With Dominic Smith having moved on to professional baseball with the New York Mets Organization Rookie League, Port St. Lucie in Florida, returning Serra High baseball standouts spent this summer with traveling teams and playing in some all-star classics.
During last week, outfielder Denz’l Chapman was with the Milwaukee Brewers high school all-star area code team as it played with seven other teams with prep stars from throughout the United States in the New Balance Area Code Tournament at Blair Field in Long Beach.
With Dominic Smith having moved on to professional baseball with the New York Mets Organization Rookie League, Port St. Lucie in Florida, returning Serra High baseball standouts spent this summer with traveling teams and playing in some all-star classics.
During last week, outfielder Denz’l Chapman was with the Milwaukee Brewers high school all-star area code team as it played with seven other teams with prep stars from throughout the United States in the New Balance Area Code Tournament at Blair Field in Long Beach.
Chapman collected four hits and drove in two runs in nine at-bats to key the Brewers to a 4-1 record and a second place finish, behind the Chicago White Sox. The Brewers actually tied with the White Sox for the title but the White Sox won the head to head competition on Aug. 7 for the crown.
“I would love to follow his (Smith’s) footsteps and hope to get drafted high,” Chapman said on concerning next year’s Major League Baseball draft in early June.
Chapman, though, is looking to play at a top Major Division I college team. As of now, his top three considerations include University of Southern California (where Smith committed to before his first round draft by the Mets), San Diego State and Arizona State.
Last Saturday, Chapman played a key role as he scored what would be the decisive run in the Brewers’ 2-1 win over the Texas Rangers. In the top of the sixth inning, Chapman singled, stole second base, went to third on a wild pitch, then scored when Chris Betts singled.
A day earlier against the Washington Nationals, Chapman had a triple with two outs in top of the fourth but was left on third base with the third out.
Down 3-1, the Brewers rallied to pull the game out with two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh, behind back-to-back doubles by John Ballet and Josh Morgan.
In the sixth after Tommy Pincin walked with one out, Kevin Padio tripled Pincin home, then Padio scored on a double from Betts.
The White Sox pulled out the tournament championship with a 7-1 win over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.
Marcus Wilson, who hit a home run in the Cavaliers’ 8-1 CIF-Southern Section Division III championship win over Manhattan Beach Mira Costa on May 31 at Dodger Stadium, was to play for the Brewers but, instead, participated in the Perfect Game All-American All-Star Classic in San Diego.
