Showtime Baseball’s college prep team won its pool then lost in the quarterfinal round of the Perfect Game 18-and-younger Martin Luther King Championships in Glendale, Ariz.
The Showtime team features players from Clark County high schools. The tournament was an invitational that included top-flight clubs from around the country. Games were played at the spring training complex shared by the Dodgers and the White Sox and at Phoenix-area high schools.
“It’s a great atmosphere. Great competition,” said Matt Olstead, a Union High senior. “It’s good to experience, not only playing against and seeing all the talent from around the country, but all of the professional scouts.”
After winning all three of its pool-play games, Showtime lost 6-0 on Monday morning to the Arizona Prowlers. The Prowlers went on to win the tournament championship later Monday.
“That’s not the way we wanted it to end, but it was a great experience,” Olstead said.
Showtime opened the tournament on Friday with a 5-4 win over California Baseball Academy Marucci, which won this tournament in 2014.
“That was big for our program,” said McKinley LaFore, a Camas senior who is committed to the University of Oregon. “The talent level we faced was top notch.”
On Saturday, Showtime beat Advanced Baseball Academy from Overland Park, Kan., 8-0. On Sunday, Showtime topped MAP Baseball of Eden Prairie, Minn., 3-1.
That win clinched a place in the quarterfinals. LaFore said the highlight of the weekend was celebrating that accomplishment and the Seahawks’ win with his teammates.
Battle Ground senior Colin Rubino batted .538 in four tournament games to lead the Showtime offense. Heritage High junior Trevor Wharton hit .400 with two doubles and two RBI. Camas senior Sam Jones batted .333 with two RBI.
Eight pitchers saw action in Arizona for Showtime, which had a team earned run average of 1.346 at the tournament. LaFore said Showtime’s pitchers began throwing about six weeks before the trip to Arizona.
This was the second year in a row that Showtime has played at the Perfect Game MLK tournament, and the fifth consecutive year it has traveled to a winter showcase tournament.
The Showtime Baseball junior prep team was winless in pool play of the 16-and-under tournament division, then won a consolation game on Monday against a team from Illinois. The junior prep team roster includes sophomores and freshmen from Clark County high schools.
