MARIETTA,
Ga. – The winner of numerous Perfect Game, WWBA and BCS tournament events, including the 2012 WWBA World Championship held in Jupiter, Fla. last October, there’s no question that the East Cobb Baseball program is
one of the best.
“What
we try to do, especially in the older age groups, is teach them the
game and get them in front of as many college and pro scouts as we
can to try and further their career,” said head coach of the East
Cobb Braves 17u, Kevin Baldwin.
The
East Cobb Braves 17u has a large roster full of rising stars, a lot
of which are already committed to Division I schools. Holding down
the third and fourth hole in the team's batting order are Kel Johnson
and Michael Chavis, two of the team’s top prospects.
Johnson
is from Palmetto, Georgia and is home-schooled. One may think he was
home-schooled because of baseball, but it was his parents’ decision
that he said, “just (happened to) work out with baseball also.”
“(Being
home-schooled) actually is really convenient. It allows me to have
more flexibility in my schedule as long as I get the work done every
week,” explained Johnson, “I’m not on a set schedule so if I
want to get a morning workout in or get a little extra time in the
cage, it gives me the flexibility to do that.”
Johnson,
who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 215-pounds, is currently ranked No. 5
in the Perfect Game high school class of 2014 national rankings.
He’s ranked No. 1 overall in the state of Georgia.
“Kel
is a great player,” said Baldwin of his star players. “(He is) a
big time power hitter, great (on) defense, (has) a great arm, and
(is) a great kid.”
Johnson
has competed in several Perfect Game events over the years, including
the 2013 National Showcase that wrapped up less than two weeks ago.
“That
was a great experience,” Johnson said of the National. “I had a
little trouble getting my bat going (because) all the pitchers were
amazing. But I did put up some new personal bests in my throwing and
running. It’s always good to gauge where you’re at in your
development.
“It
was a great experience. (I) got to play with the best in the country
so that’s always good.”
Not
only is Johnson great on the field, but he is also a phenomenal
student maintaining a 4.0 GPA. He has committed to play at Georgia
Tech, which isn’t an easy school to get in to.
“I’ve
always been a Tech fan,” Johnson said of his college commitment. “I
grew up going to Tech games, my granddad went to Tech, and it turns
out they have a great baseball program. It was just the best option
for me.”
Johnson
started off the 2013 WWBA 18u National Championship against the
Middle Georgia Athletics going 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI.
Fellow
PG National Showcase participant Michael Chavis took a little longer
to warm up, but managed to hit a clutch double off the center field
fence in the sixth inning.
“Michael
plays the game really hard,” Baldwin said of Chavis. “He’s 100%
all the time, a great hitter, (and) a great player."
Chavis
has been playing with East Cobb since he was nine years old.
“I
believe it’s the best baseball program in the nation; definitely in
Georgia,” said Chavis. “They do a great job developing players,
getting you looked at, and they do a great job at everything overall.
They (also) give you a great field to play at.”
The
5-foot-11, 175-pound Chavis is from Marietta, Ga and attends
Sprayberry High School. He will graduate in 2014 and is committed to
play ball at Clemson.
“When
I was visiting all of the other colleges, (they) felt like good
programs, but as soon as I stepped on the Clemson campus it felt like
their program, their academics, and even their coaches were all meant
just for me,” explained Chavis. “As a player and as a person they
just meshed with me very well.”
Chavis
is currently ranked No. 28 in the Perfect Game high school class of
2014 national rankings and No. 4 in the state of Georgia. He has
competed in multiple Perfect Game events, has hit a home run in five
different events this summer, and was named to the All-Tournament
Team for five different Perfect Game, WWBA and BCS events a year ago:
The Perfect Game-East Cobb Invitational, the 16u BCS Finals, the 16u
WWBA National Championship, the 17u PG World Series and the WWBA
Underclass World Championship.
With a knack for coming up big playing with and against the best players in the nation at notable, national events, Chavis
parlayed all of that into his lofty national ranking and an invite to
the 2013 National Showcase.
“That
was an amazing experience,” Chavis said of his time spent at the
Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. “It was really fun playing with and
against all the best kids in the nation.
I
was really honored to be a part of that and it was a really good
experience seeing the great pitching, the other great hitters and
great players from all over the country. It was really fun.”