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Team USA Takes Series Lead with 3-1 Win Over Japan
|Win: M. Feole Loss: H. Ito Save: M. Meyer
|Box Score | Play-by-Play | Cumulative
SAVANNAH, Ga. - Another strong effort on the mound and a pair of LSU Tigers at the plate led the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team to a 3-1 victory in game three of its series against Japan in front of a sell-out crowd of 4,211 at historic Grayson Stadium on Friday night.
The victory gives the U.S. a 2-1 lead in the 42nd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series. The red, white, and blue will go for its 24th series win on Saturday when the two squads square off at 6:05 p.m. ET at Riley Park in Charleston, S.C. The series finale is set for 5 p.m. ET at Luther Williams Field in Macon, Ga., on Sunday.
On the mound, three pitchers combined to limit Japan to just four hits and collect 14 punchouts. Starter Mason Feole (UConn) went four scoreless frames and fanned five before Jake Agnos (ECU) took over and fired 3.1 innings with just one run allowed and six strikeouts.
Max Meyer (Minnesota) went the final 1.2 to pick up his team-leading fourth save of the summer, striking out three of his own in the process.
At the plate, Zach Watson (LSU) set the tone from the leadoff position, going 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored while his fellow Tiger teammate Daniel Cabrera (LSU) was 2-for-3 with a run and a walk out of the cleanup spot.
Adley Rutschman (Oregon State) and Spencer Torkelson (Arizona State) also had singles in Friday's contest as Team USA picked up a series-high seven hits, including one in every inning except the seventh. Six of those hits also came to leadoff a frame.
The U.S. took advantage of several uncharacteristic unforced errors by Japan to score its first two runs on Friday.
Cabrera led off the third with a base hit to right-center before moving up to second when Andrew Vaughn (California) was hit by a pitch. Just a few pitches later, both runners were set in motion and the Japan catcher's throw sailed into left to allow Cabrera to cross the plate with the game's first run.
Just one frame later, Watson reached on a one-out single through the right side. Japan pitcher Hiromi Ito tried to pick him off but his throw bounced past the first baseman and down the right-field line. Running aggressively, Watson raced around second forcing Japan to try to throw him out at third, but that throw also got away and Watson scored easily to put the U.S. up 2-0.
Japan got one of the runs back in the fifth but that would be as close as it would get as Agnos and Meyer yielded just two baserunners over the game's final three innings.
Team USA tacked on an insurance run in the eighth to account for the 3-1 final score.
Once again it was Watson getting the ball rolling with an infield single. A sac bunt by Dominic Fletcher (Arkansas) and a groundout by Rutschman advanced him to third before a wild pitch brought him the final 90 feet.
Continue to follow @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.
USA Baseball CNT Manager Paul Mainieri
(On bouncing back with two wins after dropping the series opener)
"I think it tells you we have some really outstanding pitching. That's how we have won these two games with just dominating pitching. We are spoiled. We take out one outstanding pitcher from one school and bring in another outstanding pitcher from another school. What a luxury to have. We have pitched great and played great defense. I told the guys that we are just a couple of clutch hits away from having a really good team. We left some opportunities out there that, if we had taken advantage of, we could win these games running away. But every game has been a nail-biter and has come down to late-inning relief pitching."
(On Zach Watson's performance today)
"Watson is a really good player and a really good athlete but he wasn't ready for pro ball this summer and I think he knows that. He needed to work on some things, specifically hitting the ball up the middle, hitting the ball the other way, and hitting breaking balls better. Look at his hits today, he had a hit to right-center, a hit to right field, and a hit up the middle. Even the ball he hit back to the pitcher with two strikes wasn't bad. You can see the improvement he is making. He is becoming more of a complete hitter. He is already an outstanding outfielder, an outstanding baserunner with great speed, and when he hits them he hits them good. He's got some power and wiry strength, but he just had some things he needed to work on this summer to take into next year. If he does, and it looks like he is going to, I think he is going to be an extremely high draft choice."
(On his experience coaching at Grayson Stadium)
"I had heard a lot about Savannah, the Bananas, and the crowds that they get so we were looking forward to coming here. It is such a great experience being here. The people were fantastic rooting us on and they seem like they just have an awful lot of fun in the stands here. It reminded me a little bit of some of the SEC parks that we played in. It was a little bit of an older park then we played at in Cary, Charlotte, and Durham, which was good for the players to see. It kind of brought them back to their roots when they learned to play baseball. The fans were terrific and it was just a whole lot of fun tonight."
USA Baseball Outfielder Zach Watson
(On his approach at the plate today)
"I was really just sticking on what I've been doing, trying to go the other way and seeing that outside pitch get deep. I've been pulling off the ball all season so I've really been working on going to the opposite field and it worked out tonight. I was seeing the ball really well and, like Coach (Manieri) says, good things happen when you go the other way."
(On taking a 2-1 lead in the series)
"It's huge. Japan is a great team. They have great pitching and good hitting. Their pitching is outstanding and is stuff we haven't seen before. To go out there and have a good day is tough so we're happy to come out with a win today."
GSA Spotlight: Hunter Bishop
No player in college baseball has made a bigger leap forward from last year to this year than Arizona State junior outfielder Hunter Bishop. Through 19 games, he ranks third in the nation in OPS (1.535), which is more than double the OPS he finished with last year (.759). He's hitting .438/.549/.986 with 10 home runs in 73 at-bats, matching his career long ball total in 293 at-bats over his first two seasons. He's 8-for-8 in stolen bases, matching his career total entering the season in that category too.
In short, Bishop is a bona fide star for a 19-0 Arizona State club, the nation's last remaining unbeaten team. And while his rise to stardom has been dramatic, it certainly hasn't come out of nowhere. He's tantalized with his enormous raw tools since he set foot on campus; it's just taken him a little longer to harness those tools because of his multi-sport background and limited baseball experience in high school.
Bishop said he didn't start playing baseball "seriously" until his sophomore year of high school. His first love was football, and he originally committed to play wide receiver for Washington, where his older brother Braden played baseball from 2013-15. Braden, a third-round pick by the Mariners in 2015 who just earned a trip to Japan for the big league team's season-opener, was supportive of Hunter's football ambitions, but he also encouraged Hunter to give baseball a chance too.
"Braden was instrumental in all parts of my career … He's my hero, he's my role model, and I try to model every part of my game after him. Because he plays the game super hard and works harder than anybody I've ever met," Hunter Bishop said. "I loved baseball in high school, but I didn't really see what everybody else saw in terms of how I played the game, and what I brought to the game, because I still had no idea, honestly. So he was really important in telling me, 'Hunt, you've just got to stick with it, baseball's super hard, keep working at it, keep working hard, and everything else will take care of itself.' I put a lot of trust into him, and it's paying off."
Arizona State coach Tracy Smith has always targeted big, strong-bodied athletes on the recruiting trail, dating back to his days at Indiana, where he famously coached future big leaguers Kyle Schwarber and Sam Travis. The 6-foot-4 Bishop was exactly the kind of projectable talent Smith covets, so it should be no surprise that Bishop's raw tools caught his eye at the Area Code Games, even though he didn't play a lot there. At that time, Bishop was already committed to play football at Washington, but Smith had a relationship with Bishop's father Randy, so he placed a call just in case.
"At the time, my son was going through the football recruiting process, and he had changed his mind a couple different times through that process," Smith said. "I remember picking up the phone one time, because I liked his dad, I said, 'Hey here's the deal, he's going to play football, that's awesome, my son's football, whatever. But here's the thing, I think your son's going to be a really good baseball player, if he ever chooses that. There's some question on the NFL thing, but I guarantee you he's going to be a professional baseball player. If he ever changes his mind, do not be embarrassed to pick up the phone and call me.'
"Something told me to put that call in just to tell him that, like, 'Hey man, don't be embarrassed.' About two or three weeks passed, and all of a sudden I get this call from his dad saying, 'You know, a few other people have said he might be a baseball player, he'd like to go look at Arizona State.' Because it was so late, we didn't have a letter of intent to him through the draft, so we had to actually physically wait until after the draft, and he turned down a lot of money with no letter of intent in hand, and I'll always be grateful to that family for that."
Doing It '4Mom'
Another factor that played into Bishop's decision to turn down pro baseball was the health of his mother, Suzy, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's when Hunter was in high school. Smith thinks Hunter was drawn to the idea of going to college and having a safety net to help support him during that ordeal.
Naturally, Suzy's condition helped shape Hunter as a person and a baseball player.
"It made me grow up really, really fast, because the last four or five years I haven't really had a life with a mom. She's still there but it's not who my mom was growing up," Hunter said. "It's been really hard, but my family is super supportive of me and everything I've done in my baseball career and my personal life. So I'm really thankful for the people I have in my life. But as a baseball player, last year was a super hard year for the team and for me, but it just made me realize how small baseball really is in comparison with the bigger picture, with my family and what my mom's going through. So it really put everything in perspective and allowed me to realize baseball's just a game. I obviously love playing it, I love my teammates, but at the end of the day family's the most important thing to me."
Hunter and Braden decided to try to make something positive out of a difficult situation. They started an organization called 4MOM to raise money for Alzheimer's research; Hunter said Braden was the pioneer, using his platform in pro ball to take the lead on the effort, but Hunter plans to get more involved once his pro career gets underway. They worked together to plan a recent 4MOM event at Top Golf in Glendale, which drew a great turnout from pro players and Hunter's Arizona State teammates.
"Obviously it's a really bad situation, but whatever way we can turn it positive is huge for us," Hunter said.
Hunter said Suzy is struggling with the disease but hanging in there. He went home just before this season started to see her, and he said it was "pretty special to see her still smile through it all."
"So it definitely gave me a really good perspective to be able to go home right before the season and reflect on everything that I've been through," he said, "and just say, 'You know what? Go out and have fun this year, because it can be taken away from you in one second.'"
Learning To Stay The Course
That sense of perspective is rare for a college junior, and it has played an integral part in Bishop's maturation as a player. Another key part of Bishop's emergence has been his commitment to a consistent approach at the plate.
Smith said in his first two years, Bishop would tinker with his stance or his swing just about every two weeks - "probably against our wishes," Smith said.
"We got to a point where we said, 'Hey man, we're going to do this, or we're not going to do it at all,'" Smith said. "I just think it's that wanting to do well - here's a guy who hadn't played a ton of baseball. He's a great kid, so probably listening to too many people or trying to please too many people. I think once he finally put the arms up and said, 'OK man, I'm yours,' with our hitting guy Mike Earley, it's been really good. And he's had success doing it, which helps buy-in too."
Bishop agreed that simplifying his approach and sticking with it has been crucial to his success. He said he had a tendency to get jumpy on his back side and fly open his first two years, and he would chase pitches in the dirt, or foul off pitches he should be hitting.
"So the biggest thing me and Coach Earley tried to work on was how can I get myself into a consistent hitting position over my back side? So I start pretty tall now, and I just kind of sink into the back side, instead of doing some big leg kick or something that's too much, or could get me not in that consistent position," Bishop said. "So for me it's just simplifying everything and staying over that back side with a slow and smooth load. The smoother I am, the slower I am, the more I can see the ball, and when I can see the ball, I feel as if I can hit it more consistently and hit it hard."
Bishop said he saw glimpses of his emerging power last summer in the Cape Cod League, where he hit four home runs but hit just .233, striking out 45 times in 120 at-bats. But he really took off when he returned to campus in the fall, and he's been a force of nature ever since. Smith estimated that Bishop has probably hit 30 to 35 home runs since the fall in scrimmages and games, counting the 10 he has already this spring.
"In the fall I really started to see the jump in the home runs, and it kind of surprised me," Bishop said. "I knew I had the power, but it just kind of surprised me how many and how consistently I was hitting them in the fall. I think now I'd attribute a lot to Spencer (Torkelson), they're worried so much about him hitting a home run that I think they're already tired when they get to me, and they just throw it down the middle. So I attribute a lot of my success to him and guys like Carter (Aldrete), they do a great job protecting me in the lineup."
Bishop's dramatically improved plate discipline has also contributed to the power spike. After posting a 33-94 strikeout-walk mark in his first two seasons combined, Bishop has 15 walks and just 11 strikeouts so far this spring. And he's continued to improve as a defender in center field, where his plus speed helps him cover plenty of ground, and his first step has continued to improve. He said the coaches have emphasized over the years that even if you can't make a play on offense, go out and make a big play on defense - and Bishop has taken that to heart. "And I like to think of myself as a pretty good defender now," he said. "I take a lot of pride in it as well."
Bishop's only tool that doesn't project as at least above-average is his arm, which is fringe-average but very playable. But his loudest tool is his raw power, which draws double-plus grades from some scouts. Smith said he sometimes hears scouts question Bishop's long-term track record, but he finds that baffling.
"I think it's just funny, I've been thinking a lot about this, I hear guys talk about it. As always, you try to pick apart what he doesn't do - 'Oh he doesn't have any history, this and that.' I'm sitting here saying, 'I dunno, I've coached some pretty darn good players in my career. This guy's a freak, physically,'" Smith said. "He hits balls as far as anybody I've ever coached, he runs as fast as anybody I've ever coached. So not having history? To me that's a plus. Look at the jumps that he's made, to me it's the tip of the iceberg. There aren't people I've seen out there in college baseball doing what he's doing, not many of them, quite frankly in the last 10 years. His bat speed, it's ridiculous. He's in the same breath as Schwarber and Travis, but faster. I think he has the ability to play center field in the big leagues with that power. That's rare, I think."
Indeed, Bishop is a rare talent, with rare life experience and makeup. And by the time his special season at ASU comes to a close, he might find himself as a first-round pick and a leading contender for the Golden Spikes Award.
Not that Bishop is filling his head with such notions. He's just enjoying the ride with a tightknit group of Sun Devils.
"Our motto this year is 'for us'. How can we make everything for us, just our team, that's it. No one else, no outsiders, just us," he said. "How can we make this year special for this group? I think it's showing, right? Nineteen wins in a row is tough to do in any conference, any games.
"If you would have told me this before the season, I don't know if I would have believed 19-0, but to be honest before the season I knew the group we had was special compared to the years before. So I just think you could see it in the fall from the roster growing up a little bit and taking a more mature approach to the game, and it's really special to see."
Bishop's maturation has been awfully special to see, too.
|D1Baseball.com is your online home for college baseball scores, schedules, standings, statistics, analysis, features, podcasts and prospect coverage.
2019 NHSI Set to Begin on Wednesday, April 3
USA Baseball invites the local and national media to the 2019 USA Baseball National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) and the Town of Cary.
The NHSI is a 16-team, single-elimination championship tournament and each participating team is guaranteed to play four games. The NHSI will present participating athletes with national exposure in addition to providing the opportunity for the best teams in the country to compete against each other.
|USA Baseball National High School Invitational (NHSI)
|April 3-6, 2019
USA Baseball National Training Complex
The NHSI will bring together 16 of the top prep teams in the country to compete against each other in what has become the premier event on the high school baseball calendar. As no event currently brings in a level of talent from top to bottom that which the NHSI promises, the eventual tournament champion will kick off their respective season with recognition as the top high school baseball team in the country.
The two-time defending champions Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.) returns to the NHSI in 2019 looking to complete the first three-peat in tournament history. The Lancers became the second program in NHSI history to repeat as champions after defeating Green Hope High School (Cary, N.C.), 9-3, in the 2018 finale. Mater Dei is the only other school to win back-to-back titles (2011 and 2012).
Credential Application
Members of the media can apply for a credential by visit the USA Baseball Media Services page on the official website: http://www.usabaseball.com/about/media-services
NHSI Championship Festival
USA Baseball, in collaboration with the Town of Cary, will host the first-ever National High School Championship Festival on Saturday, April 6. The festival is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. ET and will include family-friendly activities, including games and music on the front lawn of the National Training Complex. In addition to games, the festival will also have a food truck rodeo, which will feature six of the most popular vendors in the area.
PLAY BALL Event
In addition to the closing ceremony, USA Baseball will host a PLAY BALL event prior to the championship game of the NHSI on Saturday, April 6. Children between the ages of 4-12 are eligible to attend the free event. All participants will receive a free PLAY BALL t-shirt, wristband and a bat and ball set, courtesy of Major League Baseball. All of the children participating in the event will receive free admission to the championship game, which is set to take place at 6 p.m. For more information on PLAY BALL click here.
USA Baseball Coverage
Live Stats: GameChanger
Social Media: @USABEvents (Twitter) and @USABaseball (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)
Select games will be broadcast live on USABaseball.com, MLB.com, and Facebook Live
Participating Teams and Schedule
In total, 10 states are represented in the 2019 NHSI field:
- Arizona: Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.)
- California: Harvard-Westlake School (Studio City, Calif.), Huntington Beach High School (Huntington Beach, Calif.), La Mirada (La Mirada, Calif.), Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.)
- Florida: Hagerty High School (Oviedo, Fla.), IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Monsignor Pace High School (Miami Gardens, Fla.)
- Georgia: Blessed Trinity Catholic High School (Roswell, Ga.), South Forsyth High School (Cumming, Ga.)
- Illinois: Marist High School (Chicago, Ill.)
- Missouri: Christian Brothers College High School (St. Louis, Mo.)
- New Jersey: Delbarton High School (Morristown, N.J.)
- Nevada: Desert Oasis High School (Las Vegas, Nev.)
- North Carolina: Northwest Guilford High School (Kernersville, N.C.)
- Tennessee: Hendersonville High School (Hendersonville, Tenn.)
For the full schedule, please visit the NHSI Schedule page on USABaseball.com.
Past Champions
2018: Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.)*
2017: Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.)*
2016: Huntington Beach High School (Huntington Beach, Calif.)*
2015: San Clemente High School (Calif.)
2014: The First Academy (Fla.)
2013: Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
2012: Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
* denotes participants in the 2019 NHSI
2019 NHSI Preview: Pod 3
Roswell, Ga.
Chicago, Ill.
|2019 Preseason Ranks:
|2019 Preseason Ranks:
|USA Baseball National Team Alums:
|USA Baseball National Team Alums:
|Players to Watch:
|Players to Watch:
Matchup: The top of the third pod features two teams that will make their NHSI debut in 2019, Blessed Trinity (Roswell, Ga.) and Marist (Chicago, Ill.). Blessed Trinity enters the 2019 event after advancing to the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) 4A semifinals in 2018, leading them to a No. 4 ranking by Perfect Game and No. 5 on the MaxPreps preseason charts. C.J. Abrams, a 2018 USA Baseball 18U National Team member, leads the charge into the season for the Titans. Abrams has shown plenty of first-round Draft potential, landing at the No. 3 and No. 5 spot in the Baseball America and MLB Pipeline prospect rankings, respectively.
The Titans face a tough task immediately, as they take on Marist, the No. 33-ranked team in the country according to Perfect Game, in the first round. The 2019 RedHawks will look to build on a fantastic 2018 season, after going 29-9 and competing in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) tournament. Marist is led by star Jason Hodges, who is ranked No. 99 on Baseball America's top prospect list.
La Mirada, Calif.
Bradenton, Fla.
|2019 Preseason Ranks:
|2019 Preseason Ranks:
|USA Baseball National Team Alums:
|USA Baseball National Team Alums:
|Players to Watch:
|Players to Watch:
Matchup: The bottom of the pod features two more teams that will make the trip to Cary, North Carolina, for the first time in 2019: La Mirada (La Mirada, Calif.) and IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.). The Matadores and 2016 15U National Team member Jared Jones enters the 2019 season following a 26-4-1 campaign and an appearance in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) second round in 2018.
La Mirada has a tough road to the title, as it faces star-studded IMG Academy in the opening round. IMG Academy will be one of the favorites in their first year at the NHSI after earning the No. 2 ranking in the country by both MaxPreps and Perfect Game. The Ascenders feature four players that have earned prospect rankings, including 2018 18U National Team member Brennan Malone. IMG Academy also boasts 17 division one commits on the roster, that will look to bring the trophy back to Florida for the second time in the history of the NHSI.
GSA Spotlight: Tanner Burns
Auburn sophomore righthander Tanner Burns learned so much from Casey Mize, he decided to wear his number this season.
Just a year ago, Burns was a freshly minted righthander who had to learn the ropes. First, he had to figure out his role, then he needed to learn what the SEC was all about. He had the perfect role model to follow in Mize, who had a stellar spring and was the top overall pick in the MLB draft last summer, but who also had a gradual rise and had to make adjustments early in his Auburn career.
Burns, a six-foot, 205-pounder, had a 2018 campaign to remember. He was outstanding in Southeastern Conference play and finished the season as a Freshman All-American. But the passing of another season has brought about new challenges. No longer does Burns have Mize leading off the weekend, ultimately taking the pressure off him every weekend.
Now, Burns is the guy everyone looks to each weekend for that perfect start to a series, and that role only has been magnified during the early part of the season with an injury to righthander Davis Daniel. Daniel should be back in the next couple of weeks, but his absence has put more of the load on Burns' back.
But just like last season, the righty hasn't flinched due to a lofty challenge. He's only gotten better.
"Just in the same way that Keegan Thompson took Casey Mize under his wings two seasons ago, Mize did that with Tanner last year, and it worked out great," Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. "He showed Tanner the ropes and was his throwing partner each day. He kind of showed him how it's done.
"And I think Tanner was thankful for that," he continued. "I think Tanner wanted to find the best way to thank Casey, so he changed his number to '32' this season. I think that's pretty cool if you ask me."
It's one thing to learn the ropes from and be Mize's cohort in crime last season on the way to a solid freshman campaign. It's another for Burns, so far this spring, to essentially dwarf the numbers Mize put up early last season. That includes Mize's no-hit performance against Northeastern. At this stage last year, Mize had a 2.13 ERA in 25 innings along with 38 strikeouts and three walks, along with a .119 OBA. So far this season? Burns has a 0.68 ERA in 26.2 innings, along with 39 strikeouts and four walks and a .124 OBA.
That's all with a year less experience, and his start to the season has even caught Mize's attention as he continues Spring Training with the Detroit Tigers.
"I thought it was really cool that he decided to do that," Mize said about Burns wearing his number this season. "That jersey and number was something I wore with pride for three years, so if he did that to kind of honor me, that's really awesome.
"Tanner is one of the best teammates I've ever had. I don't know if I've ever met a more likable person in my life. Everyone just loves him," Mize continued. "I think he loves to work and prepare almost as much as he loves to compete. His talent and work he puts in shows every time he takes the mound and it was a lot of fun to watch last year. He's even taken a step forward this year, and that's really awesome to see."
Thompson is a wizard with pitchers. The list of premier arms he's developed over the years is lengthy. So, when he says he saw something in Burns from the get-go his freshman year, you just sit back and listen.
Burns, like most freshmen, wasn't a complete product last season. But the potential was all there. The fastball played up a big way, and while the breaking ball wasn't where it needs to be, it had potential. So, Thompson and the talented righty went to work and he managed to piece together an impressive campaign that ended with All-American honors.
"Tanner was one of those freshmen that just looked like he belonged and could compete at this level," Thompson said about last season. "He had a fastball and a half. He had a half breaking ball some days, and others, it was a changeup. But he competed with his fastball.
"He went in there and competed with what he had," Thompson continued. "The fastball, I thought, played up big time, and he really hung in there as the season progressed. He has continued to develop his arsenal from last season, and I think he learned so much last year. We're really grateful, too, that Casey kind of took him under his wing."
In Burns' first start this season, he allowed a run on three hits in five innings, while also striking out seven and walking one. The next week against UCF, he paved the way to an important road series win with another strong performance, striking out seven, walking two and allowing a run on two hits in 5.2 innings. And he's been even more dominant the last two weeks, striking out an insane 15 batters on the way to a complete game shutout against Cincinnati before punching out 10 and walking just one in seven innings in his most recent start against UTSA.
"I think what he did last year kind of took some pressure off him this season," Thompson said. "He got to sit back and watch Casey kind of lead things off every weekend last year. He got to watch a game or two and then pitch to teams. Now he's the one leading us off, and I think he's having success because of what he learned from those experiences.
"I saw those numbers [Burns' numbers now vs. Mize's last year]. Casey's run last year for about the first eight weeks was about as good as anything I've ever seen," he continued. "Talk about someone trying to pick up where the other left off. Wow. It's really hard to replace the first pick of the draft, so what Tanner has done so far this season is pretty special."
Burns has taken his stuff to another level. He's still sitting in that low-to-mid 90s range with his fastball, but the evolution of his secondary offerings is evident. He's still throwing that fastball with conviction but has begun to mimic his fastball grip to throw that slider, and that has led to a sharper offering. Furthermore, he continues to make strides with the changeup.
"We went back to what's our best pitch -- which is the fastball and decided to do a breaking ball grip of the same genre as the fastball," Thompson said. "The grip is really comfortable for him and it's in close relation with that fastball group. He's sharing space with the two pitches and he can flip that breaking ball in there to get ahead in the count. It's just made him feel a lot more comfortable out there.
"His ability to share space with that breaking ball and fastball and be able to throw both pitches with a 0-0 count -- that's been big," he continued. "That's allowed him to go out there and throw and not to be so predictable."
He's also navigated the past two weekends without too much pressure. Just like he was the security blanket for Mize last season, sophomore lefthander Jack Owen has evolved into a security blanket for Burns. He was inserted into the weekend rotation after the UCF series and has been out of this world, striking out 29 and walking just two, while having yet to allow a run in 34.2 innings of work.
Owen's rise and Davis' eventual return, and the big arm of Burns gives Thompson and the Tigers a lot of confidence entering SEC play.
Burns might very well have his ups and downs in SEC play, like most premier pitchers do. But his run through the first four weeks has been remarkable.
Everyone has taken notice, including the guy for whom he wears the jersey number for.
|D1Baseball.com is your online home for college baseball scores, schedules, standings, statistics, analysis, features, podcasts and prospect coverage.
2019 NHSI Preview: Pod 2
Huntington Beach, Calif.
Greensboro, N.C.
|2019 Preseason Ranks:
|2019 Preseason Ranks:
|USA Baseball National Team Alums:
|USA Baseball National Team Alums:
|Players to Watch:
|Players to Watch:
Matchup: 2016 NHSI champion Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, Calif.) will return to Cary, North Carolina, for the fourth time in five years in 2019. The Oilers head into the 2019 season boasting a No. 6 ranking from Baseball America and a No. 30 spot in the MaxPreps preseason rankings. Huntington Beach is led by a pair of UCLA-bound student-athletes, Josh Hahn (2019) and Jake Vogel (2020), and Stanford commit Brett Barrera.
Huntington Beach will face 2019 host-school Northwest Guilford (Greensboro, N.C.) in the first round of the tournament. The Vikings are looking to become the second host team to win an opening round game of the NHSI after Green Hope's (N.C.) made it all the way to the championship game in 2018. The Vikings are coming off an appearance in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) playoffs in 2018 and will be led by North Carolina commit Hayden Summers and East Carolina signee Joey Rezek.
Tempe, Ariz.
Miami Gardens, Fla.
|2019 Preseason Ranks:
|2019 Preseason Ranks:
|USA Baseball National Team Alums:
|USA Baseball National Team Alums:
|Players to Watch:
|Players to Watch:
Matchup: The bottom half of the pod features two teams that will make the trek to Cary, North Carolina, for the first time in its history in 2019, Corona Del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) and Monsignor Pace (Miami Gardens, Fla.). Corona Del Sol is led by Dave Webb, who has guided three USA Baseball national teams, and assistant coach Tanner Vesely, the 2015 12U National Team manager and two-time national team assistant coach. Coming off of an appearance in the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) playoffs in 2018, the squad will be motivated to show the rest of the country their potential in 2019. The Aztecs will be led by Hunter Haas, who has committed to the 2018 College World Series Champions Oregon State, and Brian Kalmer (Arizona State).
The Aztecs face a tough test in the first round in Monsignor Pace, who enters the NHSI ranked No. 16 by Perfect Game and No. 18 by MaxPreps. The Spartans enter the tournament as no strangers of playing in high-pressure situations and coming out on top after winning the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) 5A State Championship in 2018. Pace is led by six players that have signed with major division one college programs, including five players that have committed to the hometown University of Miami.
GSA Spotlight: Nick Gonzales
New Mexico State sophomore second baseman Nick Gonzales homered in all four games of the Aggies' sweep over Delaware this past weekend. For Gonzales, that performance qualifies as a nice weekend, but it was nothing extraordinary in the context of his season to date.
After all, Gonzales already has 10 home runs in just 13 games this season. Three weeks into the spring, it's an anomaly when he doesn't go deep.
Gonzales' numbers are simply mind-boggling. He leads all of Division I in all three triple crown categories: home runs, batting (.590), and RBIs (37 … in just 28 at-bats). Not surprisingly, he also leads the country in slugging (1.213), runs (28), total bases (74) and hits per game (2.77). Certainly it's worth noting that New Mexico State plays in one of the nation's most extreme hitters' park, and the entire team has feasted (to the tune of a .408 batting average and 29 homers) against overmatched early-season competition - although Texas Southern and Yale were our preseason picks to win their respective leagues, and the Aggies won seven of eight against them, scoring 13 or more runs in all seven wins.
But caveats aside, Gonzales has performed at an unbelievable level. On a team full of dangerous, disciplined, veteran hitters, Gonzales has become the unstoppable centerpiece.
"His numbers are incredible, but he's really within his own zone, he has tremendous bat speed. And right now if the ball is in his zone, he's not missing it," New Mexico State coach Brian Green said. "Yale had an unbelievable dramatic shift, they used four outfielders against him, twice when they did that he just flipped the ball to the right side to lead the inning off. It was pretty cool."
That kind of maturity is uncommon for a young slugger - heck, even 15-year big leaguers struggle to slap balls the other way to beat the shift. But for Gonzales, it helps that he was a natural born hitter first; he didn't grow up as a feast-or-famine slugger. He's just 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, after all - the Aggies certainly never envisioned him becoming this kind of power threat on the recruiting trail, when Gonzales only drew offers from Austin Peay and NMSU out of Arizona's Cienega High School.
"He was not recruited by many schools. For me to tell anybody when they ask, 'Did you guys see this coming on the recruiting process?' Absolutely not - are you out of your mind?" Green said. "We knew he was a great makeup guy, we thought he'd play center field or second base, we thought he was mentally tough and a baseball rat. His family is unbelievably supportive, it's everything you look for. That was the piece about him coming in here was the makeup part, and you're seeing it now, he's getting everything he's earned."
Green has no shortage of stories to illustrate Gonzales' work ethic. He tells of running a hitting camp for high school players in December, and at lunch break, all the other kids were eating their sandwiches - but Gonzales wanted to pick Green's brain about hitting approaches. He tells of Friday nights in the offseason, when the rest of the Aggies were going out to the movies, and Gonzales was bringing his own exterior lighting to the batting cages and working on a tee by himself.
"That's Nick, he's the ultimate guy who's going to be a lifelong learner, and nobody's gonna get in his way," Green said. "He's clearly one of the best players in this part of the country today, but that's not the way he views it. He thinks like, 'I'd better show up and work hard or I'm gonna lose my job."
So how did Gonzales go from an overlooked, undersized high school player who was content to push the ball the other way at the plate, to one of the most dangerous sluggers in college baseball? Green remembers the "Eureka!" moment when he realized there was more to Gonzales than meets the eye.
"I remember a story with Nick, we were in the cage late in the fall [of his freshman year], we were just doing some drill work, doing some high tee stuff, some exaggerated top hand stuff," Green said. "And the ball started coming off his bat different. You have those moments with your hitters where you kind of look at each other, you both see something. I said, 'Nick, I think you have a chance to have real power, are you aware of that?' He said, 'I guess, I dunno, I never really considered that.' I said, 'You have a chance to have real power.' That was something I never saw on the recruiting process. I saw a good player from a good family with character. But I remember that moment when it changed, the ball started jumping off the bat with backspin.
"Then three months later, he's not a starter, he gets his first real shot in Tucson, one of our players made a couple errors. The first pitch he sees in Tucson, he hammers the ball off the wall, you hear it - BOOM! - he slides in, pops up, pumps his fist, he's yelling loud. A kid from Tucson having a moment like that. He didn't come off the field after that, and next thing you know he's a unanimous freshman All-American."
Indeed, Gonzales went on to hit .347/.425/.596 with nine homers, 17 doubles and 35 RBIs in 57 games as a freshman. Very good numbers … and yet he's already exceeded last year's home run and RBI totals in just 13 games as a sophomore. He's even driving the ball out to all fields - Green estimated that five or six of his 10 homers have gone to left field, his pull side, but that another four or five have gone out to center or right-center.
And if that's not enough, Gonzales has improved by leaps and bounds as a defender at second base. Gonzales and shortstop Joey Ortiz (who is hitting .463 himself) have pushed each other hard to see who can become the better player, Green said, and they have become a superb middle infield tandem. That's a big reason New Mexico State leads the nation with 16 double plays.
"When we recruited him, we really thought as a second-year player, he'd be a starter in center field. That's what we projected him at," Green said. "He was a shortstop who could catch, played some center field in high school. But that was our projection, center. Last year at second base he was just OK, but he was so good offensively he wasn't coming out. His double play turn, he only had one, he could only step back at second base. He was really only skilled going to his left, he struggled going backhand side or any ball that was a slow roller. But now if you profile him, I think you're looking at a legitimate offensive big league second baseman. Now he can really turn it, we lead the nation in double plays. His backhand has improved dramatically, last year he struggled with that. He can throw from different arm slots. These are all throws he didn't have. I think he profiles there now, as a legit plus-armed, plus-exchange second baseman, and he's very athletic."
He's even improved his speed. Green said he typically got from home to first in 4.4-plus seconds last year, but now he's getting up the line in 4.3 - and Green said he thinks next year it'll be down to 4.15 or 4.2, as he continues to improve his strength and athleticism. Green sent Gonzales to Cotuit in the Cape Cod League at the end of last summer to work on his basestealing skills with Kettleers coach Mike Roberts, who excels at teaching that particular skill. Gonzales is slated to return to Cotuit to focus on his baserunning even more next summer - although there's a legitimate chance he could start off the summer with Team USA's Collegiate National Team.
And who would have thought two years ago that Gonzales would find himself on Team USA's radar? Who would have thought he'd turn himself into a potential premium prospect by the time he was a sophomore? At the rate he's improving, it's fun to imagine what Gonzales will be in another five years.
But for now, it's fun for Green and the rest of the Aggies just to watch Gonzales terrorize opposing pitching on a nightly basis.
|D1Baseball.com is your online home for college baseball scores, schedules, standings, statistics, analysis, features, podcasts and prospect coverage.
'Fun At Bat' Program to Be Implemented by All Elementary Schools in Puerto Rico
SALINAS, PUERTO RICO - Major League Baseball and USA Baseball today announced that "Fun At Bat" (www.funatbat.org), the bat-and-ball program designed for use in elementary school physical education (P.E.) classes throughout the United States, will now be available to all elementary school students in Puerto Rico. The program, which is currently reaching more than one million children in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., will be administered by the Puerto Rico Department of Education to serve nearly 90,000 young students throughout the island. Long time MLB and USA Baseball partner, Franklin Sports, has created custom Fun At Bat Baseball equipment to help activate this program since its inception in 2016. Baseball Hall of Famer and MLB special consultant in Puerto Rico Roberto Alomar as well as the Puerto Rico Baseball Federation are supporting the initiative.
A joint MLB and USA Baseball youth program, Fun At Bat promotes fun and active lifestyles for children, while also teaching the fundamental skills of bat-and-ball sports. The program, available in English and Spanish, also includes a literacy component focusing on character development and teaching traits such as leadership, teamwork and fair play. Fun At Bat is part of the PLAY BALL initiative (www.PlayBall.org) - the sport's largest collective effort to encourage young people to participate in baseball- or softball-related activities, including formal and casual forms of play. Since its launch in 2015, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) has reported a 52.8 percent increase in casual baseball participation.
"Puerto Rico has proven to be one of our sport's greatest sources of talent and passion over the years, and now we are excited to bolster both the expansion of this grassroots 'Fun At Bat' initiative to the Island," said Tony Reagins, Executive Vice President of Baseball & Softball Development, Major League Baseball. "One of our main goals here at Major League Baseball is to make baseball and softball as accessible as possible. We are confident that the presence of this energetic and introductory program will further ensure that youth from Puerto Rico will have direct and regular opportunities to play the game."
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to deliver this program to students across Puerto Rico," said Rick Riccobono, USA Baseball's Chief Development Officer. "Fun At Bat is the fastest growing bat-and-ball program in the world. With its comprehensive curriculum and fun-first approach, it is the ideal way to be introducing kids and new participants to our great game."
Julia Keleher, the Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Education said: "We thank USA Baseball and MLB for this partnership with the Department on an initiative that seeks to expose our children to sports through Fun At Bat. You can count on our commitment and collaboration, including the support of our excellent physical education teachers, to ensure this is a stimulating and enriching experience for our children. We are very pleased with the support USA Baseball and MLB has shown the Department and we know that we will continue to partner together on projects for the benefit of Puerto Rico's students".
Alomar said: "I'm proud to partner with Major League Baseball, USA Baseball, and the Department of Education in bringing the Fun At Bat program to the students of Puerto Rico. It's an exciting initiative that will help grow the game of baseball by making it more accessible to the youth on the island."
The expansion of Fun At Bat to Puerto Rico is just one of MLB's latest efforts to provide baseball-centered education tools to young students across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Some of the educational initiatives and programs operated, in part, by MLB include: (a)"Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life," which is co-administered with daughter of Jackie Robinson and MLB Educational Consultant Sharon Robinson and Scholastic, a bilingual program highlighted by an essay contest encouraging students to describe personal barriers they have overcome through the example of Jackie Robinson; (b) the partnership with Discovery Education to add dynamic new baseball-themed content to Science Techbooks with the goal of fueling deeper student engagement in science and STEM; and (c) the free baseball-themed education course the "Summer Slugger" aimed at preventing students from losing math and literacy skills during the summer break from school, a result of MLB's and Everfi's joint efforts.
Additionally, MLB has teamed up with ESPN on "Shred Hate," a multi-faceted bullying prevention program that seeks to eliminate bullying by encouraging kids to choose kindness. As part of the program, No Bully, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that trains and gives schools the tools to activate student compassion as a method for eradicating bullying and cyberbullying, provides innovative, bullying prevention curriculum, and works directly with local school districts and cooperating schools. Shred Hate was launched with the X Games in 2017, and schools that have gone through the curriculum last year were able to reduce instances of bullying by 94%.
2019 NHSI Preview: Pod 1
Orange, Calif.
Cumming, Ga.
|2019 Preseason Ranks:
|2019 Preseason Ranks:
|USA Baseball National Team Alums:
|USA Baseball National Team Alums:
|Players to Watch:
|Players to Watch:
Matchup: Two-time defending National High School Invitational (NSHI) champion, Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.), returns to Cary, North Carolina, searching to become the first team in tournament history to three-peat. After falling in the CIF State Semifinals in 2018, the Lancers were tabbed with a No. 2 ranking in the country by MaxPreps and No. 4 from Perfect Game.
The Lancers feature four players (Karson Bowen, Gabe Briones, Jasiah Dixon and Max Rajcic) that have played on a USA Baseball National Team, with two, Bowen and Rajcic, wearing the stars and stripes in 2018. Orange Lutheran is also led on the diamond by two-time USA Baseball manager alum Eric Borba.
Orange Lutheran will have a tough road to the finals if they hope to win a third straight title as it faces South Forsyth (Cumming, Ga.) in the first round of the tournament. The War Eagles are coming off of a dominating season in 2018 that culminated in a loss in the GHSA 7A Second Round. SFHS will be led by the No. 60-ranked draft prospect, according to Baseball America, and 2016 15U National Team member Landon Sims.
Las Vegas, Nev.
Morristown, N.J.
|2019 Preseason Ranks:
|2019 Preseason Ranks:
|USA Baseball National Team Alums:
|USA Baseball National Team Alums:
|Players to Watch:
|Players to Watch:
Matchup: In what is sure to be one of the best matchups in the first round of the tournament, Desert Oasis High School (Las Vegas, Nevada) will face off against Delbarton High School (Morristown, N.J.).
Desert Oasis will be motivated for greatness in 2019 after falling in Nevada's Class 4A State Championship game after a 30-5 season. The Diamondbacks boast No. 18 and No. 55 rankings by Perfect Game and MaxPreps, respectively, and will be led by seniors D.J. Jefferson, Aaron Roberts and Josh Sharman.
On the other side of the ranked first-round matchup, is No. 10 and No.19-ranked Delbarton High School. The Green Wave are coming off an 18-6 season in 2018, where they fell in the NJSIAA Second Round. Delbarton will be led by seniors and 2018 18U National Team teammates Anthony Volpe and Jack Leiter. Leiter enters the year as one of the top-rated pitchers in the draft class, ranking No. 20 overall and the ninth overall pitcher in MLB Pipeline rankings. The pair and the rest of the Green Wave squad will try to use their experience to advance to the second round for a matchup against Orange Lutheran or South Forsyth.
WBSC Awards Hosting Rights of 2021 U-18 Baseball World Cup to USA
SARASOTA-BRADENTON, Fla. - The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today announced it has awarded the hosting rights of the U-18 Baseball World Cup® 2021 to USA Baseball and the cities of Sarasota and Bradenton, Florida. This marks the first time since Cape Cod and Fenway Park hosted the 1995 Junior World Championship that the top youth international baseball event will be held in the United States.
The announcement was made at a joint press conference held at the Powel Crosley Estate in Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, featuring WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari, USA Baseball President Mike Gaski, USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler, Pittsburgh Pirates President Frank Coonelly, Orioles-Sarasota Vice President David Rovine and representatives from Visit Sarasota County and the Bradenton Area Sports Commission.
The 30th edition of the U-18 Baseball World Cup will take place in September 2021 and feature the world's best players from 12 countries in the U-18 category (16 to 18 years old). As the host nation, the USA Baseball 18U National Team-the current four-time defending U-18 world champions-will be granted an automatic berth into the global tournament.
All 50 U-18 World Cup games will be played between Ed Smith Stadium and LECOM Park, the Spring Training homes for Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates, respectively.
Team USA is the four-time defending U-18 Baseball World Cup champions (2012, 2013, 2015, 2017) and will look to win an unprecedented fifth consecutive world championship at the 2019 U-18 Baseball World Cup that will be held in Gijang, Republic of Korea, from Friday, August 30 to Sunday, September 8, 2019.
"USA Baseball presented an excellent bid, vision and venue plan for one of youth sport's most prestigious world championships, the U-18 Baseball World Cup," said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. "The world's best young players and next generation of superstars will have an iconic stage-the same stadiums where top professionals play and train-to perform and showcase their talents to the passionate fans in the stands and those watching across the world. While the sport of baseball has never been as global as it is today, there has never been a more opportune time to bring the U-18 Baseball World Cup back to the U.S., where baseball, together with softball, has furthered its position as the most practiced team sport, with participation numbers increasing over 20% to 25 million over the last five years, in the U.S. alone."
"USA Baseball is honored to be selected to host the U-18 Baseball World Cup and we aim to provide a truly once-in-a-lifetime baseball experience to the athletes and fans who take part in this premier event," said USA Baseball President Mike Gaski. "Our national pastime continues to be a major influence in the culture of the United States and we are proud to partner with the cities of Bradenton and Sarasota, Florida, to welcome the international baseball community to the birthplace of baseball."
Sarasota and Bradenton are located south of Tampa Bay on Florida's Gulf Coast, a region known for award-winning beaches and a long history of arts and culture. The two cities have jointly hosted numerous international youth and amateur sports competitions including the 2017 World Rowing Championships and the 2017-2018 International Triathlon World Cups.
"Visit Sarasota County and the Orioles are pleased to welcome some of the world's top baseball players to our region for the 2021 U-18 Baseball World Cup," said Visit Sarasota County President Virginia Haley. "We look forward to working with USA Baseball and the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau to produce a memorable, world-class experience for all participants."
"We are thrilled to have been awarded the bid to host the World Baseball Softball Confederation U-18 Baseball World Cup in September 2021-one of the top youth championships in all of sports," said Sean Walter, Director of Sports at the Bradenton Area Sports Commission. "Both the Bradenton Area and the Pittsburgh Pirates organization stand ready to provide the ideal setting for the world's best players, who will go on to become future leaders in the sports industry."
The successful staging of the 2017 U-18 Baseball World Cup in Thunder Bay, Canada, helped the Thunder Bay International Airport break its all-time monthly passenger record for the month of August, while generating a CAD 6.3 million economic impact on the city, as well as multi- millions in brand exposure for sponsors and commercial partners.
The U-18 Baseball World Cups, along with its continental qualifiers, have consistently featured players who have gone on to become some of the biggest names in the sport, such as Japan's Yu Darvish and Shohei Ohtani; Korea's Shin-soo Choo; Cuba's Yasiel Puig and Aroldis Chapman; and the United States' Clayton Kershaw, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Buster Posey.
For more information on the 2021 U-18 Baseball World Cup, visit SarasotaBradenton2021.com, or follow @SARBRAD2021 on Instagram and Twitter. Ticket information will be available in early 2020.
2019 MLB GRIT Invitational to be Played in Dallas and Arlington from March 7-10
MLB Grit, Which Is Being Held During Women's History Month, Will Feature Special Panels and Coaching from Former Major Leaguers and Members of the USAB Women's National Team
Major League Baseball and USA Baseball will host more than 60 young women (ages 18 and under) to participate in 'MLB Grit,' an inaugural high school invitational designed specifically for girls who play baseball. The inaugural event, which is scheduled during Women's History Month (March), will include a special opportunity for these young athletes to play a game in a Major League ballpark - Globe Life Park, the home of the Texas Rangers - as well as participate in a premier development experience. These games, as well as those played at the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy, are scheduled from Friday, March 8th, which is International Women's Day, through Sunday, March 10th.
The roster of participants features girls from 21 states, Washington D.C., Canada and Puerto Rico, including players who competed with Team USA, Canada and Puerto Rico in the Women's Baseball World Cup in August 2018. Additional roster highlights include the following:
- California features the most players (12), including three from San Francisco.
- More than a dozen MLB Club markets are represented, including hometown Dallas.
- There are eight players each from Canada and Puerto Rico.
- There are five players who competed in the Women's Baseball Cup last summer:
- Team Canada - Allison Schroeder and Liz Gilder
- Team Puerto Rico - Eva Cristina Torres Vega
- Team USA - Ashton Lansdell and Emily Tsujikawa
**The full roster of participants can be found here.**
Some of the nation's top female baseball figures, including players & coaches from the USA Baseball Women's National Team, and former Major League players will serve as team coaches. The players will be divided up into teams and play in a competitive tournament-style format that will begin at Globe Life Park on Friday, March 8th and finish with the final games at the Rangers MLB Youth Academy on Sunday, March 10th. In addition to the on-field action, participants will be treated to special panel presentations designed to prepare the young women for the collegiate recruiting process and offer information about alternative careers within baseball. 'MLB Grit' joins the 'Trailblazer Series' and the 'Girls Baseball Breakthrough Series' as MLB and USA Baseball-operated events designed to support and provide exposure for girls playing baseball.
|MLB & USA Baseball Executives
Kim Ng - Senior Vice President, Baseball & Softball Development, MLB
Ashley Bratcher - Senior Director, Baseball Operations, USA Baseball
Special Speakers
MLB Grit Invitational Coaches
|Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy, 3500 Goldman St., Dallas, TX 75212
Globe Life Park, 1000 Ballpark Way, Arlington, TX 76011
Hilton Anatole, 2201 N. Stemmons FWY, Dallas, TX 75207
Media is invited to cover general baseball workouts and games at both Globe Life Park and the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy. Below is the schedule:
|March 8
|8:45-11:30 a.m.
|Positional Workouts
|RYA Field & Indoors
|March 8
|1:30-4:00 p.m.
|Team 3 vs. Team 4
|Globe Life Park
|March 8
|5:00-7:30 p.m.
|Team 1 vs. Team 2
|Globe Life Park
|March 9
|8:15-10:30 a.m.
|Team 2 vs. Team 3
|March 9
|10:45-1:00 p.m.
|Team 4 vs. Team 1
|March 9
|2:30-4:45 p.m.
|Team 2 vs. Team 4
|March 9
|4:45-7:00 p.m.
|Team 1 vs. Team 3
|March 10
|8:00-10:30 a.m.
|Third Place Game
|March 10
|10:30-1:00 p.m.
|First Place Game
*All times Central time*
Participants will attend special presentations from figures connected to baseball that will provide various levels of advice and insight, including tips on the collegiate recruiting process and offer information about careers within baseball. Speakers are listed below:
|March 7
|7:30-8:45 p.m.
|Welcome and Careers in Baseball Panel: Katie Pothier & Kim Eskew
|Hilton Anatole
|March 9
|1:10-2:00 p.m.
|Only One: Emily Jones McCoy & Ila Borders
|Hilton Anatole
|March 9
|8:00-9:00 p.m.
|College Recruiting Roundtables with MLB Grit Coaches
|Hilton Anatole
*All times Central time*
- Steven Arocho, Major League Baseball, (718) 614-3487, firstname.lastname@example.com
- Kerline Batista, Major League Baseball, (347) 998-2049, email@example.com


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Richard S needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 59 designs submitted by 18 freelance designers.
Irish Fishing Flies
I specialize in selling quality Trout and Salmon fishing flies. Artificial fishing flies are tied with feathers and fine tread to imitate natural flies at varying stages of their life cycle. These flies are cast on long lines and presented in such a manner to mimic these varying life cycle stages with the intention of catching a Trout or Salmon. The tradition was first recorded by the Greeks around 200 AD. I learned the art of tying these flies at a very young age and have enjoyed it ever since.
Presenting these flies to a fish is more an art form than a sport, requiring a lot of patience and practice. The technique is referred to as Fly casting. It takes a long time to learn how to cast properly, but once mastered and utilized successfully, particularly for the first fish, you are truly hooked.
Customers (Predominantly Fishermen) who purchase fishing equipment online and also attend trade fairs. The website will sell internationally
I would like a modern bright, yet simple graphic design. Something that can be reproduced on business cards, labels, letterheads, banners and will look well on a website.
In saying that I am very much open to novel designs.
Please no leprechauns or green, white and orange, thanks
See this You Tube link for an example of fly casting techniques and how the flies are fished.
See some more sample fishing flies:
No stock images or clip-art
please supply the file as:
Adope Illustrator .ai file
Many thanks, I look forward to seeing your designs
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.

subset: commoncrawl


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In the midst of the government shutdown, business loan approvals at credit unions have improved at one firm while banks have experienced a slight dip in lending activity.
Biz2Credit, a New York company that connects small business with lenders, discovered that scenario during its recent monthly analysis of 1,000 loan applications.
Banks were aggressive in small business lending during the first half of September at Biz2Credit and were on a path to another record month of approvals, said Biz2Credit CEO Rohit Arora. However, as the anxiety over the government shutdown began to rise, lending slowed.
"We expect the government shutdown to impact the figures negatively in the coming month, and the debt ceiling debate could cripple small business lending even further," Arora said.
Small business loan approvals at big banks with more than $10 billion in assets dipped slightly to 17.5% in September from the all-time high of 17.6% in August 2013, according to the Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index.
Business loan approvals at banks with less than $10 billion in assets dropped to 50.1% from 50.7% in August.
At Biz2Credit, credit union lending improved slightly to 45.4% from 45.3% in September. The firm said it is the third consecutive month of increases for credit unions after more than a year of steady declines.
Arora offered more consequences of the government shutdown. A major chunk of small business lending under the SBA and conventional loan programs require verification of transcripts by the IRS, he explained. This has halted, and there will be a backlog of SBA loans once the impasse has settled.
"Cutting off small business borrowing takes the oxygen away from small businesses, which create the lion's share of private sector jobs in America," Arora said. "This bad news comes at a fragile time in the economic recovery following the Great Recession."


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AWW! Khloe Kardashian & Lamar Odom Renew Their Vows For Their One Year Anniversary…So Sweet!
Lamar arranged a surprise vow renewal ceremony for his and Khloe's one-year wedding anniversary! So sweet!
Khloe Kardashian had been anticipating her one-year wedding anniversary to Lamar Odom for days, tweeting she had no clue what he had planned for her — and from the sound of it, her 30-year-old hubby did a suburb job!
"[Khloe and Lamar] have renewed their vows today at music industry executive Irving Azoff's family home in Beverly Hills, the same place where they married on Sept. 27, 2009," Life & Style magazine reported Sept. 27.
"Lamar has truly made our anniversary more special than I ever could have imagined. The day has been somewhat like a treasure hunt, moving from one surprise to the next!" Khloe, 25, wrote on her blog.
"I can't believe it has ONLY been a year. My life has changed so much and I as a person have changed even more. I have never been happier, never been so at peace, never been so in love."
What a perfect afternoon for a very special day…we can't believe it's only been a year either! It feels like Khloe and Lamar have ALWAYS been together!


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Outreach Programs
Atlanta Humane Society
Wednesday, May 2, 2018 from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM (CDT)
Event Details
Enrich your school classroom, troop meeting, career day or camp session with a visit from Atlanta Humane Society. One of our humane educators will visit your students, delivering age-appropriate programming covering humane concepts through stories, lessons and activities. Our programs help students develop and express compassion, kindness, and generosity, in addition to respect for animals, people and our environment.
Please review our program Information Packet before registering.
Check out our Curriculum Connections for the state standards we will meet during your Outreach Program.
Wednesday, May 2, 2018 from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM (CDT)
Add to my calendar
Atlanta Humane Society
The mission of the Atlanta Humane Society is to improve animal welfare in the southeastern United States by providing quality animal services including preventative initiatives, education, advocacy and adoption of animals into permanent loving homes.
The vision of the Atlanta Humane Society is to be the premier leader and organizational resource for the welfare and protection of companion animals in the southeastern United States.


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Caught in sobriety check Point: Still Hope for defenseFriday, October 29th, 2010
Every year, there are many instances where individuals are caught at sobriety points doing always some real bad things that catch the attention of law enforcement agencies. These wring things can be drunk driving, or driving under the intoxication, possessing illegal narcotics possession of a CDS Schedule I narcotic (marijuana) and possession of a CDS Schedule III narcotic drug paraphernalia. If anybody is caught in the sobriety checkpoint, heavy fine to criminal prosecution case can be initiated against the culprit. The culprit is then presented in the courtroom where the magistrate decided the future of the culprit.
But don't worry; the things will take normal course if you hire a criminal lawyer or attorney. The lawyer or attorney will discuss your case and find out the key points that will help you to come out of the dragnet. The sobriety check point case will be handled by an experienced criminal lawyer or attorney who has the experiences in handling such type of cases. But make sure that you hire appropriate criminal lawyer and not just anybody. Because, if you hire inexperienced attorney or lawyer to fight the sobriety case, then you'd be in a big trouble! Inexperienced criminal lawyers and attorneys can make the situation turn more complex, and if the situation turns complex, even the most experienced criminal lawyer will not be able to get you back your lost dignity.
Caught in sobriety checkpoint, then consult only an experienced lawyer who will otherwise understand the complexities involved in your case and give you more ready made solution. If you really go for the best solution or if you are really concerned that you come out of the trouble as soon as you can, the ideal remedy will be to catch hold of professional and experienced attorney and lawyer who'd be able to study the pros and cons of your case and bring forth reliable solution.
Now the relevant question arises–which is the right means to get an experienced sobriety attorney or lawyer to fight your case and understand its technicalities? The Internet is the best and comprehensive place where you can search for the best and experienced sobriety attorney and which will help you to come out of the problem as quick as possible. Shop around online to find the experienced sobriety attorney, and also take some time out to read through the terms and conditions.
Hundreds of arrests are made at sobriety check points, and therefore you need to show complete restraint even if you get caught in any of unexplainable situation. All you need to do is hire a sobriety attorney or lawyer and discuss your condition with him in as much detail as possible.


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The NFL's oldest player might call it quits after the season ends.
Jason Hanson, the Detroit Lions' 42-year-old kicker, said Wednesday he's not sure if he'll return for what would be his 22nd NFL season.
"I know I can (play)," Hanson said, via the Detroit Free Press. "Like I said, I haven't really processed all that. Just get some of the nagging little kicker owies, toenail hurts, that kind of thing, let that calm down and then just really evaluate because I know I don't want to play anymore unless I know I want to play and feel like I'm going to show up for offseason and run and do all the stuff."
Hanson said he doesn't want to play anywhere other than Detroit, where he has been a stalwart since being drafted in the second round out of Washington State in 1992.
Hanson literally has spent half his life kicking for the Detroit Lions.
Let me repeat that: Hanson literally has spent half his life kicking -- for the Detroit Lions.
If he returns, Hanson, who holds the NFL record for career games and seasons with one team, will have been with Detroit longer than some of the incoming rookies have been alive: This season's youngest NFL player, Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman, turned 21 after the season started.
Hanson holds the NFL career record for most field goals of 50-plus yards (52) and consecutive field goals made from 40 yards or more (24), is tied for most career game-winning field goals in overtime (9) and tied for third in all-time field goals made (494). His play hasn't dissipated this season. He is tied for fourth with 31 field goals, is perfect inside of 40 yards, and even his four misses have been close -- all but one hitting the goal post.
If Hanson played on the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers or any other team that was halfway decent the past two decades, we'd be debating if he belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Alas, when your kicker is your most consistent player for more than a decade, it's not a good sign.
Follow Kevin Patra on Twitter @kpatra.


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Michael8 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 49 diseños de 8 diseñadores freelance.
ShowBiz CRM
We are a software start-up, founded by two full-time, working magicians with a shared vision for enabling talented performers and artists to make a better living performing their craft.
Our flagship product is a highly custom CRM solution that integrates seamlessly with other business tools and lead sources and automates the entire business process.
Our customers are primarily "Variety artists," a term used for magicians, fire spinners, jugglers and other unusual, skilled performers. Variety artists work "live" and book their own shows. Eventually, we want our product to be used by Talent Agencies, singers, comedians, and musicians as well.
Our software will make their business-lives much, much easier, from automating tasks, to eliminating paperwork.
Our customers will not necessarily be "techies," but will have basic computer skills, and know the metaphors we all use (copy, paste, etc.) to use our software effectively.
We're looking for a clean, crisp and polished design that is in keeping with our existing marketing collateral (see logo and stationary concept).
Design should be sales-oriented to communicate a clear message. Pages might include screenshots, videos, bullet points, feature matrix etc.
This website is our marketing website. It should be look and feel like a static website. We may have a blog section (and it would be nice to see how that would fit into the overall theme) but the focus of the design should be for a static website.
Because it is a sales website it needs to be laid out as such. We are selling Software As A Service (SaaS) so we want to:
1. Educate the visitor about our product
2. Differentiate ourselves from our competitors
3. Drive people to sign up for a free trial.
Currently we have a few menu items/sections considered
WHAT it is
WHY you care
WHAT it costs
Privacy Policy
WHO we are
Please arrange the nav as you see fit.
Our product is world-class and light years ahead of our competition. Most of the competing products are either unfinished or amateurish. We want to draw a clear distinction with our design and presence.
Please derive the color scheme from our attached logo and stationary concept. Feel free to use any of the stock images attached (or not). Naturally you are not limited to the colors in the logo, but any other colors you chose will need to be complementary.
You're also free to design the layout as you see fit. We're looking for a design to immediately draw in the visitor. Keep in mind the website copy will be short and sharp, have testimonial quotes and multiple calls to action (sign up).
Please provide final design as a layered PSD file.


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NEW HAVEN — Area lawmakers on Monday explained their latest efforts to deal with an issue on many Addison County residents' minds during town meeting week: education property taxes, which have been escalating each year while the number of school-age children in the state has been declining.
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The 14th Amendment to the Constitution provides for equal protection under the law. It is not too much of a stretch of the spirit of the law to suggest that equal application of the law as well is a valid matter. In this regard the current structure of education funding is seriously flawed; the bulk of property owners under Acts 60 and 68 pay taxes based upon income while a distinct minority pay based on property assessments.
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«Reacting to the real-life nuclear disaster unfolding in Japan, Pro7, the channel that airs The Simpsons in Germany, will be screening current and future episodes of the show and remove or replace any that feature a disaster at Mr. Burns' nuclear power plant.»
«Surprised scientists have discovered the remains of a saber-toothed vegetarian. The leaf-crunching animal — about the size of a large dog — lived 260 million years ago in what is now Brazil, researchers report in Friday's edition of the journal Science. Its upper canine teeth were nearly 5 inches long.»
«Leonard Nimoy, to quote an old friend of his, has lived long and prospered. He's enjoyed success as an actor, producer, director, photographer, show host, voiceover artist and more. He's a husband, father and grandfather. But there's no denying that, for better or worse, he is Spock, the half-human/half-Vulcan he portrayed on The Original Series, on Star Trek: The Next Generation, in a half-dozen TOS features and, of course, in Star Trek (2009)», Part II, Part III


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Increased head circumference is when the measured distance around the widest part of the skull is larger than expected for the child's age and background.
A newborn's head is usually about 2 centimeters larger than the chest size. Between 6 months and 2 years, both measurements are about equal. After 2 years, the chest size becomes larger than the head.
Measurements over time that show an increased rate of head growth often provide more valuable information than a single measurement that is larger than expected.
Increased pressure inside the head (increased intracranial pressure) often occurs with increased head circumference. Symptoms of this condition include:
The health care provider usually finds macrocephaly during a routine well-baby exam.
The health care provider will take a medical history and will perform a physical examination.
Medical history questions may include:
A careful physical exam will be done. Other milestones for growth and development will be checked.
In some cases, a single measurement is enough to confirm that there is a size increase that needs to be tested further. More often, repeated measurements of the head circumference over a period are needed to confirm that the head circumference is increased and the problem is getting worse.
Diagnostic tests that may be ordered include:
Cohen MM Jr. Overgrowth syndromes. In: Gilbert-Barness E, Kapur RP, Oligny LL, et al., eds. Potter's Pathology of the Fetus, Infant and Child. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2007:chap 41.
Kinsman SL, Johnston MV. Congenital anomalies of the central nervous system. In: Kliegman RM, Stanton BF, St. Geme JW III, et al., eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 585.


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Serve at the intersection of church and world
Diaconal ministers are consecrated to ministry of Word and Service, at the intersection of church and world. Diaconal ministers work to seek wholeness in the world, sharing the hope of Christ and equipping others for healing and justice in the world. Diaconal ministers serve through agencies, institutions, and traditional church programs as they build bridges between the church and the world.
Luther Seminary works in partnership with the ELCA and student candidacy committees to prepare individuals for rostered diaconal ministry. The role of the Contextual Learning office is to assist candidates in documenting their diaconal field experience and projects.
How do I participate?
A detailed description of Diaconal Ministry requirements is found in our downloadable PDF document, Diaconal Ministry at Luther Seminary.
Generally, diaconal ministry candidates at Luther work towards a master of arts degree. Students must have a positive entrance decision from their candidacy committee, be accepted into the master of arts program, and will meet the candidacy requirements of theological study by completing the core courses of the M.A. degree.
The elective courses may be used to strengthen the student's skills in their chosen area of ministry, to meet the field education requirements, and/or to meet the formation requirements.
Students pursuing a Ph.D. or M.Div. degree will negotiate credits for field education and/or formation on an individual basis. They will also need the approval of the director of the Student Resource Center to ensure that they have met all of the Lutheran studies requirements.


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Floral Arrangement
Product DescriptionThis arrangement is an elegant tribute to the favorite times and the favorite people in our lives. As our best memories stand out in our minds, these stunning flowers definitely capture your attention, with pink lilies, gerbera daisies, gladiolus, bells of Ireland and purple accent flowers. A grapevine handle brings this arrangement full-circle as a visual collection of memories.
You might also be interested in these arrangements
When you order custom designs, they will be produced as closely as possible to the picture. Please remember that each design is custom made. No two arrangements are exactly alike and color and/or variety substitutions of flowers and containers may be necessary. Prices and availability of seasonal flowers may vary.
Our professional staff of floral designers are always eager to discuss any special design or product requests. Call us at the number above and we will be glad to assist you with a special request or a timed delivery.


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Welcome to R&J's Auto Spa! There are times when driving a dirty car doesn't do the trick, and regardless of how many times you wash it, it still looks dirty. Pay us a visit! We offer different types of car auto detailing service where we are not only committed to giving your four wheels the cleanest look, but to giving you the best customer service. Allow us to give you an amazing experience. Visit our facility in Morrison and check out our V.I.P. membership or our senior discounts. We are here to serve you and make sure your ride keeps that new polish and well-taken-care-of look.
Bringing your car to our auto detailing may be a great choice
Day to day, you drive your car up and down those unforgiving highways, collecting not only dirt and dust but also road grime under your car or along the fenders of it. As time passes by, that grime literally becomes part of your car's finish. Here is where we come in! Perhaps we cannot solve the highway issues of dirtying your car, but we can sure take advantage of utilizing our auto detailing to restore it. Paint finish is the skin of your vehicle, and we have the technology to bring that new smell and look back to your ride. Come visit us in Morrison and experience great service!
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Microsoft Office and the Big Subscription Bet
Feb 4, 2013 5:00 AM PT
Well it's been another wild week here in the Linux blogosphere, what with all the ruckus emanating out of the bordering Redmond territories.
Much like what happened last fall when Windows 8 made its fanfare-filled debut, the launch of Office 2013 and 365 last Tuesday left more than a few Linux bloggers with a ringing in the ears that didn't abate for days.
"Microsoft Cuts Ribbon on Low-Rent Office" was one of the more straightforward headlines to appear. It wasn't long, however, before the complexity of Microsoft's new productivity scheme became plainly clear.
'5 Open Alternatives'
To wit: "Decoding Microsoft Office: Which Office version does what?" was one attempt to clarify and bring some sanity to the situation.
Then, perhaps more critically, there was, "Not ready for Office 2013? Here are five open alternatives."
There's no doubt Redmond is trying a different tack this time around, perhaps in its effort to fend off the growing number of free and open source competitors.
How will it fare? Now that's a topic on which FOSS fans have had plenty to say.
'Why Should I Care?'
"On my personal scale of interest from a 1 to 10, this is about -4," Google+ blogger Kevin O'Brien told Linux Girl over a fresh round down at the blogosphere's Broken Windows Lounge.
"LibreOffice does everything I need, and in fact I keep learning about new things I can do in LibreOffice," O'Brien explained. "I even carry it with me on USB Thumb drive in the Portable Apps version.
"So please explain to me why I should care about overpriced bloatware?" he concluded. "And don't get me started on the $%^**#%$ Ribbon."
'Time We Moved On'
Indeed, "I can honestly say this new version of Office interests me not even a little, and nowhere near enough to make me take out my wallet," agreed Google+ blogger Linux Rants.
"There are free Office suites that more than meet my needs, and I'd wager the needs of the vast majority of Office users," he added. "Maybe it's time we stopped filling Microsoft's coffers and moved on."
Blogger Robert Pogson said he has only used Office a few times in the past decade.
"I installed OpenOffice.org 1.0 within hours of its release and have never willingly used M$'s office suite since," Pogson told Linux Girl. "OO 1.0 failed frequently; by 2.0 it ran smoothly for me, and now I use LibreOffice 3.6.
"If M$'s office suite costs $100 per annum, I have saved more than $1K because I don't have much worry about malware or licensing and I have had export to PDF so many years longer," he added.
'Willing Slaves'
LibreOffice is easier to use "because of the user interface," Pogson opined. "I once helped a citizen install M$'s office suite. It took several adults to figure out just how to open the damned box, and we never did figure out the 'Ribbon.'"
In the meantime, "the citizen had some work to do, so I installed OpenOffice.org," he added. "Easy. Download and install. No need to 'accept' a EULA or to do things M$'s way."
Unfortunately, "many businesses accept M$'s office suite as a necessary tool," Pogson noted. "M$ has made them willing slaves."
The new pricing scheme, meanwhile, "is just M$'s way to increase costs while the monopoly shrinks," he added. "The sooner everyone switches to LibreOffice, the better.
"Where I have worked none of the tasks could not be done with LibreOffice, and converting documents in bulk is easy if not perfect," Pogson concluded.
'A Giant Meh'
"Honestly, most of the people I know stopped at 2K7," Google+ blogger hairyfeet said. "A few went 2K10, but nearly everybody I know jumped off the upgrade wagon at 2K7, so it honestly won't affect me or my shop any.
"Let's face it: There really isn't anything to 'innovate' when it comes to office," hairyfeet added. "Those that want collaboration are using Google Docs, and everybody else is happy with what they have."
In fact, "this is the biggest problem MSFT has been facing (besides the CEO being terrible), in that when it comes to OSes and Office suites, "if it ain't broke," why waste money fixing it?" he pointed out. "I still use my ancient Office 2K on my netbook -- it's ultra lightweight, which is perfect for a netbook, and with the converter pack I can open and save in the latest formats.
"So why switch?" hairyfeet concluded. "2K13 is a giant meh as far as I'm concerned."
'Not Quality-Related'
If Office 2013 is ODF-compatible, "that would be the only thing to be happy about,"opined Google+ blogger Gonzalo Velasco C. "Basically, after MS Office 2003 users have been divided into hating and liking that office suite, mainly because of the huge changes in look and feel and the utilities.
"As in everything that company produces, the majority of the changes are visual and not quality-related," he added.
"So, if you are not a big fan of microsoft, why bother thinking what 2013 would bring, anyway??" he mused. "Rather, change to LibreOffice at once: easier to use, ODF native format, PDF export from every part of the suite, and 100 percent free and open source."
'Dead in the Water'
Robin Lim, a lawyer and blogger on Mobile Raptor, had a more optimistic outlook for Microsoft.
The Office 365 subscription package and the Office on Demand feature are both interesting, opined Lim, as is the cloud integration and built-in online storage.
"I have migrated to Google Docs, so I won't be giving Office 2013 and Office 365 a look," he noted, "but I think a lot of people will. The only fly in the ointment is the absence of Android and iOS versions."
In fact, "Apple's iWork would probably be dead in the water if Microsoft ever decided to wade into iOS waters," Lim suggested.
"As for LibreOffice and OpenOffice, well these two have plenty of work to do," Lim concluded. "One of them should hurry, come up with a mobile version and strike a deal with Dropbox."
'All Wrong'
Last but not least, Google+ blogger Alessandro Ebersol offered a succinct summary.
"MS is completely clueless," Ebersol told Linux Girl. "With many competitors in the boxing ring these days, and it is charging more for the same thing? And will cease functions if the subscription is not paid?
"All wrong," he opined. "If that had happened in 2005 or 2006, OK -- they had no competition back then. Now? Google Docs will eat MS's breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They only seem to miss the target these days..."


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Raspberry Rhubarb Ginger Jam Recipe
Capture the best of your seasonal produce for later.
Crystallized ginger melts into this tart raspberry-rhubarb jam, providing unexpected hints of heat and spice. The flavors are big and bold, so it would work best with straightforward baked goods that won't compete. Skip the cakes and muffins and pair it with simple buttery croissants, whole-wheat toast, or brioche.
About the Author: Lucy Baker is a food writer and the author of The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets and Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, son, and dachshund.
- Yield:5 cups, or 5 half-pint jars
- Active time: 30 minutes
- Total time:1 hour 30 minutes
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 teaspoons Pomona's Universal Pectin
- 8 cups diced rhubarb
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 tablespoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice from one lemon
- 4 teaspoons calcium water
- 1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Whisk the sugar and pectin in a medium bowl and set aside.
Combine the rhubarb and 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer just until the rhubarb breaks down, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, puree the raspberries in a food processor or blender. You should have 1/2 cup.
Measure the stewed rhubarb. You should have 4 cups. Return the rhubarb and the pureed raspberries to the saucepan. Add lemon zest and juice and calcium water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the sugar-pectin mixture, crystallized ginger, and grated ginger and return the fruit mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for one minute.
Remove the pot from the heat and skim any foam from the surface of the jam with a cold metal spoon. Ladle the jam into hot sterilized jars and process them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.