Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Major League Baseball Diamond Skills Competition Held

The Prescott Parks and Recreation Department hosted the Toys R' Us Major League Baseball Diamond Skills competition on Sunday, May 6, at the James Johnson Sports Complex.

Thirty-one boys and girls in four age groups competed in three different events: hitting a baseball off a batting tee for distance and accuracy; fielding a ground ball and throwing it to home plate for speed and accuracy; and base running from second base to home plate for speed.

Diamond Skills is intended to encourage youth participation and emphasize the fun' element of baseball competition. Every boy and girl had a chance to compete since there was no registration fee for this program.

The winners of each event in each age group received a blue ribbon, while the top three youngsters in each age group with the highest combined scores in all three events received blue, red and white ribbons for first, second and third places.

Ribbon winners are as follows:

Batting: 7/8-year-olds, Hannah Hull; 9/10-year-olds, Cade Richards; 11/12-year-olds, Ben Smith; and 13/14-year-olds, Cody Brown.

Fielding/throwing: 7/8-year-olds, Hannah Hull; 9/10-year-olds, Cade Richards; 11/12-year-olds, Ben Smith and Sean Hart (tie); and 13/14-year-olds, Aaron Bullock.

Base running: 7/8-year-olds, Hannah Hull; 9/10-year-olds, Cade Richards; 11/12-year-olds, Ben Smith; and 13/14-year-olds, Cody Brown.

Over all total scores: 7/8-year-olds, Hannah Hull, first place; Will Brown, second; Dillion Maxwell, third; 9/10-year-olds, Cade Richards, first; Brandon Honea, second ;and Job Rabideau, third; 11/12-year-olds, Ben Smith, first; Sean Hart, second; and Matthew Hull, third; 13/14-year-olds, Cody Brown, first; Andre Lewis, second; and Aaron Bullock, third.

The top finishers will now have to wait until their scores are compared to the other top finishers in the state in order to determine who will have the opportunity to advance and compete at the Texas Rangers ballpark in Arlington, Texas, on June 10.

Top finishers in Arlington will have the opportunity to advance to the national finals, to be held at the major league all-star game in July at Seattle, Wash.

This competition was a success, because of the boys and girls who participated in the event and the large number of spectators in attendances and especially all of the volunteer workers.