Many local players should be more than ready for the upcoming USABA 15 and under World Series in baseball to be played at Indian Hills' James Lee Park and Gardnerville's Lampe Park.
The Carson Crushers and Douglas should be well represented in the event that will feature teams from California, Washington and Hawaii. That's because many of the players on both teams have already spent the summer competing against players that are several years older.
Douglas, though, does have what can be really called a pleasant problem. Several of its players are competing with the older Douglas Tigers in the Joe DiMaggio Tournament.
Judging by Wednesday's result, the younger Douglas team may have to go awhile before it will have its entire roster. The older Douglas team opened with a 14-2 win over Reed on Wednesday in the Joe DiMaggio event.
Douglas will open the tournament on Saturday against Kailua, Hawaii, at 7 p.m. at James Lee. Carson plays two games on Sunday at 10 a.m. against Tri County of Fresno, Calif., at James Lee. and at 4 p.m. against Kailua at Lampe. Douglas will also play on Sunday at 4 p.m. against Vacaville, Calif., and at 7 p.m. against Twin City of Clovis, Calif., at James Lee.
The tournament will run through Aug. 3. Also in the event are Langley, Canada, Northwest, Wash., and Senora, Calif.
Two of Carson's players competed this summer with the Carson Cardinals: Royal Good and 14-year-old Logan Parsley.
Parsley, Good, Christian Volker and Nick Smallman, who will all play for the Crushers in the USABA event, have been playing together with the Crushers since they were 9 and 10 years old. Marcus Adams is another players who has been playing with the Crushers for several years, although he will miss the USABA event.
"I don't know if they could have had a chance if they couldn't have played higher competition with us the past couple of years," said Crushers coach Roy Good about Royal and Parsley.
"It's just a team where some of the better kids can see the better competition. We just try to get the kids a little more exposure."
The Crushers also have many players who placed third in this week's 14-year-old State Babe Ruth Tournament. They include Smallman, Bryt Lewis, Sean Costella, T.J. Hein, Ryan Pier and Joe Skates. Adams was also a member of Carson's 14-year-old all-star team.
Others on the Crushers are Good, Jack Jacquet, Chris Ames and Jack Maloney, who all played for Carson's junior varsity team this past season. Thirteen-year-olds on the team include Drew Good, Kyle Mandoki and Christian Volker.
Royal Good, Jacquet, Ames, Maloney, Costella, Mandoki, Smallman, Volker and Skates can all pitch, which is good since teams are guaranteed seven games in the event. "We'll probably have to try everybody," coach Good said.
the team has plenty of catchers with Kyle Cahill, Lewis, Costella, Volker and Hein, who can all catch. Around the infield, there's Skates and Maloney at first, Smallman, Costella, Parsley at second, Parsley and Royal Good at short and Ames, Mandoki and Volker at third. In the outfield are Smallman, Costella, Volker, Skates and Parsley.
"We're a pretty well-rounded team," coach Good said. "A lot of kids can play a lot of different positions which makes it nice.
"I think we'll do pretty well. I see us probably winning a couple of games. If we go .500, we'll be all right."
Douglas coach Bill Whalin said his team's outlook obviously depends on how long the older Douglas team is in the Joe DiMaggio event. Those on Douglas' 15 and under team who are playing on the older team are Kyle Luken (catcher/outfield), Jake Stratten (third), Jeff Young (short/pitcher), Chad Walling (second/pitcher) and Spike Agosta (outfield).
"I think without the guys doing DiMaggio we're going to scrap," Whalin said. "We're going to play small ball. With the older guys, we could do very well."
Even without the players on the older team, Douglas does have some power in Nate Whalin (first/pitcher), who has eight home runs this summer. Others on the roster are:
Devin Barker (outfield), Brandon Bernard (outfield), Cory Eilers (outfield), Brooks Greenlee (pitcher/outfield), Jordan Hadlock (short), Will Morgan (short, second), Phillip Mannelly (third), Ryan Pruitt (catcher/pitcher/third), Niko Salidas (short, outfield), Chuck Vaughn (pitcher), D.J. Brady (pitcher/outfield), Ben Brower (outfield), Roman Davis (catcher), Ryan Guzman (outfield), Brian Webb (pitcher, first).
Charles Whisnand is the Nevada Appeal Sports Editor.