Academy Barons: Vertigan, Hatcher, & Boras Leading With the Bats

The Academy Barons were on a 4 game slide that dropped them into 3^rd place in the California Collegiate League. But even on gloomy days when the grey skies appear unable to shine, the almighty sun has moments where it burns through sections of depressing clouds. So is the case with the Academy Barons who were for a short time tied for 1^st place, then crashed in four consecutive games, but not without some positive signs of life from key players. Emitting some life force for the Barons is centerfielder Brett Vertigan, who’s now the leadoff hitter since Alfredo Lopez was drafted this June. During the losing streak, Vertigan went 6 for 18, with 3 RBI’s, and 4 runs scored. As a Baron this summer, Vertigan has amassed the most at bats (68), and has sustained a respectable batting average of .309, and the most hits on the team (21). This past spring he spent time at Saddleback Community College as a sophomore outfielder where he led the team with a .421 batting average in 145 at bats playing in all 35 games. Vertigan led the team in five other categories; 47 runs, 61 hits, 8 triples, 27 walks, and 12 stolen bases. His on base percentage and slugging were also the teams best .522/.614. To top it off, Vertigan had 5 assist from the outfield. Vertigan plays hard, and watching him for a few games made for some honest and exciting baseball whether he got a hit or not. Another Baron showing some great potential and improvement this summer is Caleb Hatcher. The freshman was almost non-existent at Cypress Community College this past spring; he had 8 at bats and only registered a single base hit. Flash forward to the present time, and you would think your looking at a different ball player. I watched him play in the first couple of games of the season and thought Hatcher was nervous and turning his head as he swung. These days Hatcher is putting together a decent summer that should spell more opportunities at Cypress next spring. During the 4 games that the Barons couldn’t even spell W-I-N, Hatcher had a game against The San Luis Obispo Blues where he went 3 for 3 with 2 runs, and an RBI. Hatcher’s numbers are looking more interesting as time goes on and as he shakes off the freshman adrenalin, after 42 at bats he’s hitting .333, with 2 homeruns, 6 RBI’s, and his slugging percentage is the highest on the team (.524). Time should be a motivating factor in a summer designed strictly to prepare players for the next school season. The learning curve has a sharp edge at times and it’s very evident in the play of infielder Shane Boras. He was a sophomore this past season at USC where he only saw 13 at bats. He struggled in his limited action batting .077 and striking out 5 times. Well, this spring Boras wasted no time getting acquainted with some positive licks at a ball he must make contact with if he expects to be an everyday player next year as junior at USC. This summer as a Baron, Boras is hitting .366 after 41 at bats and is getting on base 44% of the time. This is positive news for Boras and the Barons as they attempt to keep a winning season within reach. With the All Star game only a week away, summer baseball is reaching the halfway point to its inevitable end. So let’s enjoy what we have in front of us rooting, and hollering for the Barons.

Adrian Nevarez

Hillman's Clutch RBI!!!

The exhilaration of a walk off double to win a tightly pitched game in the 10^th inning is how our love for baseball is brought back into perspective. The Academy Barons were tied with the Santa Maria Packers in a three game series 1 game to 1 when the third game took both teams back to Compton. The deceiving amount of hits would have loved to tell a story of a high scoring game, but in truth, the lack of scoring is what gave this game its character. Neither team scored until the 3^rd inning, when the Packers Doug Snover hit a routine ground out to the shortstop, but it was effective enough to drive in a run. That was the only run that the Packers could muster, and the Barons didn’t score a run until the 7^th inning when Brett Vertigan pinch hit for Scott Colton and instantly thumped a one out double into left center field. Two batters later, the hot hitting Rucky McKinley single into center field driving in Vertigan. Up to that point, the story on both sides was pitching. The Packers started with Matt Morris. The sophomore from Duke University was poised with his control and only scattered 5 hits in his five innings of work. The Barons never surpassed the threats they posed on Morris early in the first inning, and went down quietly all the way into the 6^th when the Packers made a pitching change. The Barons started the Dominican Roman Martinez who’s been in the Seattle Mariners organization since he was 18 back in 2003 until his release after the 2008 season. Against the Packers, Martinez pitched 3 innings and he allowed three hits and nothing else. The only run the Barons relinquished was from JR Bromberg during his 5 innings, and then Erick Ruvalcaba offered the Barons the chance for some extra inning heroics by holding the Packers without a run in his 2 innings of work. Sean Williams led off the 10^th inning with a walk, and then the Anteater from UC Irvine Drew Hillman stepped up to the plate and doubled in the game winning run and helped the Barons celebrate taking another victorious series. The Barons beat the Santa Maria Packers 2-1 in the bottom of the 10^th inning. They are now 7-2 and only a half a game behind the 1^st place Santa Barbara Foresters in the California Collegiate League. California is mostly known for amazing sunsets, blissful weather, and a few other negative things we’d rather not mention. But, it also produces some of the greatest baseball players ever seen in the Major Leagues. The Barons are a team on a thunderous roll of positive details. Beating the Packers who lead the league in pitching was a strong statement. Offensively, the Barons are 2^nd in the league behind the colossal bats of the Santa Barbara Foresters. The shape of this season is sharpening its edges as the Barons attempt to elevate to new levels of summer baseball.

Adrian Nevarez

Frierson's Officially A Pro & The Academy Barons Win Their 4th In A Row

The biggest thing a college baseball player can expect is to sign a professional contract. Many have had the dream, but so many of them come short and disappeared off the radar before ever getting the chance. Jarred Frierson of the Urban Academy and also a former member of the UNLV Running Rebels is one of those players that have officially inked the ever so powerful signature to start playing for the Atlanta Braves farm system. It’s not just the numbers that Frierson has put up in college. In his four year at UNLV, the growth was constant with each year and watching him play was always exciting. He hit .359 as a senior and his ignition from the 2^nd spot in the lineup was instrumental to the success of UNLV. In his season’s last series against the San Diego Aztecs, Tony Gwynn’s team found it almost impossible to keep Frierson off the bases. During the last Mountain West Conference championship Frierson played with heart and effectiveness and made the All-Tournament Team, so his new position as a professional baseball player is much deserved. As Jarred Frierson finds his way through another exciting phase of his life, the team he’s leaving behind, the Academy Barons are now officially on fire as they win their 4^th game in a row, and it came against a the Santa Maria Packers in the first game of a three game series. This victory was a well balanced act of both hitting and pitching, and a defense that’s keeping errors to a minimum. Derek Eligio is starting to scorch the leather wrapped string and cork with a consistent bat that now lifts his average to .417. He went 2 for 4, scored 2 runs, and drove in a run against the Packers. Collearen Randolph the junior from Dominguez Hills was very present as he drove in two runs on a double to left field in the 7^th inning. But the biggest bat for the Barons against the Packers in the first game was Drew Hillman. Fresh from the NCAA regional where as an Irvine Anteater he lost to UCLA in the final game, Hillman bangs all the drums as a Baron. He brings with him huge numbers from the Big West, and against the Packers he knocks out a homerun and couple of singles that produced two RBI’s and a pair of scored runs. Shane Boras didn’t let up either. In his only at bat of the game slapped an RBI single helping keep his batting average at .467 after 5 games and 15 at bats. The offense is looking like gold bricks in the hands of someone who knows what to do with them, but no offense is worth that much if the teams pitching looks like a devaluated peso. The Barons pitched with authority and only used 2 arms to collect their 6^th win of the season. Martin Rosenfeld climbed onto the mound and delivered 4 nerve wrecking innings where he allowed 7 hits. He finished practically unscathed with only 1 earned run against him. He passed the ball over to the sophomore from Compton Community College, and I’m sure the 6’2 lefty left his mark on the Packers memories. Antonio Peraza went for 5 innings and only scattered a couple of hits as he shutdown them down. He struck out 5 in the process and his only teeth grinding glitch was a pair of walks he surrendered. The Barons are now 6-1 and look like a complete arsenal of baseball potential as they beat the Santa Maria Packers by the score of 6 to 1.

Adrian Nevarez

Barons Take 3 of 3 in San Juan Capistrano

The Urban Academy Barons of the California Collegiate League completed a 3 game weekend in San Juan Capistrano. Winning 3 out of the 3 games in their first road trip of the season has put their record to 5-1. In the first game on Friday, the Barons went up against the San Diego Force of the Western Baseball League. The Force showed up, but was unable to press any type of attack. The Barons scored a run in each of the first two innings, and two more in the 5^th inning. Their bats came out to play with energy and finished the game with 14 hits. Brett Vertigan as the lead off hitting center fielder from Saddleback Community College shined with a double and a pair of base hits, while Shane Boras, the second baseman from USC singled 3 times. The run production for the Barons came from other sources. The left fielder from UC Santa Barbara Derek Eligio singled in a run and doubled in another. The player of the game for the Barons has to be Jordan Hinshaw the sophomore from Cal State Poly. He not only hit a solo homerun and double, he also pitched an excellent 3 innings of 1 hit ball. A teammate of Hinshaw at Poly is fellow pitcher Erick Ruvalcaba. Only a freshman, he pitched the final 3 innings, allowing no hits as he struck out 2. The Barons won the game 4-2. The next day on Saturday, the Barons were in for a double header against another Western Baseball League team, the East L.A Dodgers. The Barons were actually out hit in this game, but in sports, what counts most is scoring more runs. That’s exactly what the Barons did, and it was led by two hitters who combined for more than half of the scoring for the Academy. Billy Hamilton, the Sophomore First Baseman from Vanguard University came up big for the Barons. He went 2 for 4 on a base hit and double that produced 2 RBI’s; he also scored twice in the process. He was followed by the DH Mac Tucker, the freshman from West Los Angeles College is learning to produce, he banged out an RBI base hit and a fly ball hit far enough into right field to drive in Connor Rhoads. The pitching for the Barons looked gloomy in the first 3 innings as JR Bromberg gave up 5 hits and 3 runs. But that was followed by some respectable work turned in by the senior lefty from Vanguard University Brandon Godfrey, and the big right handed free agent from Puerto Plata Dominican Republic. They each turned in 3 scoreless innings. The second game was when the Academy Barons turned on their after burners and went on a 17 hit, 16 run tear against the battered East L.A Dodgers. In this game, the junior outfielder from Biola University exploded in only his 3^rd game this season. He went 4 for 4, with 5 RBI’s, and scored a run. Two base hits came in the 3^rd inning alone, and then an RBI single in the 5^th, and a two run blast in the 6^th. The pitching for the Barons started rougher than the pavement on Artesia Blvd. Joe Spizzirri the junior from Notre Dame, struggled in his 3 innings as 5 runs scored against him. The best pitcher for the Barons in this game was another student from Vanguard University. Robert Purpura pitched the last two innings of the game by striking out 5 hitters, giving up 2 hits, and a walk. It wasn’t perfect, but it was effective as the Barons routed the Dodgers 16-6. Now it’s on to Elks Field in Santa Maria California to face the Santa Maria Packers.

Adrian Nevarez

Barons Travel to JSerra High School

Come support the Barons as they take on San Diego Force in San Juan Capistrano at JSerra High School. First pitch is set for 1:00pm

See you there!

No Sweep For The Barons As The Foresters Win 13-1

On the third day, the brooms were without the strength to sweep even a small leaf with the torrential winds that the Santa Barbara Foresters offense unloaded on the Barons. The first batter of the game was Foresters Chase Yost and he came up with a triple. He was brought home by a groundout to short, and then the first homerun of the 3 game series was launched by James Wharton. Baron’s pitcher Brandon Godfrey was stung early, and despite having a clean 2^nd inning, the 3^rd was when his evening turned into a complete nightmare. He gave up four more runs including another homerun to James Wharton, but this time it was a two run shot. Wharton went 3 for 5, scored 3 runs, and drove in 5 runs. The pitching woes for the Barons continued when Daniel Heben stepped up on the mound and immediately turns over 6 runs in the 4^th inning. He didn’t exactly settle down in his next 2 innings, but at least he didn’t allow any more runs. The only good news coming from the Barons pitching department came in the name of Jason Dovel. He wrapped up the 7^th and 8^th innings pretty well by only giving a walk and couple of harmless singles. Dovel cringed a bit in the 9^th when he gave up a double to Jeff McVaney and then an RBI single to Ryan Hedge who’s currently a sophomore at Wichita State. It was an upsetting night for the Academy’s pitching for it showed some weakness, but the offense was just as dismal. Only one run was muscled through and it happened in the 3rd inning. Mac Tucker got on base by way of an infield hit and Rucky McKinley followed with one into right field. With Tucker standing on third base, Brett Vertigan pulled a one baser to right driving in Tucker. Other than that, the Barons were as dry as my radiator on a hot highway. The good thing is that we were able to see Caleb Hatcher get his first hit of the season. He’s only a freshman attending Cypress College, and he’s been visibly struggling at the plate. It’s clear that he’s built like a ball player, and once he matures and learns how to control his body, the awkwardness and fear will disappear. What he’ll do with that is still unclear. On the Forester side, a 16 year old catcher who still plays high school ball, is up hear banging out hits with the big boys. Riley Moore pinch hit in the 7^th inning and singled into center. He also got hit by a pitch in the 9^th as a lesson from the heavens and as an experience gainer from a game that will teach him how to suck it up. It was a great night for Tim Kelly. A junior at Wichita State pitching for the Foresters this summer, Kelly went for a solid 6 innings only scattering 4 hits, giving up a run, and striking out 7 hitters. It comes as no surprise, Kelly was an exceptional pitcher, he had an 11-2 record over in Wichita, and he had a 3.94 ERA, the 2^nd best in his team. Going the distance is not uncommon for him, he had 2 complete games, and one of them was a shutout last year. With the Foresters stellar pitching performance, they avoided being swept by a Baron team getting accustomed to waiting for the last minute to create comebacks. Tonight, by the score of 13-1, the Barons are re-grounded and snapped back into reality.

Adrian Nevarez

Congratulations BARONS!!!

We would like extend our congratulations to the current and former Barons selected in the 2010 First Year Player Draft.

Josef Terry (former)- selected in the 8th round by the Chicago White Sox

Tony McClendon (former) - selected in the 47th round by the Oakland A's

Alfredo Lopez (current) - selected in the 20th round by the Florida Marlins

Jarred Frierson (current) - selected in the 36th round by the Atlanta Braves

Great job and we wish you all the best!

Pitching Paves It & Clutch Hitting Saves It

With the draft hysteria winding down, the world at the Urban Youth Academy is motivated once again by the results. The news that former players Joe Terry was taken by the White Sox in the 8^th round and Tony McClendon was taken by the Athletics in the 47^th round further establishes the Academy’s ability to connect with quality talent. In the current squad Alfredo Lopez was chosen by the Marlins in the 20^th round while Jarred Frierson went in the 36^th round to the Atlanta Braves. Good news is always welcomed, appreciated, and celebrated, but tonight, the Academy Barons got back to business and have more relevant reasons to be excited. Facing the Santa Barbara Foresters in the second game of a three game series, the Barons started with a left handed pitcher who’s been throwing for Norte Dame, Joe Spizzirri. His 3 innings of work went well except for falling behind on a few hitters. Still, he only allowed one hit, no runs, no walks, and no punches to proclaim. Tonight, the Barons were the first to crack the LED’s on the scoreboard. Center fielder Brett Vertigan dumped one into the right field corner and sped into 3^rd base without a problem. His triple bumped up the energy and it also allowed Abel Medina to crack a single up the middle and into center field for an RBI. Other than that sequence of disturbance, Foresters pitcher Kevin Chambers seemed pretty much unbreakable even though his outing was not perfect. On the Barons side, Marcos Lara came in for the 4^th inning and shocked the crowd by striking out all three batters he faced. He wound up pitching 3 innings, giving up a hit, no runs, a walk, and three impressive strike outs. Meanwhile, the Barons were unable to pick up any runs, and as the Foresters inserted Jeff McVaney and Jon Abramson in the pitching slot, the tide was destined to avalanche on the crew from Santa Barbara. The Foresters did mount an attack with 2 runs 7^th and one in the 8^th against then newly place pitcher Martin Villanueva. His struggles unleashed Roman Martinez from the bullpen. The tall right hander inherited the bases loaded and escaped the inning, but not without a run crossing the plate that was charged to Villanueva. Memories of the previous night began to circle our heads, this time, it was the bottom of the 8^th inning and the Barons were down 3-1. I sensed that the Foresters were once again feeling that their handle on the victory was as assured as oxygen flourishing on earth. Proof that to underestimate is the same as naïve complacency in a game like baseball. Able Medina from Cal State Dominguez began the shift of awareness by taking a walk. In a way that seemed simple and thoughtless, Connor Rhoades was hit by a pitch. And after striking out more times than I can count, Mac Tucker practically dislodges second base from the ground on a hard hit single up the middle. It produced a run and I was able to see the confusion on the faces of Foresters losing cabin pressure. Then, the strategy of pinch hitting Justin DeMarco became a scientifically plotted success that crunched another RBI single. With the score now tied, I heard more disbelief in the visiting dugout and bleachers than conscientious hearts on the Gulf of Mexico. With two outs and runners in scoring positing, it seemed almost inevitably predictable that the next pinch hitter Rucker McKinley would become the second Baron Hero in two days to break a tie late in the game with an RBI single. And so it was, the Barons went ahead 5-3, and Roman Martinez closed out the top of the ninth with only a walk to talk about. Barons getting drafted, and two late game rallies are brining about a new found emotional ground that the Compton Crew could generate into a trip to Wichita in August.

Adrian Nevarez

Barons Rise Up In The Ninth To Win The Opener

On a night when the Major League Baseball draft was in full stride and Stephen Strausburg struck out 14 in his debut with the Washington Nationals, the Academy Barons hosted their opening day game against the Santa Barbara Foresters. The Foresters were quick to light up scoreboard with a couple of runs in the top of the 1^st inning. Ryan Hawthorne sliced a single into center field and promptly stole second. A double by Graham Saiko drove in the run as the Foresters felt the comforts of taking such an early lead. It wasn’t until the 3^rd inning that the Barons responded with a run of their own. Jordan Hinshaw opened the inning with a base hit down the right field line. He was pushed to second on an opposite field single into right field by the highly praised Alfredo Lopez. With runners on first and second, Jarred Frierson blasted a RBI double into the gap. Other than that, the Barons were held under control by Forester pitcher Boone Whiting. He went for 6 full frames allowing 4 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, and struck out 9. For the Barons, pitcher JR Bromberg was unable to continue after the 3^rd and finished his day by pitching 3 innings, 2 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, and 4 strike outs. Meanwhile, the Forester offense cracked the whip again in the 4^th inning and knocked in 3 more runs off of Antonio Peraza. A single by Jeff McDavey and the wild pitched that advanced him to second base is how it began. Nick Melino was walked, Patrick Tolentino peeled off an RBI single, Shane Kroker cranked an RBI single himself, and then Saiko streaked a single to center and sealed in the 3^rd and final run of the inning for the Foresters. Peraza settled into his remaining 2 innings of work and ended his participation with 3 innings of work, giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 walk, and striking out 5. The Foresters thought they had the game in a bag thicker than the earths crust by the time they brought in a highly scouted left handed pitcher by the name of Kylin Turnbull. He swept through the Barons line up easily through his first two innings of work. Then suddenly, not only did the bag rip at the seam giving up all it contained, the life seeped back into the bodies, minds, and souls of the Compton squad. It was in the bottom of the ninth inning, at a time when all seemed lost and doom was being spelled out by every Turbull pitch. A single by Collearen Randolph almost made the lights flicker. Hinshaw got on board on an error and the situation began to build itself slowly. An outright single by Shane Boras loaded the bases and produced a clutch opportunity for the highly touted shortstop from Compton College Alfredo Lopez. With the scene set, Lopez slapped a properly placed single into right field driving in two runs. Then a perfectly laid bunt by Brett Vertigan loaded the bases again and with no outs, the Barons prepared for the finale. The drama of Billy Hamilton tapping a ball that the pitcher was unable to handle began to choke up many of the Forester fans as they saw yet another run score. A change of pitcher was in order and as Mathew Stropoli took on the task of suppressing a newly charged Baron offense, it felt as if something interesting was filling the air. The excitement might have been the cause of the passed ball that allowed another run to cross. Now, the game was tied 5-5, and with runners in scoring position, the night’s hero Connor Rhodes stepped up and drilled a walk off single to right center field and the Barons rallied back from what seemed like an awkward night. The glorious moment would not have been possible if the Barons didn’t receive an amazing performance from pitcher Martin Rosenfeld. He was able to shut down the Foresters for 3 whole innings without giving up a hit or a run. He walked 1 and struck out 3 as the Barons take the first game of the season by the score of 6-5.

Adrian Nevarez

OPENING DAY

Come out to the MLB Urban Youth Academy tomorrow night as the Barons take on the Santa Barbara Foresters to open up the season. First pitch is set for 6:00pm

SEE YOU AT THE BALL PARK!!!