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LION’S CLUB
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Fremont, CA
Patten
University hosted its first draft eligible showcase for Major League Baseball
(MLB) scouts today, Monday, October 16, 2006, at Ohlone College in
Fremont.
Scouts from the
Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants,
San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles,
Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians, and MLB Scouting Bureau were all
in attendance while the Lions showcased their talents.
Two tables sat near the grandstands at Ohlone College
Baseball Field, covered with various beverages and refreshments. Donuts, Coffee, Juices, and more
awaited the guests of the day. As
the scouts and parents arrived, each was given a game-day packet, which
included a program including all pertinent information for the day’s
events. As the players warmed up
their legs and arms, the scouts could be seen hanging around the boxes of
donuts, all the while complaining, jokingly, of how Patten was going to
“make them all fat!”
The day began at 10:00am with the players running
60-yard dashes while the scouts recorded their times. Lions Head Coach, Darin Wright,
informed the scouts that it was time to begin, and all of the scouts made
their way to centerfield, where orange cones had been set up to mark off
60 yards for the sprints. The
players lined up, according to jersey numbers, and began to run sprints. As each player ran, the scouts marked
their times, and jotted notes about each individual. When the last player had run, the MLB
reps made their way off of the field.
Some of the scouts took a place in the third base and first base
dugouts to view batting practice, while others made their way behind the
backstop or back to the coffee and donuts.
The players were then separated into 5 groups and moved
into a pre-game routine that included batting practice and
infield/outfield defensive drills.
Group by group, the players took their chance in the batting cage
to show off their hitting skills.
As their groups were called, each player took 20 swings, while the
remaining players fielded grounders or fly balls from fungo work by the
pitching staff.
After putting on a great hitting exhibition, the Lions
grabbed their gloves and took the field for an infield/outfield
routine. Each of the outfielders
fielded four balls, both in the air and on the ground, from right
centerfield and left centerfield, while the infielders received their
throws at second base, third base, and home plate, respectively. After the outfielders finished their
drills, it was time for the infielders to put on a show.
Each player fielded five grounders, complete with throws
to home, first base, second base for double plays, and back to first with
a slow roller. On the final throw
from the infielders, the catchers got their chance to show off their
skill sets.
The catchers finished off the infield/outfield with
blocking drills, throws to each base to stop would-be base stealers, and
fielding bunted balls with throws to first base.
At the end of the infield/outfield, the players were
divided into two teams and played a six-inning intra-squad game. The scrimmage was presented for the
pitchers to get a chance to display their talents. Each pitcher took the hill with the
same guidelines: Get three outs,
face five batters, or throw 25 pitches each, which ever comes first. The Lions threw 12 pitchers in the
intra-squad, with various speeds, ranging from 73-86 miles per hour (MPH)
on the radar guns. With each
pitch, you could see radar guns in the stands being raised, immediately
followed by each scout charting notes.
It was almost like clockwork with all of them. Some of the scouts were looking for
offense, others defense, while a couple were just there to see the all
around effort for the team. While
the scrimmage was played, the scouts were treated to a lunch spread
provided by the Epicurean Food Group.
During the event, several scouts approached the
coaching staff and inquired about players, academics, Patten Athletics,
and opportunities for any new recruits for the next few years to
come. “It was great to hear the
feedback from the MLB reps,” stated Coach Wright. “To give our guys the opportunity to
be seen, and at the same time be able to get information on how to
improve each one, is an outstanding way for our program to grow. We are going into our second season
with this team, and to see where some of them have come from since last
season, its an honor to be associated with this group,” he
continued.
At the end of the scrimmage, the players all gathered
their belongings and returned to campus.
As is the case in these types of events, players get nervous when being
showcased, but each one handled themselves with precision and poise, and
made a great showing for the program.
“Today was a good day for Patten Baseball. Players were able to show off their
talents on a grand stage. If no
one gets drafted from our program after this season, it was still worth
it. This event has allowed Patten
to become known by Major League Baseball. In doing this, we have taken a huge step in regards to the
growth of the program, recruiting, and possible future alum playing professional
baseball someday,” says Wright.
The Lions have a strong schedule for the 2006-07
season. This year they find
themselves facing some of the National Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics (NAIA) Region II top teams, including the defending Golden
State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Champions, Concordia University. Along with the NAIA opponents, the
Lions will match up against several National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) schools, including local schools St. Mary’s College
(D1 - Moraga, CA), San Francisco State University (D2 - San Francisco,
CA), and CSU East Bay (D3 – Hayward, CA).
The 2007 season kicks off with the Lions traveling to
San Diego to face Point Loma Nazarene University on Friday, January 26,
2007 in a three game series. The
home opener for Patten University will be on Friday, February 16, 2007,
when the Lions will host Corban College (Oregon) to their home field at
the College of Alameda for a double header starting at 11:00 in the
morning.
For more information on the 2006-07 Lions Baseball Program, or to find
out how you can help support the Athletics Department at Patten
University, please visit our web site at www.patten.edu/athletics/baseball/sponsorship.htm,
contact Coach Wright at (877) 4Patten ext. 7773, 510-261-8500 ext. 7773,
or email pattenbaseball@aol.com.
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