EMERSON, Ga. – Just by looking at Team Elite Prime 15u's roster before the tournament, you might have guessed that they would eventually advance out of pool play and have a good a shot at winning the entire tournament. Although they remain undefeated after their three games, they only have one win.

Team Elite Prime tied their first two games in pool play against Team RBI and the ECB Stars by the scores of 0-0 and 5-5. Team Elite Prime is used to having their bats alive and well every single game but this tournament seems to be a little bit different. Nonetheless, each ball game is a new chance to improve and this team knows that patience is virtue when it comes to hitting.

Given the talent on their roster, the expectations for this team in particular are very high. The players on this team hold themselves to a standard of excellence, and each time they go into a tournament, they expect to win the whole thing. Not only do their players expect a lot, but opposing teams know what they are capable of as well.

Team Elite Prime is used to facing an ace each time they play a different team, but they just see that as a chance to step up against good competition and rise to the occasion. In this week’s PG/East Cobb Invitational, every team that they have faced has thrown a power arm at them. The ties are somewhat unorthodox for Team Elite Prime, but as long as that zero in the loss column stays present, they’ll be on their way to a championship game.

Head Coach Brook Richards prepares his guys for adversity, and he doesn’t let those two ties get to his players. Coach Richards knows that there is a lot that goes into winning a Perfect Game event and he feels that his players have the talent, but some help from lady luck couldn’t hurt either.

“Even though these guys are as talented as they are, the game of baseball can change on the drop of a dime,” said Coach Richards. “One minute you’re on top, the next you’re packing your bags and going home.

“These guys stay focused, and the ties haven’t really affected them. If anything, it’s pushing them to work harder and actually put some wins up. We just need to wake the bats up, keep up the good pitching, and hope for a little luck. Regardless of how well you play, there’s always a little luck involved in winning a championship.”

Coach Richards was correct in his evaluation of his players. They did stay focused, and in their final game of pool play against Team Clutch they seemed to be playing with a purpose. They were able to win 3-1 in a high stakes game, but the pressure did not hinder Team Elite Prime’s ability to play smooth, clean baseball.

They scraped across a run in the third to take the lead, and the next inning Oscar Serratos hit a screaming line drive down the third base line to score the second run. Oscar Serratos’s hit seemed to be the difference in the game, and it fueled the adrenaline in their starting and relief pitchers.

The starter, Parker Pillsbury, was fabulous on the mound. He went five strong innings, and struck out six in his winning performance. The relief pitcher, Kumar Rocker, came in after Pillsbury and was throwing straight gas. He was able to get his fastball up to 86 mph, and was bewildering the Clutch hitters until the final inning.

In the final inning, there was a little bit of drama; Team Clutch had the ases loaded with the tying run on second with two outs. Fortunately for Pillsbury and the rest of Team Elite Prime, Rocker was able to get out of the jam and help get Pillsbury his winning decision.

Coach Richards spoke very highly of one of his brightest pitchers.

“Parker Pillsbury is a prime example of the type of kid that we look for,” acknowledged Richards. “Obviously he had the tools to be a great player, but we were also looking at character and this kid has it. He’s one of many players on our team that hustles on the field at all times.”

Pillsbury is a well-mannered young man, but he was a monster on the mound today. He relied on getting ahead in the count and spotting up his fastball to get him through today’s start. Pillsbury really stressed the importance of first-pitch strikes today, as he has struggled a little in the past with getting behind in the count.

“Today my mentality was to just go in there and pound the strike zone early and often,” said an exhausted but satisfied Pillsbury. “My changeup was working really well today. I was able to throw it in any count. If we keep working hard and take it game by game, I think we can get to the championship.”

This Team Elite Prime group is a special bunch, as some of these kids have an extremely high ceiling. The Elite Coaches try to keep the kids as well-rounded as possible, and they really stress the importance of playing hard with a good attitude. Elite knows that their players won’t always have their A game, but they will always compete.

This is the 15u Team Elite Prime’s first PG tournament of the summer, but they will look to this tournament as an opportunity to get use to the big stage that these events usually entail. They’re preparing for tournaments such as the BCS Finals tournament in Florida later this summer, and they see this week’s 15u PG/East Cobb Invitational as a chance to ready the team for high intensity tournaments against some of the top talent in the amateur baseball world.

“This team is full of D-I prospects, and kids that have a chance of playing pro ball down the road; they just have to work hard and develop,” added Richards. “We want them to play the game the right way, like running out fly balls and always thinking about the game situation. If we out-hustle guys, I think we’re going to be a tough team to beat.

“Winning this tournament would be a great stepping stone for the summer. PG does a great job of putting on the best tournaments with the best talent around, so our guys have to get use to this atmosphere.”

If this team continues to click on all cylinders that could spell trouble for the other teams at this year’s 15u Perfect Game-East Cobb Invitational.