ALL STAR BASEBALL PLAYER/TEAM OF THE WEEK

All Star Baseball Academy is pleased to announce our Player of the Week Award, and also recognize the players who have been nominated by their coaches:

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:


Chris Salvey and Mike Hill, 14U West Chester Team—Chris had 7 hits at the Ripken “Slugfest” Tournament, pitched well, and scored 4 runs. Mike was on base 8 times, scored 5 runs and showed off a strong arm from the outfield as the 14U squad went 3-1 over the weekend.


Tyler Dunbar, 12U Broomall Team— At the Diamond Nation (NJ) Tournament, Tyler pitched 3 scoreless innings and also went 2-2 with a double and single at the plate.


Also Nominated:


Austin O’Dell and Cole Gallagher, 11U West Chester Team—Both Austin and Cole pitched well in the 5-2 opening round win at the ECTB “Bat Wars” Tournament in Allentown. They also hit well to help ASBA earn a spot in the finals with a 2-1-1 overall record.

THE WEST CHESTER 11U TEAM made the finals of the ECTB Bat Wars Tournament over the weekend, and took home a big trophy for their 2-1-1 overall record.  The team showed great hustle and played well all weekend for Coach Jake King.

TEAM OF THE WEEK – ASBA 11U Team, West Chester


The All Star Team of the Week is the 11U West Chester team coached by Jake King.
The 11U team came up big at the ECTB “Bat Wars” Tournament at Allentown last weekend, making the finals with a 2-1-1 record. The ASBA squad won the opener, 5-2, and then tied 9-9 before winning in the semifinals, 7-5. A comeback effort fell short in the finals, 9-4.


Coach King was very proud of his team’s efforts and his comments follow below:


Austin O’Dell—Pitched well game 1 and hit well all weekend.
Ethan Andresen—Great job catching game 1 and pitched well game 4.
Thomas Padula—Played great at 1st base all weekend, closed final on mound strong.
Thomas Caufield—Two great games behind dish and steady at the plate.
Max Dineen—Pitched well in game 2 for us. Great play in the outfield.
Robby Schofield—Has hit the ball well both weekends for the club.
Jason Moore—Great job behind the dish game 2 on Saturday. Bat is coming around.
Foster Loyer—Solid job coming out of the bullpen game 1. Solid in the field all weekend. Vocal leader of the club.
Cole Gallagher—Pitched very well game 1 on Saturday. Had some great hits this weekend.
Emmett Bice—Had some key hits this weekend. Bat is working for us!
Jack Adams—Great job in the field and on the bases this weekend.
Stephen Morrison—Solid performance on the mound in semi-final game.
David Mercner—Hit the ball well this weekend. Solid defense in outfield and also at 1st base.


RUNNER-UP TEAM OF THE WEEK—ASBA 14U Team, West Chester


The West Chester squad went 3-1 at the Ripken Slugfest Tournament and won their pool with a 7-4 win over the Rockland (NY) Rockets. They fell in the semifinals, 14-4, but had a great weekend overall. Top hitters were Patrick Fagan, Chris Salvey, Mike Dietz, and Mike Hill.


Congratulations to all of our weekly winners! Look for Player and Team of the Week updates every week on our ASBA Blog!!

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SPORTS SHORTS with Ken Leidheiser....

Christian Walker taking a solid swing for ASBA Elite team.

All Star Baseball Academy is excited to offer our Winter Collegiate Instructional Program (WCIP) to area players, ages 13 to 18.  The valuable training package includes 8 developmental workouts and 4 indoor College Coaches Camps.  The workout series starts Nov. 2 and the first CCC is the weekend of Dec. 4-5, with Coastal Carolina University's camp at ASBA West Chester.  Total package price is $975, a great value for the player looking to take his game to the next level and shine next spring!  Call ASBA at 610-399-8050 or sign up on our website at www.allstarbaseballacademy.com.... 


Speaking of the website, check out the new website for ASBA, with more photos, more information, and even video clips with hitting tips from Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel.  If you have feedback on the new website, send your suggestions or comments to me at ken@allstarbaseballacademy.com......

Scott Grimes, scoring another run for York.

Kennett Square's Scott Grimes had an amazing year for the York Revolution team in the independent Atlantic League, scoring an all-time record of 138 runs in the regular season.  This is the highest total ever, in any Independent baseball league.  Scott also hit .312, with 17 homers and 57 extra base hits.  He has worked at ASBA Downingtown as an off-season instructor......MIke McGuire, popular instructor at ASBA West Chester, helped the Lakewood Blue Claws win their Class A league title this summer, with 6 saves and a 2.67 ERA.  Mike, who is 6-7, had 35 K's and only 7 walks in 30 innings for the Phillies' Single A farm team.....Down in Carolina, lefty pitcher Tom Cochran earned post-season All Star status with the Mud Cats, the Reds' AA minor league club.  Cochran was promoted to Class AAA by the Reds late in the season, after delivering a 2.69 ERA and 99 K's in the Southern League.  Tom is a graduate of St. Mark's High in DE and has worked as a pitching instructor at ASBA West Chester......

On the college baseball diamond, Christian Walker is working hard to help the South Carolina Gamecocks get back to the CWS championship round next season.  "I've been playing more first base than third base, but working out at both," said Christian, who hit .327 last season for the champion Gamecocks (54-16 overall).  He is from Limerick, PA and starred for ASBA Elite teams before going on to shine at South Carolina.  Christian is hitting in the 3 and 4 spots in scrimmages this fall and lining the ball all over the field.....He is a MLB prospect so keep your eyes on Christian....

All Star Baseball is now offering top instruction through college coaches in a NEW "Youth College Coaches Camp" series, for players 10-12 years of age.  The first indoor Youth Camp is Friday, November 19 on the campus of Indiana U of PA, running from 6 to 9 pm.  Coaches from Penn State, IUP, Pitt, and California of PA will be on hand to give excellent instruction to Western and Central PA youth players.  "Kids in this age group (10-12) are really excited about working with college coaches and learning from them," said program manager Mark Freed of ASBA.  "It's the first time we are offering a College Coaches Camp to this group of players and the level of instruction will really help the players' skills get better and better.".......  Additional Youth Camps are scheduled for 12/27 at ASBA West Chester and 12/29 at Robbinsville, NJ (Central NJ).  Registration is now open on the ASBA website, just go to Youth Collegiate Camps on the left side of the home page....

ALL STAR TRIVIA CONTEST:  No one correctly answered the "most consecutive foul balls in one at bat" question from the last contest!  I did get some feedback that it was a "foul" question!  The answer is Alex Cora of the Dodgers, who hit 14 straight foul balls in one bat in May, 2004 before hitting a HR on the next pitch!!  This is an unofficial MLB stat.

Here's your next TRIVIA QUESTION:  Of the 13 all-time MLB home run hitters, only 2 players are active today.  Who are they??  Hint-- one player is a lefty and ex-Phillie while the other wears pinstripes and has had a controversial career....Send your trivia replies, and your team news, action photos, and Sports Shorts to ken@allstarbaseballacademy.com.....

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ALL STAR BASEBALL PLAYER/TEAM OF THE WEEK

All Star Baseball Academy is pleased to announce our Player of the Week Award, and also recognize the players who have been nominated by their coaches:


PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:


Jeff Norwood, West Chester 18U Prospect Team-- Jeff tossed a complete game 3-hitter to help the ASBA team go 4-0 at the Berkshire Baseball Tournament last weekend. He attends Concord High School.


Evan Emerich, West Chester 18U Prospect Team— Evan was the big gun for the ASBA 18U squad as he had 7 hits over the weekend, with a HR and 4 doubles. He also had 8 RBI’s, and helped Coach Mark Freed’s team outscore their opponents, 23-7, over 4 games!


Also Nominated :


Drew Taylor and Charlie Sheridan, Downingtown 18U Prospect Team—Both Drew and Charlie starred at the plate at the team’s tournament in Palmyra, PA. Drew had a HR and 5 RBI’s and Charlie hammered a HR and had 3 RBI’s, with two walks.

TEAM OF THE WEEK:


 ASBA 18U Team, Downingtown coached by Keith Falcone


The Prospect Team had a successful 2-1 weekend record at the “In The Net” Tournament in Palmyra, PA (near Hershey). Drew Taylor and Charlie Sheridan led the way at the plate and on the bases for ASBA with clutch hits.




Congratulations to all of our weekly winners! Look for Player and Team of the Week updates every week on our ASBA Blog!!

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BROOMALL 10U TEAM MAKES FINALS AT SPORTS AT THE BEACH TOURNEY!

ASBA 10u Broomall, Long Version from stacey bonnell on Vimeo.

The ASBA 10U tournament team did a super job at the recent Sports At The Beach tourney, earning a spot in the championship bracket vs. a strong Tri-State Arsenal squad.  Assistant Coach Ken Brown summarized the team's run to the finals below:

"We lost in the Championship game to Tri-State Arsenal, 15-0.  The kids just ran out gas.  It was their third game on Sunday (9 am, 1:30 pm & 3:45 pm)," said Brown, who coaches the 10U team with Head Coach Javi Rodriguez.  Ken's comments continue below:

1st game: (T) 9-9 vs Jackson Rebels

Highlights: We came back from a 9-3 deficit to tie the game in the top of the 6th inning.  Evan Matthews and Josh Jenkin went 2-3 with 2 RBI's and 2 runs scored.

2nd game: (L) 5-4 vs Delaware Vipers

Highlights: This was a tough loss for the team.  We gave up the winning run in the top of the 6th inning and we couldn't capitalize in the bottom of the 6th.

3rd game: (W) 7-6 vs Jackson Rebels

Highlights: CJ Raech went 2-2 with 2 RBI's & 2 runs scored (he hit a 2 run HR in 1st inning) and threw 3 innings of no hit ball. Jake Calamaro went 2-3 with 2 runs scored.

4th game(Semifinals): (W) 4-2 vs Ridley Royals

Highlights: Zach Burgess had the game winning RBI and Adam Fine weathered the storm and closed out the game with runners on 2nd and 3rd and the winning run at the plate.

5th game(Championship): (L) 15-0 vs Tri State Arsenal

Highlights: The team ran out of gas for the championship game.  We played well for 2 innings and the wheels fell off in the 3rd.  The team battled and gave it their all.  We're very proud of the players on our team for their efforts and determination.

Note: The ASBA Blog would like to thank Dr.Michael Nance (a team Dad) for the great photos he took at the SATB tournament.  See some of these great action shots on the slide show here.  We welcome ALL action photos of your teams for the Blog.  Send them to ken@allstarbaseballacademy.comwith notes on how your team did at area tournaments.  THX!

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ALL STAR BASEBALL’S TIP OF THE WEEK:

This week’s Tip is from Brian Walker, new Assistant Manager and instructor at the ASBA West Chester facility. Brian is from South Florida and starred as a left-handed hurler for the University of Miami. He posted an overall record of 26-5 and helped the Hurricanes win 2 CWS titles, in 1999 and 2001. He also served as the head pitching coach at the University of Delaware before joining ASBA this fall. To schedule lessons with Brian, call ASBA at 610-399-8050 or stop in today!


When someone asks me what the most important pitch in baseball is, my reply every time is Strike One!  The most important aspect of pitching is the ability to throw strikes and stay ahead of the hitters. So what are some basic concepts that will make this easier?

First, I believe it is of utmost importance to keep your delivery to the plate as simple and repeatable as possible. Your goal is to stay over the rubber as long as possible before you break from your balance point and deliver the pitch to the plate.


This means no huge steps, making sure your pivot foot is even with the rubber, and not turning your body away from the plate when you get to your balance point. Nothing that your body does before breaking from your balance point is going to help you throw any harder or throw more strikes. In fact, it just becomes tougher to repeat, which in turn leads to fewer strikes and less velocity over the long haul.


Remember, keep it simple and you should notice a dramatic improvement in your ability to throw strikes. Get ahead in the count and success will follow!

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ALL STAR BASEBALL PLAYER/TEAM OF THE WEEK

All Star Baseball Academy is pleased to announce our Players of the Week, and also recognize the players who have been nominated by their coaches: 

All STAR PLAYERS  OF THE WEEK:

Dan Santoleri, ASBA 17U Futures Team--  Dan went 5 for 5 at the plate with 3 walks at the University of Maryland Tournament and also threw out a baserunner trying to steal. 

Jake Calamaro and CJ Raech, ASBA 10U Team, Broomall— Jake was 5 for 11 hitting with 8 steals and 5 runs scored from the lead-off spot at the recent Sports At The Beach Tournament.  Teammate CJ was 3 for 11 with 5 RBI’s and 4 runs scored in the SATB tourney.  He also tossed 3 innings of no-hit ball as a standout pitcher. 

Also Nominated: 

Sean O’Keefe and Jeff Norwood, ASBA 18U Prospect Team, West Chester—Both Sean and Jeff pitched complete games at the Dynamic Tournament at the University of Maryland, helping their team earn a 3-1 record.  

   

TEAM OF THE WEEK – ASBA 18U Prospect Team 

The All Star Team of the Week is the 18U Prospect Team coached by Mark Freed.  The squad excelled with a 3-1 record at the Dynamic Tournament in Maryland and averaged an amazing 8 runs a game for the weekend.  Troy Sarpen and Matt Catania blasted HR’s to help the team outscore their opponents.

RUNNER-UP TEAM OF THE WEEK—ASBA 10U Team, Broomall

The team made the finals of the Sports At The Beach Tournament, losing to a strong Tri-State Arsenal squad.  ASBA defeated the Ridley Royals 4-2 in the semifinals, thanks to great efforts by Zach Burgess and Adam Fine.  (See action photos from the SATB games here on the Blog!)  

Congratulations to all of our weekly winners!  Look for Player and Team of the Week updates every week on our ASBA Blog!! 

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"COLLEGE CORNER" with Steve Van Note

Communicating with College Coaches-- Several Do's and Don'ts.....

There are three basic ways a player can communicate with a college coach-- by e mail, phone and in person. All are very important and should be done by the player and not the parent. A college coach wants to hear from the player. The player will be the one on campus for four years, not the parent.  A coach wants to hear from your son's voice that he is interested in the school and that their school is a place he could see himself attending. To be very honest, when a coach sees too much involvement from a parent, it will register as a red flag in their mind. 

When sending a coach an e mail, you need to understand that they receive many e mails every single day.  Being direct and to the point will be your best bet. The e mail should be factual and be sent as soon as you have interest in the school.  If you have an upcoming season approaching, that is an additional plus.

You will want to give them facts on you (name, grade, school, GPA, SAT scores (if taken) and your team's info (name, coach's name and number).  Attaching an upcoming season schedule will be helpful and highlighting a big game in the season is important.  It may entice the coach to come out and watch.  If there are multiple players to watch, he may decide it's worth the trip. Do your research and address your note to the recruiting coordinator if this is a new email. I would definitely have someone in the baseball business check your e mail before you send it.  Your parents have your best interest at heart but in this area they may not know what to add.  For example, adding your Little League stats may be a turn-off for the coach. Having the parent assist with the e mail is OK but please make sure it does not look like a NY Times best seller!  Remember the coach wants to hear directly from the player.

A couple of important points to remember:

1) A coach will not be able to give you or ask you any recruiting info over e mail before your junior season. 2) Some coaches may even hold off on responding because they do not want to hit a "gray area" in the rules of recruiting.  So please do not be alarmed if a coach does not respond right away.

When talking to a coach on the phone, please make sure it doesn't sound like you just woke up.  If you call the coach, please have an idea of three or four questions to ask. If you can keep the conversation going, then your personality with show. Ask questions about the upcoming season, big games, travel trips. This will give you an idea of what direction the program is heading. When the coach asks a question, please be honest. You need to find out if this school is the right fit for you. A few rules to remember:  A coach can start calling your son July 1 going into his senior year. At that point he will only be able to call you once a week. You can call the coach as many times as you want, but the coach can only call back once. Before July 1, you can call him as well but just remember, even if you leave a message, he can't call you back.  

When speaking to a coach in person, make sure he has your full attention. If you do not know the coach, introduce yourself. Walk up and say hello. State your name, reach your hand out to shake hands and look the coach in the eye. This is OK to do at a showcase, camp or campus visit. During a tournament, a coach will not be able to speak with you, so understand he is not being rude, it is just against the rules. If you know the coach please remember a few things about him. Try not to make it seem like the first discussion every time you speak.

Always a good habit:  When you're at a field, showcase, or on campus, always look good!  Coaches are always judging and evaluating their recruits. Have you hat on straight, your shirt tucked in and have your turf shoes laced up.  Your appearance sends a message by itself, so look sharp and be sharp.

  

By understanding these communication rules and guidelines, you'll maximize your opportunities with the colleges of your choice.

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