Prep baseball’s best take Lindquist Field
Local High Schools play in the Region 4A All Star Game at Lindquist Field June 7, 2014. Stephen Smith/Special to the Standard Examiner
Local High Schools play in the Region 4A All Star Game at Lindquist Field June 7, 2014. Stephen Smith/Special to the Standard Examiner
OGDEN – It’s a 14-hour drive from Williston State College in North Dakota to Ogden.
Williston State College baseball coach Shawn Cote makes the trek, however, because of talent like Robbie Vernon.
Cote first became aware of the Northridge High product last year at the city’s annual baseball showcase and eventually offered him a scholarship.
“After last year I knew the kid had some ability and so I was able to follow him, keep track of him and decide, ‘Yeah, this is definitely somebody that we need to bring into our program that’s going to help take us to the next level,'” Cote said. “It just exposed me to him, basically. Gave me an opportunity to meet him, see what he could do. It provided an opportunity for me and it provided an opportunity for him to find a place where he felt comfortable to go and play college ball.”
This past weekend, Cote was one of 15 college coaches back in Ogden to scout a new crop of Utah talent in the city’s 70th annual baseball showcase, which was organized in conjunction with Salt Lake Gulls baseball club manager Dominick Jefferies to highlight roughly 150 Utah athletes.
“It’s pretty special what we provide here that nowhere else provides,” said Edd Bridge, recreation manager for the city of Ogden. “The scouts are right there. It gives the Utah kids an opportunity. We’re not bringing in a school that’s not looking for kids. All these schools are looking for kids, have scholarships that they’re trying to give to kids. And Utah has kids that can play ball – it’s just getting them exposure.”
The weekend activities included 3-A, 4-A and 5-A all-star games, an underclassman game, a banquet for the seniors, a showcase and a showcase game. The showcase involved athletes in attendance, although not necessarily all-stars, participating in live drills with college coaches then selecting players from that showcase to take part in a special game following the final all-star game.
All games were played at Lindquist Field, home of the Ogden Raptors.
“For us at Salt Lake Community College, it gives us an opportunity to identify many players that we wouldn’t be able to see just because our season is the same time as the high school season,” Salt Lake Community College assistant baseball coach Derek Waddoups said.
Waddoups, as well as Weber State University football coach Jay Hill, spoke at the senior banquet Friday night.
Athletes from the top of Utah which made all-star teams included:
Hans Madsen (Bear River)
Hayden Woodward (Bear River)
Hunter Porritt (Bear River)
JarDee Nessen (Bear River)
Hayden Greenwood (Bonneville)
Will Galbraith (Bonneville)
Ben Fowers (Bountiful)
Parker DePasquale (Bountiful)
Ryan Curtis (Bountiful)
Ryan Stringfellow (Bountiful)
Connor Udy (Box Elder)
Teagan Hubbard (Box Elder)
Parker Oliver (Clearfield)
Connor Blaisdell (Davis)
Braxton Bullock (Fremont)
Taylor Kranendonk (Fremont)
Caleb Harrop (Layton)
Quentin Marcelin (Layton)
Chase Nelson (Logan)
TJ Booth (Logan)
Kade Carrigan (Morgan)
Ben Weese (Mountain Crest)
Kyle Eichmeier (Northridge)
Robbie Vernon (Northridge)
Kameron Laird (Ogden)
Corey Quintana (Roy)
Jesse Hansen (Sky View)
Zachary Hansen (Sky View)
Kole Tracy (Syracuse)
Bridger Thorpe (Weber)
Shaden Fisher (Woods Cross)
Isaac Evans (Viewmont)
Athletes from the top of Utah which earned a spot in the showcase game included:
Hans Madsen (Bear River)
Bryson VonColln (Bonneville)
Will Galbraith (Bonneville)
Connor Udy (Box Elder)
Nick Angelico (Clearfield)
Tanner Bowden (Davis)
Troy Quarnberg (Northridge)