Many of the top sophomores and freshmen prospects from Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin participated at the Chicago White Sox Silver and Black showcase at Triton Junior College in River Grove, Ill. on September 27. The assemblage of talent indicated that the future is definitely bright in the Midwest. While there were many standout performances at the six-hour event, these players stood above the rest ...

Nolan Rogers said you can drive through his hometown of Smithville, Ind. in five minutes, unimpeded by a stoplight. But growing up in the small town south of Bloomington didn’t prevent Rogers from shining on the biggest stage. Playing against the best 14-year-olds from across the country at the final National Tournament Identification Series (NTIS) tryout over Labor Day weekend in Jupiter, Fla., Rogers made big news when he earned a roster spot on the 14U USA National Team.

Bryant Hodge can’t explain it, other than it’s a “gift from God.” His friends haveoffered an alternative explanation, calling him various endearing nicknames of freak.  However one chooses to theorize Hodge’s extraordinary skill, there has to be some reasonable explanation as to how a 5-foot-7, 150-pound kid can throw a baseball so hard, or can launch a football 70 yards in the air.  

USA Baseball announced the roster for the 2008 14U National Team.  The roster was unveiled at the close of the first-ever 14U National Team Identification Series (NTIS). The NTIS consisted of two identification events featuring a total of 216 players over Labor Day Weekend. The West Coast event was held at the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif., and the East Coast event was held at the Roger Dean Stadium Complex in Jupiter, Fla. 

Growing up in northwest Arkansas, David Petrino has always commanded the limelight on the baseball field. At the plate, the 5-foot-9, 175-pound Petrino hits with the best of them; and on the mound, not many 14-year-olds are touching his 80-82 mph fastball. But over Labor Day weekend, Petrino’s baseball perspective changed. Petrino was just one of many standout players from all over the country who had advanced to the final National Team Identification Series (NTIS) tryout, all competing for a roster spot on the 14-year-old USA National Team in Jupiter, Fla.

Jake Odorizzi enjoyed a near-perfect season, one that saw the right-hander from Highland HS in Illinois yield only one earned run all year while leading his high school to its first state championship. His reward: earning USA Today High School Player of the Year honors and, ultimately, being selected No. 32 overall in the Major League Baseball amateur draft.

Maybe its genetics, some sort of Darwinian evolution that has made Michael and Daniel Verdoliva Weber some prodigously talented baseball players.

Daniel Verdoliva Weber

On May 10, the West Suburban Baseball League (WSBL) celebrated the mid-way point of its second season with an all day All-Star event at the Lumberyard in Bourbonnais, IL.

The day began with a skills competition, broken down into two age groups (9-11, 12-14). The competition featured five different categories: fastest base running, home run hitting, throwing accuracy from the outfield to home plate, around the horn, and pitch speed.

There's something to be said about success breeding success. In the past six years under coach Brian Keuster, South Spencer High School (located in Indiana) has produced a number of successful teams and players. In addition to winning last season's 2A state championship, South Spencer's baseball program has established a track record of consistently graduating Division-I players. By all accounts, that tradition will continue this season with left-handed ace Blake Monar.

At the USSSA Spring Fling tournament, which took place from April 26 to 27 (the 12 and Under Major Division), the So Cal Hawks earned their first USSSA 12 and under major division tournament in grand fashion going 4-0. They defeated the Backyard Boyz 2-0, the So Cal Bombers 8-4, Team Anderson 14-5, and the Louisville Legends 6-4. The So Cal Hawks are no strangers to success though; this team won the CCYB 2007 championship as 11 year olds and qualified for both the World Series with USSSA and the Super Series.

When Karl Frank completed his graduate studies in kinesiology and biomechanics, he was as prepared as anyone to train athletes in sport specific movements. But since he graduated back in 1998, Frank has become much more than a trainer. He’s developed his own program, the renowned Speedology training method, and is the co-owner of Hardt of Champions, a sporting facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

A graduate of LSU, shortstop Ryan Theriot is now helping the Cubs stay in first place, and maybe break 100 year's of futility in the process. We discuss Cubdom, Lou Pinella, and what Chicago would be like if the Cubs won it all.

The founders of the Southern California Baseball Club may not have intended their organization to grow the way it has, but that's moot at this point. Their 15u team alone is coming off a victory in the Sandy Koufax World Series and has had two players--Austin Davidson and Dante Flores--play for the USA team that competed in Puerto Rico. And they've done so by taking any interested player--not just the elite.

Five questions with Chicago Cubs left-handed pitcher Rich Hill on Cubdom, Lou, and what it's like to grow up a Red Sox fan and end up playing for the Cubs.

New Lenox, IL

The 13U Pastime Prospects, a Lincoln-Way area high travel baseball team in New Lenox, opened their 2008 season with a roar! Fittingly, as their 2008 logo revolves around a bear.

The Prospects traveled to Lombard, IL April 19th and 20th for their inaugural tournament and brought back the Championship trophy as the 2008 Lombard Lightning Tournament champions. The tournament was hosted by the Lightning, inviting teams from more than 14 communities at 13U and 14U.

The Prospects defeated the Lightning 13-3 in the finals. The Prospects defeated the Woodridge Bulldogs 11-3 in the semi-finals earning the berth to play for the title. Earlier in pool play, the Prospects battled the Illinois Crush from Palatine for an 11-6 victory, posting five runs in the last inning.

Sandra Day O'Connor High School in Phoenix has a proud history of winning. But head coach Jeff Baumgartner wants his team to have more than a good record; he wants to win regional, he wants to take state. With the roster he has returning, one that includes a couple of Division-I players, this year could very well be the year for the Eagles.  

Jay Country senior catcher Josh Ludy is the type of player that recruiters and scouts dream about: he's a switch-hitting catcher with a sub-2 pop time. If that's not enough, he can also rake. Ludy hit .488 last season and smashed 12 home runs, good enough to shatter Jay County's previous single season record.  

Team USA jumps ahead of Nicaragua in front of a sell out crowd. Photo Courtesy of Kyle Krause

 
In order to be selected to the 14U USA Baseball team, players are required to participate in a National Team Identification Series (NTIS). USA Baseball has awarded the Amateur Baseball Report as a participating organization, giving the ABR control of the selection process for five of the six eastern region teams and one western region team.

Eighteen players per team will be selected by the ABR to compete for a spot on the 14U National Team. The ABR hosts ID camps in 31 states across the country. Players are evaluated at these ID camps and, if selected, go on to the USA Baseball tryouts.  

Up until recently, John Lorenz always thought his future was in basketball. In fact, anyone who has seen him use his 37-inch vertical leap to dunk over a back-pedaling defender would likely agree, too.

Lorenz’s mother, Erin, who is an elite club volleyball coach and former collegiate standout, also knew that her son had unlimited potential on the volleyball court. He was, after all, receiving recruiting letters from top collegiate programs from all over the country as a freshman. It wasn’t until early last spring that Lorenz and his family began to realize that baseball very well may be his best sport of all. The awakening came when Lorenz blasted five home runs in a five-game span.

They say that success breeds success. Well, the same can be said about competition. The better it is around you, the stronger the impetus to bring your game to the next level, to be as good as—if not better than—the talent around you. For the 60 teams participating in McHenry County Youth Sports Organization/USSSA 15-U Open Summer National Championship, competition is the name of the game.

The tournament is being touted as the “premier" 15-year-old event in the world,” and for good reason. In addition to attracting some of the best teams in the country, the tournament also showcases intense international competition. At least global 10 teams – from Canada, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Japan – will be represented at the tournament.