The staff at Perfect Game USA routinely travels around the country to run our events and scout talented baseball players. This time the talent is coming to us.
The 9th Annual Pitcher-Catcher Indoor Showcase will be held at Perfect Game headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 20-21), with 85 players from 14 states heading our way. This will be an excellent chance to showcase the players and also showcase our remodeled facility, with new lights, new carpets, additional batting cages and an expanded pro shop.
The Showcase begins at 9 a.m. both days and runs until 7:30 Saturday night and until 6:30 on Sunday night.
This weekend's Showcase features numerous players who are ranked nationally, including four of the top-70 high school seniors in the country in Kellen Sweeney, Jordan Shipers, Jon Keller and Michael Foltynewicz.
Sweeney, ranked 25th, is a star shortstop at Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School in Iowa. He's made an extremely quick recovery from Tommy John surgery in August and is anxious to show pro scouts how well he's doing and how well he's swinging the bat. Sweeney has committed to the University of San Diego.
Jordan Shipers, ranked 40th in the Class of 2010, is a left-handed pitcher from Bethany, Mo., who has committed to Missouri State. His high school does not have a baseball team, but he's been a star in summer ball and is considered one of the top southpaws in this year's class.
Jon Keller, ranked 49th, is a big right-handed pitcher at Xavier High School in Cedar Rapids. His fastball was clocked at 94 mph in the prep playoffs in Iowa last summer and he's made rapid improvement the past two years. Keller has had Type I diabetes since he was 14 years old, but it hasn't affected his performance on the field and the disease is totally under control.
Michael Foltynewicz, ranked 69th in the Class of 2010, is a pitcher from Minooka, Ill., who throws 93 mph. He's committed to the University of Texas.
Another intriguing prospect is Patrick Lala, a sophomore at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. Lala, who prepped at Marion High School in Iowa, was clocked at 95 mph when he threw for pro scouts a few weeks ago and is now ranked as the No.1 JUCO prospect in Iowa. He might challenge the Showcase record for the fastest fastball, currently shared by Cody Scarpetta and Casey Crosby, a pair of Illinois pitchers who hit 94 in 2007.
Many other top prospects will be performing in the Showcase this weekend. For the complete list, return to the Home Page for www.PerfectGame.org and look for the link to the 2010 Pitcher-Catcher Indoor Showcase at the top of the page. You'll find the rosters, schedules, directions and much more.