2022 MLB RBI Southwest Regional Tournament

The Texas Rangers Youth Academy has been selected as the host site for the 2022 MLB RBI Southwest Regional Tournament from July 23-25.

Teams from Austin, El Paso, Houston and New Orleans, will join Rangers RBI in West Dallas to compete for a spot in the MLB RBI World Series in Vero Beach. The Rangers will host all three divisions for the Southwest Regional Tournament, including 15U Baseball, 18U Baseball and 18U Softball.

Texas Rangers Youth Academy athletes compete at MLB All-Star Week

The Texas Rangers Youth Academy will be well represented at MLB All-Star Week with 32 athletes traveling to Los Angeles to compete in the All-Star Commissioner’s Cup, Jennie Finch Classic, and the National Jr. Home Run Derby Finals.

Commissioner’s Cup and Jennie Finch Classic tournaments are making a return to the All-Star agenda for the first time since 2019, after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Teams across the U.S. and Puerto Rico will compete in the four-day tournament that began today at the Compton Youth Academy.

The Rangers will look to advance through pool play and the early stages of elimination games to reach the championship games both taking place on Monday, July 18. 

On Tuesday, July 19, before the MLB All-Star game featuring Rangers big leaguers Martín Pérez and Corey Seager, 16 youth sluggers will take the field at Dodger Stadium to compete in the Jr. Home Run Derby Finals.

Among those competing are Jr. Home Run Derby Regional Champions and Rangers Academy athletes Maddox Johnson, Braylon Hubbard and Giovanca Frias, joined by Alyssa Summers, runner-up in the Dallas Regional.

Rangers Youth Academy softball will look to clinch back-to-back Jennie Finch Classic championships after claiming their first-ever tournament win last September when the Classic was held in Oklahoma City. In the Jr. Home Run Derby, Maddox Johnson hopes to finally be crowned national champion after falling four home runs short of the 12U title last year at the national competition at Truist Park during the MLB World Series.

Participants will represent the Texas Rangers Youth Academy on the field and be treated to unique experiences during MLB All-Star Week, including Capital One PLAY BALL PARK, Capital One All-Star

Oceanfront, the MLB-USA Baseball High School All-American Game, All-Star Saturday and the T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium.

MLB Pitch, Hit & Run Round One recap

On Monday, July 11, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy hosted the first round of the MLB Pitch, Hit & Run competition for Academy athletes. In a record turnout, 100 baseball and softball players ranging in age from 7 to 14 years old competed in the three-part competition with hopes to advance to round two.

Participants were scored in three categories:

Pitch – From the pitcher’s mound, participants attempt to throw six strikes at a target, gaining a point for each target hit. New this year, the addition of a bullseye target worth double points.

Hit – Each athlete takes five swings off a tee in an attempt to hit the ball as far and as straight as possible.

Run – Runners will be timed to see how quickly they can run from base to base in a 90-yard dash. 

Winners from the local competition will advance to the second-round Team Championship at Globe Life Field, hoping to reach the National Finals at the MLB World Series in October.

2022 Texas Rangers Youth Academy Pitch, Hit & Run Round One Results:

14U Baseball Champion – Jayden Phillips: 1700 points

14U Softball Champion – Kayla Clemmons: 1085 points 

12U Baseball Champion – Luciano Lopez: 1810 points

12U Softball Champion – Julie Gonzalez: 890 points

10U Baseball Champion – Jacob Zuniga: 1050 points

10U Softball Champion – SarahJoyce Mercado: 765 points

8U Baseball Champion – Daniel Torres: 905 points

8U Softball Champion – Eden Hollingsworth: 495 points

On Monday, July 11, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy held a signing day event at Globe Life Field for its Class of 2022 student-athletes committed to playing collegiate baseball or softball this fall. 

The 28 Youth Academy athletes committed to playing college ball is the largest signing class since the Texas Rangers Youth Academy first opened in 2017. 

Following the signing day event, athletes were invited to the Texas Rangers game at Globe Life Field on Tuesday, July 12, where they were recognized on-field during pre-game ceremonies.

Congratulations to the Rangers Academy athletes continuing on to play collegiate ball.

Baseball & Softball

Summer Training Program 18U – Tuesday, July 5, 2022 – Friday, Aug. 5, 2022

Athletes ages 13-18 will participate in free training sessions that expand on the principles of hitting, catching, throwing, base-running and more. Register Here

Summer Weight Room Session – Tuesday, July 5, 2022 – Friday, Aug. 5, 2022

Athletes ages 13 to 18 can register to use the Youth Academy weight room on Tuesday to Friday from 11 a.m.-noon during the summer programming session. Register Here

2022 Science of Baseball presented by Nike – Monday, July 11, 2022 – Friday, July 29, 2022

Athletes ages 8-12 interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, can sign up for this three-week camp and learn how STEM applies to baseball.

Education & Buckner International Programming

The Texas Rangers Youth Academy goes beyond baseball and softball programming to benefit our community. With help from our partner Buckner International, the Academy hosts free education courses for athletes and their families throughout the year. Register Here for all Youth Academy classes.

ABOUT THE TEXAS RANGERS MLB YOUTH ACADEMY

The Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at the Mercy Street Sports Complex, presented by Toyota opened in 2017. This state-of-the-art facility provides children across North Texas with a place to play baseball and softball. In addition to providing year-round baseball and softball instruction, the Academy hosts tournaments, coaching clinics, and skills camps. It also gives young students access to tutoring programs, college prep classes, college and career fairs, financial literacy and internship programs, and MLB industry alternative career workshops.

ABOUT BUCKER INTERNATIONAL

Buckner International is a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of orphans, vulnerable children, families and senior adults in the United States and internationally. Founded in 1879 in Dallas, Texas, today Buckner serves people through a variety of programs designed to protect children and build strong families. These programs include foster care and adoption, family transition programs, community-based family preservation programs and retirement services for senior adults. Buckner also provides humanitarian aid and crisis relief to poverty-stricken children and families. Learn more and get involved at Buckner.org.

ABOUT MERCY STREET SPORTS

The Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy is located in West Dallas at the Mercy Street Sports Complex. Mercy Street Sports is a component of the Christian based non-profit organization in the inner-city community of West Dallas. Founded in 2003, Mercy Street, Inc. utilized a mentoring program as the main vehicle to promote positive change and cultivate leaders in the West Dallas community. In 2005, the non-profit integrated the sports component, Mercy Street Sports, in order to extend their outreach efforts and further impact the community. The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation is excited to partner with Mercy Street Sports to further impact the West Dallas community, which is considered one of the most challenged areas in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

ABOUT MLB RBI LEAGUE

The RBI program, which has served approximately 2 million young people since its inception, is administered by Major League Baseball and designed to give youth from underserved and diverse communities the opportunity to play baseball and softball, while also encouraging academic achievement and success and teaching the value of teamwork and other important life lessons. RBI currently serves young men and women in over 200 programs in approximately 200 cities worldwide. MLB and its Clubs have designated more than $40 million worth of resources to the RBI program, and all 30 Clubs support RBI leagues. For more information about the RBI World Series, please visit MLB.com/rbiworldseries.