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Plainfield, Illinois) The first ever Maryland Futures baseball team sponsored by the Maryland State Association of Baseball Coaches (MSABC), the state high school baseball coaches association, rallied from a four-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning of its final game to slip past Illinois 9-8 on Saturday afternoon in the team's final game of the Midwest Classic Baseball Tournament (MCBT). Earlier in the day Maryland knocked off previously unbeaten Indiana 9-3. The Maryland Futures is made up of 18 of the top rising high school seniors in Maryland as selected by the MSABC.

Maryland was staring its first and only loss square in the face heading into the bottom of the seventh, trailing Illinois 8-4. Chris Rados (Northwest) led off the inning with a single to left, then Zach Andrews (Arundel) reached on a fielder's choice. Michael Marsh (Chesapeake) then lined a single to left, followed by Kyle Convissar's (Severna Park) single to right to load the bases. Travis Clark (Hammond) singled to center to pull Maryland to within 8-5, followed by Tommy Cunningham's (Blake) sacrifice fly to right that was dropped allowing Maryland to keep the bases loaded and only trailing by two. Travis Steele (Reservoir) reached on an infield single, his third hit of the day, to make the score 8-7 with the bases loaded. Daniel Seeba (DeMatha Catholic) battled at the plate, fouling off several pitches, before reaching on an error by the Illinois shortstop that allowed the tying run to score. James Rossi (Stephen Decatur) then grounded to short forcing Seeba at second, by Rossi beat the relay to first keeping Maryland out of the inning-ending double play and allowing Cunningham to score with the winning run.

Illinois jumped up 1-0 in the top of the first before Maryland scored four times in the home half of the inning. Dominic Fratantuono (Cardinal Gibbons) singled to left and moved to second on a wild pitch. Convissar went to first on catcher's interference and then singled to right field to drive in Fratantuono and move his courtesy runner to third. (MCBT rules allow for a pinch runner for batter's that reach by a walk, hit batter or interference so they have the opportunity to hit for the college scouts present at the showcase). Cunningham then smacked a two-RBI single to left and scored on Steele's double to right center. Little did the team know that would be all the runs it would get until the seventh inning comeback while Illinois scored three in the third and four in the fifth inning to take an 8-4 lead.
Nick Riley (Gaithersburg) started the game which began in a steady, light rain and continued that way for several innings. Despite the tough conditions he was able to work two batters into the fifth inning before giving way to Cunningham. Nick Karis (Northwest) came in to record the final two outs of the seventh to pick up the win.

In the opener Steele belted a two-run homer in the second to put Maryland up 2-1 over Inidana. Steele banged his second homer of the day in the fifth inning, another two-run shot to give the Old Liners a 4-1 advantage. Andrew Jenkins (Arundel) singled to right in the sixth to drive in Zach Fitzpatrick (McDonogh) who had reached when he was hit by the pitch. Maryland then put the game out of reach in the seventh scoring four times. Clark singled to right to start the frame, Cunningham was hit by the pitch then singled to load the bases. Fratantuono continued is excellent hitting with a double to right center to drive in two. Cunningham scored from third on a wild pitch and Fratantuono came in on a ground out by Zach Nadolny (Bel Air).

Jason Seitler (Chesapeake) worked an impressive six and two-thirds innings to pick up the win. He scattered three runs on nine hits and struck out five against a team that came into the game with an undefeated mark, and was considered to be one of the top teams in the MCBT. Clark then came in with two outs in the seventh to retire the only batter he faced and seal the win for Maryland.

Maryland 020 021 4 9-8-0
Indiana 100 000 2 3-9-1

Winning pitcher: Seitler

Home Runs: Steele, Steele

Illinois 103 040 0 8-7-4
Maryland 400 000 5 9-10-2

Winning pitcher: Karis

Home Runs: None

Notes: The team finished with 9 home runs, three by Steele and one each for Ryan Kroll (Broadneck), Marsh, Karis, Fratantuono, Clark, and Cunningham... This was the first year the MSABC has had a Futures team. The team was selected in tryouts run at various sites around the state at the end of May...Bernie Walter (Arundel), Jim Simms (Chesapeake), Ty Whittaker (Eastern Tech), Sean O'Connor (DeMatha Catholic), and Matt Noble (Northwest) served as the team's coaches...

Final notes/information will come in a later e-mail. The summaries for the first two days of action are attached below.

Friday's Action:

(Plainfield, Illinois) Troy Bennett (Stephen Decatur) celebrated his seventeenth birthday with a complete-game, four-hit victory over Michigan as the Maryland Futures improved to 3-0 in the Midwest Classic Baseball Tournament (MCBT) with a 10-3 victory on Friday. The Maryland Futures are made up of 18 of the top rising high school seniors in Maryland. The team is sponsored by the Maryland State Association of Baseball Coaches (MSABC).

Zach Nadolny (Bel Air) started the game on the mound for Maryland but had to leave with an injured shoulder after facing just one batter. Bennett was forced to come in with little warm-up and therefore struggled in the first inning, surrendering a walk, a double, and a home run. The Bayside Conference pitcher of the year settled in after that, allowing just two more hits and striking out eight to earn the complete-game victory.

Michigan's 3-0 lead was short-lived as Maryland scored twice in the first and went ahead for good in the second. With one out in the first Michael Marsh (Chesapeake) singled and came into score on Kyle Convissar's (Severna Park) double. Convissar moved to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Travis Clark (Hammond). A lead off walk to Nick Karis (Northwest) followed by a Karis single (tournament rules have a pinch runner run for a batter if he walks and the player that walked remains at the plate with a new count) gave Maryland runners on first and second. Ryan Kroll (Broadneck) walked to load the bases and then stayed at the plate and smashed a grand slam homer to make the score 6-3 in favor of Maryland after two innings.

Marsh smashed a one-out bomb over the left field fence in the third inning to put Maryland up 7-3. That would end the scoring until the bottom of the seventh when Maryland tacked on three more runs, Because the event is a college showcase, the home team bats in the bottom of the seventh even if the home team is ahead. This allows college scouts in attendance to see both teams bat an equal amount of times. Karis led off the seventh with a single to right-center. James Rossi (Decatur) was hit by the pitch and the singled to drive in the eighth run. Daniel Seeba (DeMatha Catholic) then tripled in runs nine and ten to conclude the scoring.

Maryland has now defeated teams from Kentucky, Missouri, and Michigan in the three-day event. The Old Liners will wrap up play Saturday morning with games against Indiana (8 AM) and Illinois (11:45 AM). Jason Seitler (Chesapeake) gets the start in game one with Nick Riley (Gaithersburg) throwing in the second game.

Notes: Maryland has hit seven home runs in three games...This is Maryland's first trip to the MCBT.

Michigan 300 000 0 3-4-2
Maryland 241 000 3 10-11-3

Winning pitcher: Bennett

Home Runs: Kroll, Marsh

Thursday's Action:


The Maryland Futures rode the strength of five home runs in route to a 14-9 victory over Kentucky in game one and a 7-2 win over Missouri in the first day of competition at the Midwest Classic Baseball Tournament (MCBT) in Plainfield, Illinois on Thursday. The Maryland Futures are sponsored by the Maryland State Association of Baseball Coaches (MSABC), the state high school baseball coaches association. The team, playing in the MCBT for the first time, is made up of 18 of the top rising senior baseball players from high schools around the state of Maryland.

After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first in the opener against Kentucky, the Maryland Futures scored nine times in the home half of the inning on the strength of grand slams by Tyler Steele (Reservoir) and Nick Karis (Northwest). Kentucky bounced back for four runs in the second and Maryland then tacked on one more run in the bottom of the inning when Michael Marsh (Chesapeake) doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Kyle Convissar's (Severna Park) ground out.

The Blue-grassers pulled to within 10-9 in the sixth by scoring three in the fifth and one in the sixth, but that would be all the runs they could manage. Maryland got a lead off double from Tommy Cunningham (Blake), who moved to third on an infield single by Steele. Cunningham scored on the back end of a double steal, and then Steele crossed the plate later in the frame when Karis reached on a fielder's choice. Because the event is a showcase, Maryland got to bat in the home half of the seventh despite having the lead and scored two more times. Daniel Seeba (DeMatha) tripled home Marsh who had reached on a fielder's choice, the Seeba scored on a double by Ryan Kroll (Broadneck).

Cunningham worked four innings to pick up the win. Nick Riley (Gaithersburg) worked two innings in relief and Jason Seitler (Chesapeake) picked up the save retiring the side in order in the seventh. Offensively, Cunningham finished 3 for 3 with a double and two runs, Steele went 2 for 4 with a grand slam and two runs, and Karis finished 1 for 3 with a grand slam and 5 RBI's.

In the night-cap, Maryland jumped up 1-0 in the top of the first when Zach Andrews (Arundel) walked to start the game and scored on Convissar's ball that was misplayed by the center fielder. Missouri tied the score at 1-1 after one, but Maryland bounced back with a run in the third to go up 2-1 when Dominic Fratantuono (Cardinal Gibbons) smashed an opposite field home run. Missouri would tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third, but the Show-Me-Staters would not score the rest of the game.

Travis Clark (Hammond) smashed a two-run homer to center field to provide what proved to be the winning runs. Maryland tacked on two more in the three more in the sixth. Marsh singled to left, Convissar smashed a shot through the shortstop's legs, and both moved up ninety feet on Troy Bennet's (Stephen Decatur) ground out. Marsh came in on a wild pitch, then Cunningham finished the day's power display with a two-run homer to right center to make the score 7-2.

Clark started and worked three innings, allowing two runs. Bennett then threw two scoreless frames and Seitler finished up the last two innings, allowing just a bloop single to left while striking out three and retiring six of the seven batters he faced. Marsh and Clark each finished the game with two hits each.

After attending the White Sox home game against the Yankees Thursday evening, the team will return to action on Friday afternoon with a single game against Michigan at 4:45. The team will wrap up its games in the MCBT on Saturday with an 8:30 AM game against Indiana and an 11:45 AM finale against one of two teams from Illinois.

Game #1

Kentucky 140 031 0 9-5-3
Maryland 910 002 2 14-13-3

Winning Pitcher: Cunningham
Home Runs: Steele, Karis

Game #2

Maryland 101 203 0 7-8-0
Missouri 101 000 0 2-4-2

Winning Pitcher: Bennett
Home Runs: Fratantuono, Clark, Cunningham