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Post by Crew Chief on May 4, 2013 12:52:57 GMT -8
TAKE A LOOK AT OREGON BASEBALL, THEIR STARTING 3RD BASEMAN IS MITCH TOLMAN WHO IS A WALK ON PLAYER FROM EL TORO. MITCH'S DAD IS MY SON'S HS COACH. FROM THE FIRST TIME I SAW MITCH PLAY WHEN HE WAS A JUNIOR I TOLD MY SON I WANTED HIM TO PLAY LIKE MITCH. MITCH IS VERY FOCUSED WHILE ON THE FIELD PLAYING DEFENSE AND AT THE PLATE. HE PLAYS THE GAME HARD, LIKE A JETER, PETE ROSE, BRYCE HARPER,ETC.
MITCH IS HITTING CLEAN-UP FOR THE DUCKS AND CURRENTLY HITTING .355, LAST FRIDAY HE HAD 7 RBI IN ONE GAME! I HOPE HE CONTINUES TO PLAY AT THIS LEVEL BECAUSE IF HE DOES, WE'LL SEE HIM PLAYING ON TV IN 4-5 YEARS!
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Post by Crew Chief on May 4, 2013 12:55:42 GMT -8
CAN'T BELIEVE THERE'S ONLY 4 MORE GAMES LEFT THIS SEASON. MY SON GOT HOOKED WITH A GOOD SUMMER TRAVEL TEAM WHICH INCLUDES A LOT OF KIDS FROM HIS HS TEAM. PLAYING BOTH CONNIE MACK AND MICKEY MANTLE 18U. LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT
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Post by Crew Chief on May 18, 2013 10:37:02 GMT -8
My son first started playing travel ball with Kyle Molnar at age 11. The biggest reason he wanted to join the team and leave the team he had played on for 4 years was that...HE COULDN'T HIT MOLNAR!! They won about 25 tournaments together through the years. Read what Kyle did Monday as a Sophomore at Aliso Niguel
Molnar's arm, bat lift Aliso Niguel May 17, 2013 11:16 PM By DAN ALBANO OCVARSITY.COM
ALISO VIEJO -- Kyle Molnar is best known as a pitcher. The Aliso Niguel right-hander is considered the No. 1 sophomore in the nation, and has already committed to UCLA.
But Molnar showed Friday that he can do more than just pitch.
He belted two home runs and drove in three runs, and pitched six strong innings, to lead Aliso Niguel's baseball team past visiting Claremont, 7-1, in a CIF Division 2 first round playoff game.
The Wolverines advance to play Valencia in the second round Tuesday.
"He's a player," Aliso Niguel coach Craig Hanson said of Molnar.
Make that a complete player.
Molnar led off the fifth inning by sending the first offering from Andrew Bernstein over the fence in center to give the Wolverines (20-11) a 4-1 lead.
"I was going to swing at the first pitch no matter what," Molnar said.
He returned in the sixth and turned on an inside, 3-1 pitch from reliever David Valdivia and homered to left to extend the Wolverines' lead to 7-1.
Molnar went 3 for 4, and now has three homers.
In his first postseason start, he allowed one run on five hits in six innings to improve to 8-2.
"I was more impressed with how he swung the bat," Claremont coach Geoff Ranney said. "I think you've got to be excited to see him develop."
Hanson said his ace didn't have his best stuff against Claremont (14-12) but credited Molnar for his grit.
"He battled," Hanson said. "It's nice when you only give up one run when you don't have your best stuff."
Molnar finished with three strikeouts, three walks and hit one batter.
Molnar also got some help from his defense. He got his final out in the sixth thanks a running catch in left-center field by Anthony Sommer on a drive by Danny Ireland.
"That was a great catch," Molnar said.
Molnar also got Ireland to fly out to left to escape a bases-loaded jam in the fourth.
Claremont also left the bases loaded in the seventh. Ryan Randel relieved Molnar to start the inning and closed out the victory by striking out the final two batters with the bases loaded. It was Randel's first appearance in about a month because of hip and arm issues, Hanson said.
The Sea View League champion Wolverines also got one hit apiece from Mitchell Brady, Nick Grimes, Blake Sabol, Brett Sebade and Sommer. Leadoff man Justin Fowler had two of Aliso Niguel's four stolen bases.
Aliso Niguel started only two seniors Friday – Sebade at catcher and third baseman Austin Hudgins -- but is aiming to reach the Division 2 final. Last season, the Wolverines lost in the final to Pacifica, 3-2, in 10 innings. "The guys are playing with a little chip on their shoulders," Hanson said.
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Post by Crew Chief on Jun 21, 2013 11:11:22 GMT -8
;)Playing some summer league ball right now (my son is, not me ). There were a lot of really good players that graduated last year in high school baseball in Orange County! I know just at my son's school there were 8 players that got D1 or D2 scholarships and one was drafted in the pro draft.
Southern California held it's own in last week's draft, a lot of kids that I've been watching for the past few years and some that I remember back when they were just starting out in Little League. Life just goes by much too fast!
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Post by Crew Chief on Jun 21, 2013 11:56:13 GMT -8
My son is playing in the 18U Connie Mack League this year. It's turned out to be a good experience for him and his teammates because the majority of them are 16. It will get them all ready for varsity this year. I've seen scouts at several of the games. Every time I see a scout I want to go up and ask him who he's there to see. (I actually did it a few years ago)
Four years ago when my son was 12 we went and saw the Dodger's High A club play. We sat in the first row behind home plate and a few rows behind us I noticed 4-5 guys with radar guns, legal pads, laptops, etc. I finally got up enough nerve to ask them who they were there scouting. The oldest guy in the group said they were there scouting their own players. They were very friendly and we started talking, finally I asked them what their jobs were. The older guy introduced himself as Logan White and he said he was the Director of Scouting for the Dodgers! I had heard the name many times before and I asked him exactly what he did and what he was responsible for. He said he just got back from a 3 week trip to Japan where he had been scouting players and the following week he was headed to the Dominican Republic to scout. I asked him if he actually did the scouting and he said no. He just went to meet with the area scouts and cross checkers and see the players they had been reporting on. I bet we ended speaking to Logan for 90 minutes. He was asking my son how old he was, where he played, how his grades were and if he ever wanted to play pro ball. My son had a blast talking to Logan and really learned a lot that evening. He asked me for my contact information so I gave him my business card. I told him to start looking for my son's name in a few more years and make sure he sends some scouts around to look at him.
To this day...I still wonder if Logan White ever kept that card!
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Post by Crew Chief on Sept 21, 2013 13:19:36 GMT -8
I created this topic so I can "RANT" about anything that bothers me about sports. Well, sometimes I may even jump into politics, foreign governments, injustice by the legal system and so on. Today I want to rant about Johnny Football. I want to rant about the haters of Johnny F! Sure, the kid has made some silly mistakes, but certainly nothing that at least 40-50% of today's college football players do on a weekly basis. Why so many haters??
Did you watch that game last week against Alabama? The kid has so much composure and just natural raw skills it's scary. I would like to see him starting in the pros right now. I bet he could easily improve 6-8 teams immediately. I hear these sports talk shows on the radio and they say that about half of the pro teams would not consider him to be "draftable" because of character issues.
This kid can play on my team anytime! He will pack the stands and put up gaudy numbers in the pros. Rant done...feeling better already!
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Post by Crew Chief on Sept 21, 2013 13:50:20 GMT -8
He's not in high school any longer, but you need to keep your eye on some recent OC grads that are playing D1 ball. First, there is 2011 grad from El Toro- Matt Chapman. He'll be a junior this year at CSUF and has started since his freshman year. In high school I used to be to be in awe how hard he could throw the ball from SS to 1st. Probably the best arm I have ever seen on a high school baseball field- and I mean THE BEST I HAVE EVER SEEN and this includes pitchers!!. I read in Baseball America last week that Matt will still be the starting 3rd basemen again this year, but also taken on the role of closer. Makes sense to me, if you can throw a baseball that hard you need to take it to the bump!
Second, is Mitch Tollman at Oregon. Mitch walked on last year, no scholarship or anything. He worked hard, made the team and then after about 7 games the starting 3rd basemen got hurt. Matt was given the chance to start and ended up with a fantastic year. He was hitting 3rd, 4th or 5th in a loaded lineup. Matt now has a full scholarship at Oregon. His parents Bill and Linda are great people and Bill will serve as the JV coach again in the upcoming season.
Seriously, track Mitch's results during the year. I think we're watching an All American and a future 1st round draft pick. I will keep everyone updated on Mitch's results throughout the season.
Third, keep an eye on Austin Grebeck who will be in his first year at Oregon. Austin was a 3 year starter in CF at Mater Dei. He has great speed, excellent baseball IQ and can also throw the ball 95mph from the mound.
There's a lot more local kids making good in college baseball, watch Adam Plutko at UCLA. Adam will be a senior this year and should go sometime in the first 3 rounds in next June's draft.
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