EMERSON,
Ga. – The 2015 16u WWBA National Championship tournament has been
full of excitement thus far, and it’s only going to get better with
pool play coming to an end. At this point in the tournament, many
teams control their own destiny, and winning Monday's fourth game is
crucial.
Not
only does this tournament have close races in the pools so far, but
it has also shown us a new wave of talent. The next generation of
great ballplayers are on the fields in and around the LakePoint
complex in Emerson; some of them we are very aware of, considering
they may have blossomed early and shined at prestigious underclass
events, and others may be late bloomers who have yet to make the big
jump from average to elite.
Either
way, this tournament is an opportunity to make a splash in the
recruiting scene.
One
player who isn’t too worried about making that splash is
righthander Ian Anderson of the Clifton Park Knights. Anderson has
already been on the radar of many top Division I schools for a while
now, considering he has been projecting, and living up to those
projections, over the last year or so. Anderson has already verbally
declared that he intends to play ball at Vanderbilt University; that
is, unless Anderson receives an MLB signing bonus that he simply
can’t turn down next year.
The
possibility of getting drafted may have crossed Anderson’s mind
once or twice, given that he is already touching 95 mph and hasn’t
even begun his senior year of high school, but he is the type of
player who just takes it one day at a time.
Vanderbilt
nabbing one of the best pitchers in the country is no surprise, and
seems to be a trend over the last few years. It makes sense, seeing
as they churn out first-round draft picks like nobody else’s
business; most notably, David Price from a few years back, and Carson
Fulmer as their latest product. Anderson certainly fits the bill as a
future MLB pitcher, seeing as he has a lanky 6-foot-4 inch body and a
ceiling that seems to be never ending. He seeks to follow in the
footsteps of his predecessors and achieve greatness.
Anderson
had many opportunities to go to play at other schools, but he made
his decision early based on the feeling he got when he took his visit
to Nashville. He feels that it will be easy to make Vanderbilt his
new home next year.
“The
family atmosphere that I got when I went there was great,” Anderson
said of his visit to Vanderbilt. “Coach (Scott) Brown and Coach
(Tim) Corbin are great. It was one of those things where I went there
and I just fell in love with it. They also get a lot of Northeast
guys there, so I was really comfortable with it. The pitcher’s lab
is pretty crazy too.”
Having
already made his decision, Ian doesn’t feel the pressure of the
looming scouts that watch his every move in and out of the dugout. He
just goes out there and plays his game.
“I
think being already committed takes a lot of pressure off me,”
Anderson added with a cool and calm demeanor. “I just go out there
with my friends and try to win ball games.”
Head
Coach of the Knights, Tom Huerter, has had the opportunity to watch
Anderson develop as a ballplayer over the last few years and he could
not be more impressed with his talent and intelligence. Huerter feels
that Anderson’s work ethic and composure is what sets him apart
from other top prospects in the country.
“He’s
a great kid. He’s a humble kid and comes from a great family,”
Herter said. “He’s very close with this team, and they know how
to bust on each other, but they know come game time, it’s time to
compete. They like nothing more than backing Ian up; when he’s on
the mound, the team is very confident. They’ve won a lot of games,
and Ian has been on the mound for a lot of those wins. He’s got the
composure, confidence, and the stuff. He believes in his mechanics,
so when you have all of that stuff and an arm that lets you throw 95,
good things will happen.
“His
work ethic really makes him special. He developed a little bit late,
and in the baseball world, people would say he came out of nowhere.
We have known about him, he just matured a little bit later, but he’s
also worked hard on his mechanics and strength training. He’s also
got an approach that far better than any other pitcher in our area.
He’s got a live arm, but then couple that with an extremely hard
work ethic and him being an extremely smart kid, and you have someone
with an extremely bright future.”
Anderson’s
hard work has paid off, as on Monday his name was announced as one of
the participants in the 2015 Perfect Game All-American Classic that
will be played at Petco Park on Sunday, August 16. Anderson could not
be more honored to receive the selection, and is very excited to be
playing in a game that he has been dreaming of having the opportunity
to play in since he was a kid.
“I
was so excited to get selected. I went down to PG National and threw
two innings there, and then they called me over and told me and I was
ecstatic,” Anderson said of the honor. “I’ve been watching it
on TV for the last few years, so it’s sick to be able to be played
in it. I think my PG National showing factored into that selection.
You go over there and play against the best talent, and if you do
well, then it really boosts your confidence. It’s good to know
where you stand.
“For
the All-American game, really, I just want to have fun. It’s for a
good cause, and I’m looking forward to that. I want to make the
most of it, and I’ve never been to California so that should be
awesome. It’s always fun playing against the top players.”
He
is thrilled to be playing in the Classic, but Anderson is a
no-nonsense kind of guy, and knows that he has to take care of the
task at hand; trying to win ball games here at the 2015 16u WWBA
National Championship.
The
Clifton Park Knights are off to a fantastic start so far, winning
their first three games by a pretty large margin; even featuring a
no-hitter behind the arm of Brooks Knapek in their first game. They
followed that up with a pair of wins on Monday, leading to a 5-0
start to pool play.
Anderson
was handed the ball for his first start of the tournament on Sunday
night against the Dallas Tigers, and was absolutely dominant. He went
five innings, with nine strikeouts and only allowed two hits and one
earned run. He should be able to throw again later in this tournament
if needed, and is happy that his team has started off this tournament
with an undefeated record.
Anderson
knows what his team is capable of and believes in their ability to
win out and advance to the playoffs.
“I
think we definitely have the players to where we can go out and win
the pool. We have some uncommitted guys who are very hungry, and they
are looking to get looks. They definitely put the team first, but
they’re out here trying to prove something. Being from the
Northeast, you kind of have that mentality because everyone doubts
you. We want to go out there and show everyone what we are about.”