Amateur Baseball Report

David Petrino captures his dream

By Sean Duncan

Growing up in northwest Arkansas, David Petrino has always commanded the limelight on the baseball field. At the plate, the 5-foot-9, 175-pound Petrino hits with the best of them; and on the mound, not many 14-year-olds are touching his 80-82 mph fastball.

But over Labor Day weekend, Petrino’s baseball perspective changed. Petrino was just one of many standout players from all over the country who had advanced to the final National Team Identification Series (NTIS) tryout, all competing for a roster spot on the 14-year-old USA National Team in Jupiter, Fla.

“It was intimidating,” said Petrino, a switch-hitting shortstop and right-handed pitcher from Lowell, Ark. “All the USA coaches were watching your every move; it was very nerve-wracking to say the least.”

Petrino said after the first day of the three-day tryout, he worked through his jitters and began to play his game. Still, when he left the event, he had no idea where he stood among the best players in the country.

He got his answer shortly after when a USA Baseball representative called. Of the thousands of players who tried out during the Amateur Baseball Report's NTIS Series, Petrino was one of 24 players to earn a roster spot to compete in the all-paid-expenses Pan Am qualifier in Guatemala City, Guatemala on Nov. 28.

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Protein Supplementation: How Much, What Kind and When

Just how much protein should you ingest on a daily basis? This question has been debated in the medical and athletic community for years. The medical community recommends that for good health your protein intake should be 1 gram per kilo (2.2 lbs) of body weight. The athletic community says that the needs of hard-training athletes are significantly greater, and an athlete should therefore ingest 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. The only exact answer lies within the individual.

To know for sure, the individual should monitor exactly how much protein is taken in and then compare that amount to how much leaves the body via waste. Body waste can be examined for nitrogen content to determine how much protein the body didn’t use. However, the average person/athlete is obviously not going to engage in this activity, so we are left trying to come as close to optimal as we can. Perhaps the best general approach is to try to get 20 –30% of your total daily caloric intake in the form of low-fat, high-grade protein.

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Bryant Hodge's golden arm earns him spot on USA National Team

By Sean Duncan

Bryant Hodge can’t explain it, other than it’s a “gift from God.” His friends have offered an alternative explanation, calling him various endearing nicknames of freak.

But however one chooses to theorize Hodge’s extraordinary skill, there has to be some reasonable explanation as to how a 5-foot-7, 150-pound kid can throw a baseball so hard, or can launch a football 70 yards in the air.

Hodge, a 14-year-old right-handed pitcher and catcher from Moore, Okla., showcased his golden arm at the final National Tournament Identification Series (NTIS) tryout over Labor Day weekend in Jupiter, Fla. Playing against the best 14-year-olds from across the country, Hodge dominated like few others to earn a roster spot on the 14U USA National Team.

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Updates

In the Spotlight

Congratulations to the following Great Lakes & Midwest ABR participants making the 14U USA National Team:
- Bryant Hodge (OK)
- David Petrino (AR)
-Nolan Rogers (IN)
Alternate: Dalton Dulin (TN)
*After being selected through an ABR event, these individuals competed with 216 of the top individuals in the country over Labor Day weekend to win a spot on the 14U USA Baseball National roster.

ABR Scouting Combines Announced (Click Here)

Got Video?

Ryan Spalding, a RHP from Hartford City, IN, qualified for the 14-U Great Lakes Stars in USA Baseball's NTIS Program. Got Video? Send all videos to jhunter@amateurbaseballreport.com or mail it to 28427 N. Ballard Dr., Unit A, Lake Forest, IL 60045.

The Experts

Dr. Tom Hanson

Mental Toughness Coach
"How to Win a National Championship"

Karl Frank

Speedology Trainer
Protein Supplements

Andrew Margolick

Pitching Columnist

Who is more afraid of a 0-2 count, the hitter or the pitcher?

USA Baseball picks 14U Team

USA Baseball announced the roster for the 2008 14U National Team. The roster was unveiled at the close of the first-ever 14U National Team Identification Series (NTIS).

The NTIS consisted of two identification events featuring a total of 216 players over Labor Day Weekend. The West Coast event was held at the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif., and the East Coast event was held at the Roger Dean Stadium Complex in Jupiter, Fla.

14U National Team assistant coach Tom LoSauro was pleased with the outcome of the inaugural NTIS events. “I was not surprised by how talented the players were, but I was surprised by how many of the players at the tournament were talented,” LoSauro said. “Collectively it was the strongest group of 14-year-olds, top to bottom, that I have ever seen."

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Coming Soon

State by state, the Amateur Baseball Report serves as the ultimate resource in youth baseball. From instructional stories written by renowned industry specialists to state-specific and national team and player rankings, the ABR covers the complete gamut of USSSA baseball, the nation’s largest amateur sports sanctioning association. Player features, leagues, and tournaments coverage, the ABR is your No. 1 source for youth baseball.

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