EMERSON,
Ga. – While the 2015 18u WWBA National Championship tournament is
well under way, there are some 17u teams that have made an early
appearance at the LakePoint complex in Emerson to compete in the 17u
PG WWBA Elite Round Robin. With the 2015 17u WWBA National
Championship right around the corner, this event is the perfect
opportunity to fine tune their skills before the big tournament next
week.
Although
this is a tune-up event, extremely talented teams have decided to
make the trip early to show their stuff, and they are not
disappointing.
The
Orlando Scorpions Prime are one of those talented teams, carrying a
roster with 17 Division I commitments. They captured the 17u WWBA
National Championship in 2013 and are hoping to do the same in 2015,
and this set of round robin games should prove to serve them well
heading into this year’s competition.
The
Scorpions hoped to have their offense and defense firing on all
cylinders in their first game of the Elite Round Robin. Their first
opponent would be Team Rawlings PSA, who looked to be quite
formidable throughout most of the game. The offense for both teams
rarely made an appearance, and the game would be won by magnificent
pitching.
Both
starters came out guns blazing and from the start you could tell it
would be a pitcher’s duel, but the style of pitching contrasted
greatly between both teams. On one side, you had the Scorpions’
Tyler Baum, a North Carolina commit, throwing in the low-90s, and
even getting it up to 93 a few times. On the other, you had Team
Rawlings’ starter, Jarrett Carden, who sat in the 70s, but
possessed a low three-quarters arm slot that allowed added movement
on his pitches to compensate for the lack of high-end velocity.
Both
pitchers were extremely competitive throughout the early innings, and
were very impressive. Carden did what he could with what he had, but
Baum was absolutely overpowering through the three innings that he
pitched, and racked up eight strikeouts, allowing zero hits. Baum had
easy flowing mechanics that made his blazing fastball look
effortless, but he was not the only one who could get it up in the
low-90s.
The
next two relievers for the Scorpions also threw absolute gas, and did
their part in this game to earn the win against Team Rawlings. The
three Scorpions pitchers would almost combine for a no-hitter, but it
was broken up in the last inning with two outs. That would be the
only hit that Team Rawlings would have on the day.
Even
though the pitching was fantastic, there were a few bright moments at
the dish for the Scorpions. Leading the way was talented Florida
State commit, Drew Mendoza. Mendoza provided most of the offense for
the Scorpions, as he came in to score two runs in this low scoring
affair.
The
first run came in the second inning, when he hit a scorching line
drive down the first base line for a single. He then showed that he
had speed to match his fantastic approach at the plate, and stole
second base. He would eventually come into score on an error. Later
he would draw a walk, showing great patience, and then come into
score off of timely hitting by the Scorpions. There were a few spurts
of offense later in the game, and the Scorpions would come out with
the win by a score of 4-0.
“Today
I wanted to just see balls around the zone, and square the ball up,”
Mendoza said after the game. “Let the ball get deep, and not get
out on my front foot. In this Round Robin, we definitely want to have
fun, and this is a game, and we always want to treat it as a game.
But at the end of the day, its business, and we’re trying to win a
national championship.”
Mendoza
is one of the most elite players in the country and is ranked as the
fourth best shortstop in the class of 2016. Mendoza is a very
well-rounded ballplayer and can contribute from all aspects of the
game; he can even get it up to 91 mph on the mound.
Mendoza
had a fantastic showing at the Junior National Showcase a year ago,
and was honored to be invited to the PG National Showcase for
upperclassmen this summer. Unfortunately, Mendoza’s time at the
National Showcase was cut short due to a wrist injury, but taking
that time off was necessary to achieve the overall goal of helping
his team try to win the 2015 17u WWBA National Championship here in
about a week.
He
is also hoping to receive an invite to the 2015 Perfect Game
All-American Classic at Petco Park in the next few weeks, and would
be thrilled to match up against the best amateur baseball players in
the country if given the opportunity.
“Being
selected to the All-American Classic would be everything,” Mendoza
exclaimed. “Growing up and playing in PG events from the age of 14,
that’s the No. 1 goal, to be an All-American.”
Mendoza
is relishing his time here this week, and is happy to be playing
summer ball on a team that he has been playing on since he was 14. He
is looking forward to what the rest of this summer holds, and a
bright future lies ahead of him. Mendoza is eager to help his high
school team play winning baseball in his final year before shipping
off to Florida State, but he can’t wait to step on campus and take
part in a championship run with the university that he has been
around his entire life.
“I
had some other schools that I was looking at, but both my parents
graduated from Florida State, and I grew up around there, so that’s
where I always wanted to go,” Mendoza said of his commitment. “I’ve
always felt comfortable with that coaching staff, and the decision
was an easy one to make.”
Head
Coach of the Scorpions, Matt Gerber, has been coaching Drew Mendoza
since he was 14 and they have a very close relationship. He feels
that it has been a pleasure to watch Mendoza grow up and become the
man and ball player that he is today.
“I’ve
been able to see Drew grow up, and he’s obviously a special player
and very talented,” Coach Gerber said of his star infielder. “Drew
is a leader on this team, and is a guy that has played up with older
guys in the past, and now it’s his deal to take hold of the team.
He is a quiet leader, but a great kid.”
As
the 2015 WWBA Elite Round Robin continues, the Scorpions hope to keep
racking up wins and build some momentum heading into the 17u WWBA
National Championship that kicks off on Friday at LakePoint. Will
they bring the trophy back home, and will this Round Robin provide
the preparation that they need coming into one of the biggest
competitions of the summer?
Follow
this special Orlando Scorpions Prime team and find out.