Academy Notebook: Braylon Hubbard ceremonial first pitch; Texas Rangers to participate in Negro Leagues Museum Invitational
Braylon Hubbard to toss ceremonial first pitch at Rangers-Athletics game
On Monday, Aug. 15, Texas Rangers Youth Academy athlete and 2022 Jr. Home Run Derby National Champion Braylon Hubbard will toss the ceremonial first pitch at Globe Life Field. Hubbard advanced through two rounds of local and regional competition before making it to the national finals at Dodger Stadium during MLB All-Star Week, where he hit 16 home runs to become the 12U National Jr. Home Run Derby Champion. His first pitch is scheduled to take place before the Rangers take on the Oakland Athletics at 7:05 p.m.
Texas Rangers Youth Academy to participate in Negro Leagues Museum Invitational August 26-28
Later this month, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy will send 25 athletes to Kansas City to participate in the Negro Leagues Museum Invitational, presented by Comerica Bank.
During the three-day trip from Aug. 26-28, the Rangers baseball and softball teams will face off against the Kanas City Royals Urban Youth Academy, attend a ball game at Kauffman Stadium and get an opportunity to visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
When the teams arrive in Kansas City, they will receive an in-depth tour of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, which will teach them about the history of African American baseball and its impact on the social advancement of America.
Following the tour, teams will depart for the first friendly games of the weekend at the Royals Urban Youth Academy. Then on Saturday, Aug. 27, the teams will face off again before heading to Kauffman Stadium for the Royals-Padres evening matchup.
The Rangers will return to DFW on Sunday, Aug. 28, with unforgettable memories and a new appreciation for the sport they love playing.
Five Academy athletes to participate in Five Tool DFW Showcase
The Texas Rangers Youth Academy will be the host site of the Five Tool DFW Showcase this Sunday, Aug. 14, for 100 of the best baseball players across the metroplex. Among those participating in the showcase are Rangers Youth Academy athletes Jacob Ayala, Luis Cruz, Steven Ramos, Nikolas Smith and Casey Walls.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., athletes will participate in a series of combine-style drills, including a 60-yard dash, defensive velocities, athletic performance evaluations and pitcher bullpens. Then, at 2:30 p.m., athletes will return to the field for live batting practice and hitting velocity measurements.
Around 25 college coaches from Junior Colleges and Division I, II and III universities around the U.S. will be on-site to evaluate participants. Universities scouting the showcase include Vanderbilt, TCU, Baylor, Wichita State, Abilene Christian, New Mexico, Northwestern St., UT-Arlington and many more.