By The TimesLedger
The Midville Dodgers Junior squad, ages 15 and 16, will hit the road again Thursday. Coming off their championship game appearance at KeySpan Park last week where they took runner up honors in the Metro Federation Playoffs and the successful trip to San Diego last month, the Midville nine will be traveling to Manchester, Conn. to compete in the “College Select/Super East Baseball Showcase Tournament.” They will face some of the best teams in the East, including clubs from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Long Island, Upstate New York and Connecticut.
The team will be led by manager Billy Johnson and coach John Maser, who have shown all season long that they know how to win. The team won both the Elite Eight championship and Long Island Baseball Association crown.
Anchoring the team will be slick fielding shortstop Vinny Johnson, who is leading the team with a .390 average. The power will be provided by Matt Rizzotti, who has hit 11 homers this season, one short of the tying the Midville Dodgers record. Midville’s ace pitcher is righty Kevin Conlin, who has been phenomenal in his last four starts through the playoffs.
College and Major League scouts will be taking note of these and other players, including 15-year-old catcher Chris Kaible, who has the bat, arm and size to attract plenty of attention.
Midville Dodgers extend tryouts
Because of the overwhelming response at last week’s tryouts at Juniper Valley Park, the Midville Dodgers have added additional dates where players can show off their talents. The Midville Dodgers Baseball Clubs will again hold open tryouts for the 2003 season on Saturday, Aug. 24, at Juniper Valley Park Field No. 1, located in Middle Village on Juniper Boulevard South opposite 76th Street.
Serious minded ballplayers seeking 50 plus games next summer are encouraged to attend.
The MV Dodgers play in the top leagues in the Metropolitan area and prepare high school players for college baseball scholarships. The teams also travel to out of state tournaments including (for the last 7 years) the USABF tournament in San Diego, Calif..
Next season, the Midville Dodgers will award a limited number of full summer scholarships with all expenses paid for exceptional qualified players.
For more information call (718) 651-5865 or e-mail at mvdodgers@aol.com.
