In the first annual Amateur Baseball Report Auburn Showcase, Jerry Stanley’s Team Tampa took home the championship.  A team made up mostly from Jesuit High School took on a pool of high profile travel teams which included the 2009 USSSA World Champion Upper Deck Cougars (Chicago, IL), 2009 USSSA Fall National 18u World Series Champion Team Xtreme (Tampa, FL), the Central Alabama Titans, and the Memphis Tigers.

Team Tampa made it through pool play with a 3-0 record, where each team missed out on a game due to a storm on Saturday.  To win their pool, Team Tampa had to go through Team Xtreme.  In a 5-4 nail biter, Tampa came out on top with LHP Alex Milne (Jr, Gaither High School) recording the win. 

In the Championship, Tampa had Spencer Trayner (So, Jesuit High School) rested and ready to go against a very strong (and also 3-0) Georgia Hurricanes.  The game ended and the Auburn University scoreboard read Tampa 6 – Georgia 3 with Marc Brakeman (Jr, Shorecrest Prep; St. Petersburg) recording the save.  Brakeman also earned the victory in Tampa’s game 1 win over Memphis. 

To win tournaments, one of the key ingredients is a deep pitching staff, and Tampa has one of the deepest around:

Alex Milne (2012) – Crafty lefty who recorded an 8-0 record at Gaither High School this spring with a save

Marc Brakeman (2012) – A junior pitcher at Shorecrest Prep in St. Petersburg has an exploding fastball at 87-90 but can also catch

Tyler Martin (2012) – Junior from Providence High School in Jacksonville, FL has committed to the University of Central Florida with his 86-89 heater

Jordan Parnell (2013) – A sophomore power pitcher from Jesuit who just turned 15 but has been seen at 85-88 on the gun with a 12-6 hammer for a curveball and a loose arm which shows room for improvement in the velocity category

Conor O’Brien (2012) – Junior pitcher at Jesuit who has 2 outstanding off-speed pitches that complement his 86-88 mph fastball

Jimmy Robbins (2011) – Senior Pitcher who throws from the left side.  Is also ranked at the top of his class academically at Jesuit.

Spencer Trayner (2013) – Sophomore pitcher at Jesuit where he was the only freshman on the Varsity team this Spring that made it to the State Finals.  Trayner’s advanced repertoire includes a sharp slider, filthy change-up and an 85-88 mph fastball.  Trayner plays shortstop when he’s not pitching and had a couple of big hits in the championship game to help carry Tampa to the title.

With a pitching staff like this one, and with Brakeman, Evan Rivera (Sr, Lake Nona High School) and Will Jennings (Switch Hitting Sophomore, Jesuit High School) behind the plate, you can win games just by scratching runs across late; but that’s not Tampa’s style of play.  Their lineup can mash, slash, and run. 

The lineup includes table setters like 2B/OF Andris Repins (So, Jesuit High School), utility man Ricky Escobar (Jesuit High School) and Jennings, to get on base for power hitting outfielder Leland Saile (So, Jesuit High School), 3B Patrick Visintainer (Vestavia Hills, AL), and 1B Pete Alonso (So, Jesuit High School) who peppered the left and center field walls all weekend with line drives.

With more than half of their team being underclassmen, not only does Team Tampa appear to be one of the teams to beat this summer, but for years to come as well.