CARY, N.C. – The action continued at the 2025 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP) on Saturday, as Team Light Blue took on Team Red and Team White battled Team Navy. A pair of home runs highlighted game one, while Navy and White played to a tie in game two.
TEAM LIGHT BLUE VS. TEAM RED
AS IT HAPPENED
- Team Light Blue jumped out of the gates quickly, plating three runs in the top of the first. Leo Nockley kicked off the game with a triple, followed by an RBI single through the left side by Dariel Carrion for the game’s first run.
- After Frank Thomas III singled and Matthew Fernandez walked, Jose Partida singled to right to add a run followed by an RBI fielder’s choice by Bryan Ravelo to put Light Blue in front by three in the first.
- Carrion collected his second RBI single in as many innings, making it 4-0 Light Blue with a hit to left before a passed ball plated Nockley to give Light Blue a five-run edge in the second.
- Jared Grindlinger launched a solo homer in the bottom of the second to crack the scoreboard for Team Red. The longball left his bat at 98 mph and traveled 385 feet into the trees over the right field wall.
- After a sacrifice fly by Derek Vazquez gave Light Blue a 6-1 lead, Team Red got its second homer of the game. Marcus Cantu smoked a two-run blast to right center, plating Brogan Witcher and making it a 6-3 contest.
- In the bottom of the fourth, Jacob Seamon raced around the bases for his second triple of the NTDP and then scored on a passed ball to bring Red within two.
- Due to NTDP scoring rules, two runs were added to the scoreboard for Light Blue, who took an 8-4 lead in the top of the fifth as the inning was rolled with two runners in scoring position.
NOTABLES
- Three Light Blue players picked up multiple hit days, paced by Nockley’s three knocks. Carrion and Partida each had two hits in the contest.
- Nockley is now 5-for-7 through two games at the NTDP. He stole a base in Saturday’s game and has now swiped three bases.
- Andrew Jimenez (Red) and Griffin McKain (Light Blue) posted the two best pitching performances on the day. Both of them threw two innings with four strikeouts and one hit allowed, keeping their opponents off the scoreboard.
- Both team’s pitching staffs combined to strike out 10 batters each. Every pitcher who took the mound punched out at least three batters.
TEAM WHITE VS. TEAM NAVY
AS IT HAPPENED
A first-inning two-out rally got Team White on the board when Brennan McLaughlin doubled and Jack Woda singled to plate the opening run.
Team Navy responded with a two-out rally of its own to knot the game at one in the bottom of the second, as Ka’alekahi Kuhaulua singled back up the middle to bring Jordan Ayala home.
Graham Houston hit an RBI single, and Ayala followed on the next pitch with an RBI double to left center, giving Team Navy a 3-1 lead before the inning was rolled and two more runs came in.
A two-run single hit right back up the middle by Moises Gudino got Team White within two runs at 5-3 as Ricky Lopez and Woda came home to score in the fourth.
The game was tied at five later in the fourth, when Xander Tiller and Gudino scored on a rolled inning after both reaching via singles.
NOTABLES
Gudino’s two-RBI single gave him the game-high in RBIs. Woda was responsible for Team White’s only other run with his run-producing knock in the first.
Ayala scored twice in the contest, the most of any player. The Team Navy two-way player also scored a run in Thursday’s game and has now crossed plate three times in two games.
Cooper Jones faced the minimum in two innings of work for Team White, retiring the side in order both times with two strikeouts. Chase Fuller started for Team White and allowed just one hit and no runs in two frames.
On the mound for Team Navy, Dexter McCleon Jr. was the standout, striking out two batters in a pair of hitless frames. Luke Armijo struck out a game-high four batters in two innings for Navy.
ON DECK
The 2025 16U/17U NTDP wraps up with two more games on Sunday. Team Navy faces off against Team Light Blue at 10:30 am ET, followed by Team Red vs. Team White at 1:30 pm ET at Coleman Field. All games can be watched live via AWRE Sports on USABaseball.TV.
ABOUT NTDP SCORING
USA Baseball utilizes a modified scoring system for its development programs to achieve load management and mitigate potential injuries due to overuse for its youth athletes. Pitchers are subject to a maximum pitch count of 25 per inning during game play. In the event an inning is rolled because a pitcher has reached their maximum pitch count, runners on base may be contributed to the game score.
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