic, Crestview Hills, Ky.) that drove in Justin O'Connor (Cowan, Muncie, In.).

The White Sox were in control of this game until the top of the seventh inning when the Rangers' Jake Miller (Stratford, Houston, Texas) scored on a RBI double by Jonathan Walsh (Coppell, Texas). The Rangers stranded a runner in scoring position in that inning, but got it right back and them some in the top of the eighth as the ChiSox pitchers could not hold onto the lead.

The rally started with two out and runners on the corners. Michael Hillard (Cy-Woods, Cypress, Texas) legged out an infield hit, that caromed off the glove of Chicago's second baseman, and scored Todd Glaesmann (Midway, Waco, Texas). Cain then came through with the game-winning hit, as he stroked a stand-up double into the left centerfield gap that cleared the bases.

The Rangers' Josh Turley, a southpaw who similar to Heathcott hails from Texas High in Texarkana, sealed the deal. He pitched the final two innings for the victors. He kept the Chicago hitters off-balance and struck out five batters while being credited for the win.


Cincinnati Reds 1, Washington Nationals 0

Both starting pitchers set the tone in the nine-inning night capper, as seven Cincinnati Reds pitchers combined for a no-hitter.

Nationals' hurler Matthew Boyd (Eastside Catholic, Mercer Island, Wash.), a southpaw, threw first and he gave up zero hits, runs and walks. He also struck out three of the six batters he faced. The Reds' Tom Lemke (Northwest Christian, Phoenix, Ariz.) was just as impressive, facing only one batter over the minimum while fanning three and giving up zero hits in two innings of work.

The Reds' second hurler, Michael Dedrick (Canyon View, Cedar City, Utah) also got the job done. He did allow two walks, but he did not allow a hit among the eight batters he faced. The Nationals kept pace with the live arm of Jeffrey Ames (Skyview, Vancouver, Wash.). The righty allowed one hit, but did strike out three batters in the two frames he pitched.

After five and a half innings the game remained scoreless and only one hit had been allowed by Ames, a harmless double by Kirby Pellant (Corona del Sol, Chandler, Ariz.). The Reds' Bryce Harper, a 6-foot-3 195-pound 2011 prospect from Las Vegas High School, changed all that with one swing of the bat.

Nearly every player in attendance can play at a high level so the scouts and media at Area Code use caution when singing the praises of any particular player. With Harper, however, it's hard not to talk about his potential. His frame defies logic for a 15-year old and the ball simply jumps off his bat.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the left-handed Harper hit a shot off the right field wall that was hit with such ferocity that it caromed back towards the infield. Harper can also run well, and ended up with a stand-up triple. Jacob Stewart (Rocky Mountain, Fort Collins, Colo.) then drove in the game-winning run, as Harper scored on a groundout to the shortstop with one out.

The Nationals had their chances to get on the board, but in the top of the seventh inning Bobby Joe Tannehill (Kentlake, Auburn, Wash.) struck out with two runners in scoring position to end the threat. Righty A.J. Carman (Judge Memorial, Bountiful, Utah) came in to close out the no-hitter for the Reds and he got the job done, as the Nationals' batters could only come up with three comeback grounders in their last go around.

All seven of the Reds' pitchers impressed and Casey Upperman (Notre Dame, Phoenix, Ariz.) was credited with the victory.