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Tournaments  | Story  | 6/12/2018

Team Georgia eyes 17u playoffs

Nate Schweers     
Photo: Jerrion Ealy (Perfect Game)

EMERSON, Ga.  – Team GA/MBA 17u Gold improved to 6-0-1 at the WWBA 17u National Championship Qualifier on Tuesday, blanking the 643 DP Jaguars Hightower 8-0. Blake Wehunt (Southern Mississippi) and Davis Rokose (Mississippi State) combined to throw Team GA’s fifth shutout of the tournament.

Wehunt, who is a top 50 player in the state of Georgia, featured a fastball that was up to 89 on Tuesday. He was able to mix that with a tight breaking ball that kept hitters off balance all day.



Out of the bullpen, Davis Rokose ran his fastball up to 90, and was able to finish the final three innings in just 20 pitches. Rokose didn't allow a hit and struck out two, and is currently a top 200 player in the 2019 class.

At the plate, Team GA was led by Mississippi commit Jerrion Ealy.  Ealy went 3-for-4 with a pair of singles and a well-struck triple to the right-center field gap. Ealy is currently ranked as the eighth best prospect in the 2019 class, and is the No. 1 player in the state of Mississippi.

An outstanding athlete with a 60-yard dash time of 6.33 seconds, Ealy believes with help from his class, Mississippi can become a favorite to win the national title in the future.

“I wanted to go with the home team. I feel like if the Mississippi kids stay in Mississippi, we’ve got a chance to win a national championship,” said Ealy. “Being one of the top players in the state, I thought I could get the ball rolling by committing early to a school in-state and hopefully more guys continue to follow me.”

Ealy will also be playing football at Mississippi, and is ranked as the 66th-best football prospect in the country by 247 Sports. Ealy will be joining both a baseball and football program that has had success in recent years; however, before leaving his mark in Oxford, he will be attending the Perfect Game National Showcase at Tropicana Field at the end of the week.

“It’s [National Showcase] very exciting. This is what I’ve been waiting for all summer. I mean I’ve been waiting to run that 60 ever since last year. Hopefully we can go out there in Tampa and put on a show.”

Another teammate joining Ealy at the National Showcase will be standout Logan Tanner. Tanner was stationed behind the plate during today’s game, tallying one base hit and drawing a walk.

Though he is a primary catcher, Tanner has made a name for himself on the mound already this summer, running his fastball up to 95 on May 31 at the Perfect Game/East Cobb Invitational. Tanner is ranked as the 90th-best prospect in the 2019 class, and is looking forward to showcasing his talents at the National.

“You get to compete against the best, you get to be with the best, and it’s just a great time, and I can’t wait to be down there.”

Tanner is also committed to playing his college baseball at Mississippi State University in the fall of 2019. Mississippi State will be playing in the College World Series this upcoming weekend, and Tanner couldn't be more thrilled to the success of his future home.

“All my uncles went there, and it’s been a dream school of mine since I was about three or four years old,” said Tanner. “They’ve been in a Super Regional the last three years, and this team this year, no one thought they were going to do anything. To see them fight through, that's fun and I’m ready to be up there.”

The last player from today’s Team GA lineup that will be heading to Tropicana Field this week is Farmer Abendroth. Abendroth is committed to playing his college ball at Louisiana State University, and similar to Tanner, it was an easy choice.

“It was pretty much my dream school ever since I was little,” said Abendroth. “Alan Dunn is a pretty good guy, a great pitching coach, and really the whole staff down there is amazing.”

A primary pitcher, Abendroth features a fastball that has been up to 93 in events past, and is ranked as the 69th-best prospect in the 2019 class. Abendroth is currently a projectable low-90s righthander, and is looking forward to hopefully making a jump at this week’s National Showcase.

“It’s really exciting to go down there and compete and see where you are compared to everyone else. It's a good opportunity and I’m looking forward to getting down there.”

The Perfect Game National Showcase runs June 14-17 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, and updates on the showcase can be found on the Perfect Game website all week.

However, as for the WWBA 17u National Championship Qualifier, those playoffs featuring this talented Team GA roster start Tuesday night. Eight teams will be vying for one automatic bid to the National Championship, and Team GA is sure to make some noise.
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