Baseball showcase
Published 12:00 am Saturday, June 21, 2003
High school baseball players from around the state showed off their talent for college scouts Saturday at Troy State's Riddle-Pace Field.
From as far away as Huntsville, potential college baseball players showed up for the instructional showcase on the campus of Troy State.
"This is an instructional showcase," said Troy State head baseball coach Bobby Pierce. "It differs from regular showcases in that students receive help and education while they try out."
Saturday's event was separate from the camp that ran earlier in the week. It was open to students of that camp, as well as students from the surrounding area who did not take part in the camp.
The players were measured on a variety of positions and skills, and Troy State recorded the results and will send the information out to college baseball programs everywhere.
"We ran the 60-yard dash, we watched them throw from their positions, we did some infield-outfield throwing drills and some batting practice," Pierce said.
They finished the tryout with a six-inning scrimmage.
"When they throw from their positions, we measure arm strength," Pierce said. "In the infield-outfield drills, we're measuring technique, footwork in accuracy. In the BP drills, we measure bat speed and barrel-consistency.
"The scrimmage allows us to evaluate the pitchers and to watch the batters in game situations."
College tryouts of this sort are not uncommon. Colleges use them as opportunities to evaluate possible recruits, and they share the information with other programs.
Pierce said the benefits to holding the camps rather than relying on other schools' information were plenty.
Troy State will start another camp today, and it will run through Tuesday. Troy State will hold another showcase July 12, in the middle of another pair of camps. Every event will be held at Riddle-Pace Field on Troy State's campus.