Academy Notebook: Still Got Game Foundation baseball clinic; Taylor Hearn Woodbat Classic recap; Julie Gonzalez finishes fourth at Pitch, Hit & Run finals

Still Got Game Foundation baseball clinic

This weekend on Saturday, Nov. 5, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy will be the host site for a free youth baseball clinic hosted by the Still Got Game Foundation in coordination with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.

Nearly 150 athletes from across the Metroplex ages 8-14 will participate in the free clinic from 10 a.m. to noon on the Youth Academy fields. Participants will receive instruction from former and current Major League Baseball players in the areas of hitting, pitching, throwing, infield, outfield and Quickball.

Following the on-field portion of the clinic, the young athletes and Major Leaguers will participate in a question-and-answer session.

Expected to be in attendance Saturday are Still Got Game Foundation board members and former Major Leaguers LaTroy Hawkins, Torii Hunter and Kenny Lofton, as well as former player Jacque Jones and current players Sam Freeman and Tyler Lyons.

Taylor Hearn Woodbat Classic recap

Due to inclement weather impacting the playability of the Grimes Sports Complex fields, the Taylor Hearn Woodbat Classic scheduled to take place Oct. 29 and 30 was canceled. To preserve the experience for the hundreds of youth ball players planning to participate in the event, Hearn, 24 Sports and the Texas Rangers Youth Academy teamed up to host a one-day event.

Texas Rangers players who planned to attend the tournament in DeSoto instead visited the Youth Academy Saturday to sign autographs, take photos and play Blitzball with the kids.

“Despite being rained out, it was amazing to see everyone come together to create an impactful experience for the kids,” said L’Erin Hampton, President and CEO of 24 Sports. “Marcus Semien, Jonathan Gray, John King, Josh Sborz, AJ Alexy, Mark Mathias, Josh Smith and Darren Oliver all rallied behind Taylor to make this event memorable. Huge thank you to the Rangers organization for hosting us at their Youth Academy.”

Julie Gonzalez finishes fourth at Pitch, Hit & Run finals

For the first time in Rangers Youth Academy history, Julie Gonzalez, a Berry Middle school seventh-grader, advanced to the national finals of MLB’s Pitch, Hit & Run skills competition. Gonzalez competed in the 12U softball finals last Sunday, Oct. 30, at Minute Maid Park, home of the American League Champion Houston Astros.

Participants were scored in three categories and awarded corresponding point values based on their ability to throw strikes, hit balls for distance and run from base to base as quickly as possible.

After three rounds of competition, Gonzalez scored 860 total points to secure a fourth-place finish in her age division.

As part of her World Series experience, Major League Baseball recognized Gonzalez and her fellow national finalists on-field during pre-game ceremonies at Game 2 of the World Series last Saturday.