“Guys, this is your chance to have fun.”
That was Rawlings Prospect coach Kevin Huston’s message to his team from the moment they arrived at the 2021 11U Futures Invitational. The team gathered for a group picture before filming a team-created chant.
“This is what it’s all about,” Huston continued. “Staying loose and having fun.”
With lots of opportunities on the line for teams and players this week, it’s easy to get caught up in all of the glitz and glamor of the week and lose focus on the ultimate goal of winning gold.
Like Huston, many coaches have given their teams the same message to keep having fun and not stress about every moment on the field. The message must have struck a chord, as fun moments were popping up all over the place during today’s action. Possibly the most exciting moment came in the final inning of the last game of the day.
After surrendering a two-run lead, Stars Futures found themselves tied 6-6 in the seventh inning with Five Tool Players. Tyler Caperton led off the inning with a single before Kade Maltz laid down a beautiful sacrifice bunt two batters later that put runners on second and third with one out. Then the fun happened.
Caperton went to tag up from third on a sacrifice fly to left, but got himself caught in a rundown. After three flips back and forth between Five Tool catcher Kyle Crockett and third baseman Brandon Place, Caperton was able to slide under a tag at the plate to score what would be the game-winning run. It was unorthodox. It was fun.
Luckily for the coaches and players, teams have had plenty of opportunities to have fun both on and off the field.
After playing games this morning and afternoon, a lot of the players headed over to the USA Baseball National Training Complex to take in some of the inaugural MLB Draft Combine as it was broadcasting live on MLB Network. As the nation’s top high school and collegiate prospects took batting practice, members of the 11U Futures Invitational rosters flooded the hill behind the outfield wall in hopes of catching a home run ball. And quite a few did.
Players and families also got the chance to enjoy food trucks in the complex’s parking lot before heading home to get some rest before tomorrow’s quarterfinal and semifinal games.
And tomorrow, coaches will likely be relaying similar messages to each of their teams once again. Team Select Coach Jay Whannel knows the reality of the situation this week.
“No doubt there’s some added pressure or whatever you want to call it with everything going on and the USA guys walking around,” he said. But he’s hoping his guys continue to keep it simple and remember, “It’s a game and you just have to try and have fun.”
