EMERSON,
Ga. – Just by looking at Team Elite Prime 15u's roster before the
tournament, you might have guessed that they would eventually advance
out of pool play and have a good a shot at winning the entire
tournament. Although they remain undefeated after their three games, they only have one win.
Team
Elite Prime tied their first two games in pool play against Team RBI
and the ECB Stars by the scores of 0-0 and 5-5. Team Elite Prime is
used to having their bats alive and well every single game but this
tournament seems to be a little bit different. Nonetheless, each ball
game is a new chance to improve and this team knows that patience is
virtue when it comes to hitting.
Given
the talent on their roster, the expectations for this team in
particular are very high. The players on this team hold themselves to
a standard of excellence, and each time they go into a tournament,
they expect to win the whole thing. Not only do their players expect
a lot, but opposing teams know what they are capable of as well.
Team
Elite Prime is used to facing an ace each time they play a different
team, but they just see that as a chance to step up against good
competition and rise to the occasion. In this week’s PG/East Cobb
Invitational, every team that they have faced has thrown a power arm
at them. The
ties are somewhat unorthodox for Team Elite Prime, but as long as
that zero in the loss column stays present, they’ll be on their way
to a championship game.
Head
Coach Brook Richards prepares his guys for adversity, and he doesn’t
let those two ties get to his players. Coach Richards knows that
there is a lot that goes into winning a Perfect Game event and he
feels that his players have the talent, but some help from lady luck
couldn’t hurt either.
“Even
though these guys are as talented as they are, the game of baseball
can change on the drop of a dime,” said Coach Richards. “One
minute you’re on top, the next you’re packing your bags and going
home.
“These
guys stay focused, and the ties haven’t really affected them. If
anything, it’s pushing them to work harder and actually put some
wins up. We just need to wake the bats up, keep up the good pitching,
and hope for a little luck. Regardless of how well you play, there’s
always a little luck involved in winning a championship.”
Coach
Richards was correct in his evaluation of his players. They did stay
focused, and in their final game of pool play against Team Clutch
they seemed to be playing with a purpose. They were able to win 3-1
in a high
stakes game, but the pressure did not hinder Team Elite Prime’s
ability to play smooth, clean baseball.
They
scraped across a run in the third to take the lead, and the next
inning Oscar Serratos hit a screaming line drive down the third base
line to score the second run. Oscar Serratos’s hit seemed to be the
difference in the game, and it fueled the adrenaline in their
starting and relief pitchers.
The
starter, Parker Pillsbury, was fabulous on the mound. He went five
strong innings, and struck out six in his winning performance. The
relief pitcher, Kumar Rocker, came in after Pillsbury and was
throwing straight gas. He was able to get his fastball up to 86 mph,
and was bewildering the Clutch hitters until the final inning.
In
the final inning, there was a little bit of drama; Team Clutch had
the ases loaded with the tying run on second with two outs.
Fortunately for Pillsbury and the rest of Team Elite Prime, Rocker
was able to get out of the jam and help get Pillsbury his winning
decision.
Coach
Richards spoke very highly of one of his brightest pitchers.
“Parker
Pillsbury is a prime example of the type of kid that we look for,”
acknowledged Richards. “Obviously he had the tools to be a great
player, but we were also looking at character and this kid has it.
He’s one of many players on our team that hustles on the field at
all times.”
Pillsbury
is a well-mannered young man, but he was a monster on the mound
today. He relied on getting ahead in the count and spotting up his
fastball to get him through today’s start. Pillsbury really
stressed the importance of first-pitch strikes today, as he has
struggled a little in the past with getting behind in the count.
“Today
my mentality was to just go in there and pound the strike zone early
and often,” said an exhausted but satisfied Pillsbury. “My
changeup was working really well today. I was able to throw it in any
count. If we keep working hard and take it game by game, I think we
can get to the championship.”
This
Team Elite Prime group is a special bunch, as some of these kids have
an extremely high ceiling. The Elite Coaches try to keep the kids as
well-rounded as possible, and they really stress the importance of
playing hard with a good attitude. Elite knows that their players
won’t always have their A game, but they will always compete.
This
is the 15u Team Elite Prime’s first PG tournament of the summer,
but they will look to this tournament as an opportunity to get use to
the big stage that these events usually entail. They’re preparing
for tournaments such as the BCS Finals tournament in Florida later
this summer, and they see this week’s 15u PG/East Cobb Invitational
as a chance to ready the team for high intensity tournaments against
some of the top talent in the amateur baseball world.
“This
team is full of D-I prospects, and kids that have a chance of playing
pro ball down the road; they just have to work hard and develop,”
added Richards. “We want them to play the game the right way, like
running out fly balls and always thinking about the game situation.
If we out-hustle guys, I think we’re going to be a tough team to
beat.
“Winning
this tournament would be a great stepping stone for the summer. PG
does a great job of putting on the best tournaments with the best
talent around, so our guys have to get use to this atmosphere.”
If
this team continues to click on all cylinders that could spell
trouble for the other teams at this year’s 15u Perfect Game-East
Cobb Invitational.