PHOENIX — Kaden Shields filled the box score for Playa Vista Orioles - Select in its tournament opener to earn Player of the Day honors on Day 1 of competition at the 17U National Team Championships Arizona.

Shields, a 6-foot-2 outfielder, posted three hits, including a two-run homer, and tallied three RBI in Playa Vista's tournament opener against California Bucs. He also scored four times and recorded a stolen base.

Shields' Game 1 performance helped Playa Vista nearly erase an 8-4 deficit against the Bucs, but the rally fell one run short in a 10-9 defeat.

Julian Orozco (So Cal Bombers 2022) captured the Pitcher of the Day honor with a complete-game, three-hit shutout of Storm Elite.

Orozco commanded the strike zone effectively throughout the seven innings and compiled a standout 78 percent strike rate. The 5-foot-10 right-hander struck out six, which included four of the first six batters he faced, and did not walk a single batter in So Cal Bombers' 2-0 win to open the 17U National Team Championships Arizona.

Orozco faced the minimum through four innings before he surrendered a leadoff double in the fifth. He ended his impressive outing by inducing a double-play grounder.

 

Honorable mentions (Player of the Day):

Niko Riera (Long Beach Bears) — 2-for-3, 5 RBI, SB

DJ Cardinal (San Diego Longhorns) — 2-for-3, 2B, 4 RBI, SB

Robert Linares (SGV Arsenal) — 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI

Jack Gurevitch (GBG Navy 2022) — 3-for-4, 2 3B, 3 RBI, 3 R

Honorable mentions (Pitcher of the Day):

Sebastian Edwards (Athlete911 Bammers) — W, 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 8 K, 2 BB

Isaac Lucas (Zoots Baseball Club Black) — W, 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 8 K, 2 BB

Cortes Amador (San Diego Baseball) — W, 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 5 K, 2 BB

David Tran (MVP Baseball Black) — W, CG, 4 H, 0 R, 5 K, 0 BB

Stay tuned to @USABChamps_AZ on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the National Team Championships Arizona.