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Tournaments  | Story  | 6/26/2018

So Cal NTT starting to gel

Nate Schweers     
Photo: Shane Anderson (Perfect Game)

EMERSON, Ga. – So Cal NTT 17u improved to 1-1 at the WWBA 17u Elite Round Robin on Tuesday evening, besting Palm Beach Select 2019 5-4. Sergio Cazares was able to draw a walk in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the game for So Cal.

So Cal NTT fields a roster that features players from all across the country. While some of the players get together for tournaments on the West Coast throughout the year, this week’s round robin is the first time many of them have met.



“Since it's the first time that I’m meeting all these guys, we don't really have the chemistry down yet,” said Chandler, Arizona native Shane Anderson. “It’s good to play with them down here to get all that going. We hang out at the hotel, and we do workouts in the morning and eat breakfast. We are starting figure it all out.”

Anderson, who is a top 100 player nationally, was 1-for-3 on Tuesday and was able to drive in one of So Cal’s runs.  Anderson is currently ranked as the 15th-best prospect in Arizona’s 2019 graduating class.

So Cal head coach Scott Luke spends a lot of time in the Atlanta area every summer preparing his guys for some of the best chances to get seen. He says the Elite Round Robin is good for the players, and they will be used to their surroundings when the lights turn on Friday.

“I was really happy when Perfect Game instituted this tournament because there are just so many teams starting Friday in the WWBA 17u [National Championship],” said Luke. “It gives the kids a chance to get acclimated to LakePoint before the tournament starts on Friday. We have a lot of colleges already walking around today, so any time we can give our kids that exposure we will take it.”

While So Cal participates in a tournament both Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend and Memorial Day weekend, that just isn’t enough to create a well-oiled machine for the WWBA tournament down at LakePoint. Coach Luke feels the need to get everyone in the game to see just what he has as the week moves on.

“We have 14 guys from eight different states right now. Everyone got in the ball game today, nobody pouted, and that is what’s important if they want to play in college.”

With the goal for his players the chance to play baseball at the next level, Luke believes this time away from home is a good test of the guys’ ability to handle life at the next level. The WWBA 17u National Championship starts Friday and runs for a week, meaning Luke’s players will have to be on the road for nearly two weeks.

“For kids that want to branch out a little bit and not just play west coast baseball, this is the place to be over the summer. If you aspire to be a next level guy, then you have to learn how to manage your body, manage your rest, and hangout on the road. I think all those things and the competitive nature of next week’s event really play into seeing if this guys want to play at the next level.”

One of those players that aspire to play at the next level is Leighton Battles. Battles is from Norwalk, Ohio, and is a high follow player in the class of 2019. Although the primary catcher was hitless in Tuesday’s contest, he couldn't be more excited to be down here for the next two weeks.

“It’s always exciting to come down here and play,” said Battles, who is ranked as the second-best catcher in Ohio. “This is my third time coming down, so just getting your name out and playing in front of all these teams and people is a great opportunity.”

As the road continues for So Cal NTT over the next week, much of their success will be dependent on their ability to come together and gel as a team. This WWBA 17u Elite Round Robin is doing exactly that for these guys, and it will be exciting to follow their progress as the week goes on.
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