Academy Notebook: Jr. Home Run Derby & Pitch, Hit & Run preview

Saturday is for the Sluggers

This Saturday, April 24 at 9 a.m., the Texas Rangers Youth Academy will host its Jr. Home Run Derby. More than 50 Academy athletes ages 11-14 have signed up to compete in this year’s competition.

Each athlete will have their chance to step up to the plate and prove they are the top slugger at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy. The hour-long competition will take place at the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at the Mercy Street Sports Complex, presented by Toyota in West Dallas.

Athletes in the 14U division will participate in the Jr. Home Run Derby on Kershaw Field, measuring at 230 feet down both lines and 250 feet to center. Younger athletes in the 12U division will play on Hamilton field measuring about 210 feet down the line and 220 feet to the center field wall.

Angel Gomez, the winner of the 12U division in 2019 says the strategy to winning is, “Be calm, maintain eye contact with the ball and always have the perfect stance.”

Luckily for Angel, he’s been attending training sessions for almost four years where he learned how to perfect his batting stance from the “amazing coaches” at the Rangers Youth Academy.

Angel’s mom recalled his poise at the plate saying, “I was really impressed because he did stick with his stance,” she said. “He was worried at first, but he went out there, he was calm, and I felt like he was really confident. He usually looks back at me and this time he didn't.”

This year, Angel will be competing in the 14U division where he will face older competition and a larger field, but the strategy remains the same.

After batters face their machine pitched baseballs, the player from each age division with the most home runs will advance to the second round of competition. The top 16 hitters from across the country will advance to the fifth annual Jr. Home Run Derby Finals at the World Series.

Pitch, Hit & Run, Run, Run

On Thursday, April 29, at 6:30 p.m., the Texas Rangers Youth Academy will host the first round of the Pitch, Hit & Run competition for Academy athletes. Around 80 participants will take the field on Thursday night to compete in the three-part competition.

Participants are scored on their performance in each round of the competition.

Pitch – From the pitcher’s mound, participants will attempt to throw six strikes at a target, gaining a point for each target hit.

Hit – Each athlete will take three swings off a tee in an attempt to hit the ball as far and as straight as possible. Only the best score will count after calculating the distance of the hit, minus the distance off-center.

Run – Runners will be timed to see how quickly they can run from second base to home plate.

Baseball and softball players will be separated into four age groups 14U, 12U, 10U and 8U.

Enrique Ojeda, a 2019 winner from the 12U division, said, “My advice is to have fun. If you don't make it, you don't make it. It is okay, don't be down. You'll always have a great time in baseball if you just have fun.”

Enrique first participated in the Pitch, Hit & Run competition three years ago, and has improved every year due to his time spent training at the Academy. “[The Academy] is very fun. I love it. The coaches are the best, and I really respect all of them,” he said.

Another athlete hoping to defend their title on Thursday is the winner of the 8U softball division, Aaliyah Ramirez.

Aaliyah, now participating in the 10U division, is excited to have fun at the 2021 Pitch, Hit & Run. Her advice to athletes competing for the first time is, “Don’t be nervous. Think of something that you really like, and just be brave.”

This year, athletes who win each age division will have their scores compared to others across the region for the chance to advance to the second round. After the second round, the top three baseball and softball participants from four age divisions will compete at the World Series.

High School Baseball & Softball Schedule

Below is the schedule of the remaining Pinkston, Sunset, and Thomas Jefferson High School baseball and softball games to be played at the Academy in April. Scheduling is subject to change.