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Chicago Tribune
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Oswego's Kamrin Jenkins soaks up playing on Chicago White Sox's field in Double Duty Classic. ‘Such an experience.'
When Oswego's Kamrin Jenkins walked onto Rate Field, visions he's had in his head came to life. Invited by the Chicago White Sox to participate on July 2 in the Double Duty Classic, in honor of the legendary Ted 'Double Duty' Radcliffe, Jenkins played for the East All-Star team. As he emerged from the dugout in his Negro League-inspired uniform, there it was. 'Someday,' Jenkins said, 'I want to play here.' With his pedigree, Jenkins may very well get that chance. Committed to Missouri since last October, he's ranked No. 4 in the 2026 class for Illinois, according to Prep Baseball Report. The 6-foot, 183-pound shortstop has elite speed on the bases or at the plate and plays slick defense, all traits that portend to a breakout spring next season as a senior. 'You watch him play, he has all the tools,' Oswego coach Joe Giarrante said of Jenkins. 'He makes throws up the middle look easy. His name is prevalent, so teams will do all they can to not give him pitches to hit. He gets on base and he's always a threat to take second and third.' Jenkins, however, wasn't always able to let it rip like he wanted to last season for the Panthers. An injury limited him to duties as the designated hitter for much of the spring, a factor that Giarrante feels works against a five-tool player like Jenkins. Plus, with his SEC commitment in hand, opponents didn't want to pitch to Jenkins, leading to an increase in walks. 'He may not have the stats to prove it, but over time, when he gets to where he wants to get as a baseball player, this can only help him,' Giarrante said. 'This past spring with him not starting in the field, he's one of those guys that constantly has to be in the game. 'His bat will definitely improve when he's playing the field.' This summer, Jenkins is relishing his time with Top Tier West. In a lineup loaded with talent, teams have no choice but to put pitches across the plate. And he has been ready to pounce. 'I feel like more people try to attack me because I'm going to Missouri and I play in front of a lot of scouts,' Jenkins said. 'They want to see if they can really play at that level. 'I love it because I get to hit some pitches and get everyone's best stuff.' Many scouts were on hand at the Double Duty Classic, an annual event designed to promote baseball in inner cities and honor the history of Negro League baseball. Dozens of college and professional scouts watched two all-star teams made up of rising seniors. Troy Williams, who runs the White Sox's ACE program and community baseball initiatives, pointed out that the goal of the game is multifold. 'You want to pay homage to the East-West game that was once played at Comiskey Park,' Williams said. 'That's why we wear the uniforms we wear. We're trying to recreate the history of that game and give the kids a history lesson. 'We invite as many college and pro scouts as we can. They get a chance to get on a stage where they can be recruited. That's the main goal.' The significance of the game and its history wasn't lost on Jenkins. 'It's different for sure, looking around and seeing people that look like you,' Jenkins said. 'You're used to playing with all types of people. Having your own brotherhood makes it special. 'There's so much talent out there that's not recognized.' Jenkins is already well-recognized. And once he started taking ground balls, he felt right at home. 'The field is big, but it's almost the size of a regular field,' Jenkins said. 'It was different seeing the bleachers and all of the sponsors. It was such an experience to play on a big-league field.' In the future, maybe days like this will become the norm for Jenkins. 'I'm just trying to put my name out there, keep doing what I'm doing,' Jenkins said. 'Hopefully, in next year's draft, I'm in there.'
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
LSU baseball hosts one of the transfer portal's top prospects on a visit
LSU baseball could add another transfer to its summer haul. According to reports on Wednesday, right-handed pitcher Cooper Moore is on an official visit in Baton Rouge. The rising junior spent two seasons at Kansas. In 14 starts as a sophomore, Moore pitched 88.2 innings and ended with a 3.96 ERA along with 85 strikeouts. He earned a spot on the All-Big 12 second team. Moore made 29 appearances out of the bullpen as a true freshman. His versatility as a reliever and a weekend starter makes him an attractive prospect for head coach Jay Johnson's pitching staff. LSU gained commitments from multiple lefties following the national championship win but it's always great to add an experienced arm. The Tigers are losing their best two starters in Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson so they'll need reinforcements to compete in the offseason. Moore joined the Jayhawks as Oklahoma's No. 10 prospect, per Prep Baseball Report. He picked them over a host of Power Four offers, including Oklahoma and Missouri.
San Francisco Chronicle
21-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Chronicle's regional baseball players of the year
SAN FRANCISCO Archer Horn (St. Ignatius): One of three Wildcats to earn first-team All-West Catholic Athletic League selection, the left-handed-hitting shortstop and relief pitcher led the Chronicle's No. 8 team in batting average (.352), runs (30), hits (31) and home runs (seven) and committed just three errors in 88 total chances. He also had a 2-0 pitching record with a save and 2.02 ERA, and stole 16 bases in 17 attempts. The 10th-ranked 2026 prospect in California according to Prep Baseball Report committed to Stanford when he was a freshman. Quinten Marsh (Valley Christian): Another Stanford commit, Marsh, a senior outfielder and pitcher, was named the WCAL Player of the Year for the Chronicle's No. 3 team after hitting .505 with 46 hits, 30 RBIs and 15 doubles, all team highs. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder, ranked the No. 57 senior in the state by Prep Baseball Report, also went 7-2 on the mound with a 1.16 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 54⅓ innings. EAST BAY Bo Smith (St. Patrick-St. Vincent-Vallejo): The 5-foot-8, 160-pound middle infielder and center fielder for the Bruins (20-5) led the team with a .581 average (43 hits) with six doubles, three triples and four home runs and scored 46 runs. The four-year starter also stole 38 bases to finish with 100 in his career. He had three hits in a game seven times — including his final two games — and struck out just four times in 92 plate appearances. In his four-year career, Smith had 132 hits, 133 runs, 25 doubles and 12 triples. Arlo Pendleton (Petaluma): The Valley Vine Athletic League Co-Most Valuable Player not only ranked tied for sixth in the NCS with nine wins (against one loss, 1.37 ERA, 74 strikeouts, 56⅓ innings) but he also led the Trojans (20-7) with four home runs and batted .391. The Cal Poly signee had 25 hits and 22 RBIs. He was the winning pitcher in an opening-round NCS Division 1 game at Castro Valley.
San Francisco Chronicle
21-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
De La Salle's Tyler Spangler, All-Metro POY, draws big comparisons, posts huge numbers
De La Salle-Concord baseball coach David Jeans couldn't help himself watching Tyler Spangler one day at practice. He had to voice a comparison. Big frame. Big bat. Durable. Smooth. Quiet demeanor. 'You remind me of a young Cal Ripken Jr.,' said Jeans, who figured his junior shortstop wouldn't be familiar with the 19-time All-Star and two-time MVP who was out of Major League Baseball seven years before Spangler was born. Spangler thought for a moment and nodded gratefully. 'He had a pretty good career, didn't he, Coach?' Spangler said. Of course Spangler knew who Ripken was, Jeans reminded himself. This was Spangler, 'the throwback,' Jeans said. Never rattled. Nothing flashy. The consummate team player. Mature beyond his years. Never too up or too down. Ripken is a player Spangler would naturally emulate. But because he bats left-handed, Spangler is more often compared to Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager. Spangler's baseball idol is Barry Bonds. 'Utterly coachable,' Jeans said of Spangler. 'You tell him one thing to work on, he applies it right away. He processes it, works on it and gets it done.' Here's one thing he might not easily process: Spangler is the Chronicle's 2025 Metro Player of the Year. The modest 6-foot-3, 190-pounder led the Spartans (29-4) to their seventh North Coast Section title in eight seasons and third Northern California crown in four years, utilizing every facet of a nearly flawless all-around game. He entered the season having secured a scholarship to Stanford and was ranked the third-best junior in the nation (No. 1 in California) by Prep Baseball Report. He then went out and met all expectations, hitting a team-best .430 (43 hits, 100 at-bats) with 42 runs scored and 40 RBIs. He tied a De La Salle record with 10 home runs to go along with eight doubles and six triples, for a hefty OPS of 1.470 and slugging percentage of .930. On a team filled with stars — he's joined on the All-Metro first team by pitcher Graham Schlicht, infielder Antonio Castro and outfielder Alec Blair — Spangler was the obvious team and East Bay Athletic League MVP. 'He's the best player I've ever played with,' said senior Ethan Sullivan, a second-team All-Metro outfielder. 'His bat control, his hitting and defense is amazing. He's a great teammate, too. Super modest.' When asked about his junior campaign going into the season's final week, the third-year starter said: 'As long as we're winning, it doesn't really matter what I'm doing. As long as we're winning, it's all good and I'm happy.' Spangler rarely swung at pitches out of the zone and would often take the ball to left. He did so twice in the NorCal title game, lacing RBI doubles in the first and seventh innings down the left-field line, igniting the Spartans to a 5-4 win over Serra to close the season. It was a perfect conclusion to a season for Spangler, who made just five errors in 102 total chances, while leading the team with 63 assists. The Spartans made a program-low 25 errors this season, with Spangler also having a hand in a team-best 15 double plays. 'There's nothing he didn't do for us,' Jeans said. 'He's not fazed by exterior or interior expectations. If he makes a mistake, he corrects it, all with a very quiet confidence.'
Chicago Tribune
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
‘Pretty remarkable': West Aurora's Zach Toma is the 2025 Beacon-News/Courier-News Baseball Player of the Year
One day can change your life. West Aurora pitcher Zach Toma found that out on April 3. When he woke up that sunny morning, the junior left-hander knew that he would be on the mound. But he had no idea what was in store for him — and what was in store for his opponent. Toma ended up with 20 strikeouts in a stunning no-hitter for a 9-0 win over Joliet Central, and suddenly, people outside of the Blackhawks' program were talking about the talk of the town. 'It got posted on Prep Baseball Report, I was the player of the week, and after that, things started to roll in for me,' Toma said. 'They invited me to all-state games and that will do a lot for me.' Especially after Toma, the 2025 Beacon-News/Courier-News Baseball Player of the Year, struck out the first 15 batters of the game. That performance shocked everyone in attendance. The only thing preventing Toma's effort from being a perfect game was a dropped third strike on the second-to-last batter. It even prompted a phone call to former coach Dave Rowell. 'Pretty remarkable,' West Aurora coach John Reeves said. 'I called (Rowell) and said, 'Did you ever see anything like that?' He had some pitchers that were drafted, but that's pretty remarkable. '(Toma) was like, 'Why aren't they hitting the ball?' I said, 'Just keep executing your pitches.' He got noticed then. We knew what kind of player he was. At that point, people knew who he was.' But Toma still was taken aback as the game unfolded. 'I've had games like that where I'll strike out the first six guys,' Toma said. 'It got to a point where it kept going. Everything was working for me. It almost felt like it was fake for a little bit.' Toma rolled that momentum into a dominant season, both on the mound and with the bat. Besides going 7-2 with 99 strikeouts and a 1.07 ERA in 65 1/3 innings for West Aurora (27-7). Toma also was a force in the middle of the order, batting .459 with six homers and 46 RBIs. As a pitcher, he only allowed 35 hits and 16 walks. At the plate, he also scored 33 runs and added 10 doubles. His RBI total came up only two shy of the program's single-season record. 'He put in the hard work in the offseason,' Reeves said of Toma. 'He played football, which I think playing another sport is helpful. When he came back over the summer, he got taller and thicker. Once football was done, he was in the weight room. 'We even thought he could have been better. For us, we're excited about next year, what he can bring to the table as a senior, learning the game more, understanding how to pitch better and just maturing as a player.' Bartlett coach Alex Coan has been on the other end of Toma's game and came away impressed. 'He's by far one of the best pitchers in the state,' Coan said. 'I will go to war for that on. Locates well, mixes it up really well.' College interest started to ramp up for Toma after the no-hitter, with several schools making contact. The only question now remains — hitting or pitching? 'I would love to go to college and hit,' he said. 'I love hitting. I've always been a good pitcher. I worked hard and it showed with the bat. If I could go two-way, that would be the dream.' The attention only figures to increase this summer with his new travel team, Top Tier West. An extensive travel schedule and a star-studded roster figure to bring plenty of attention his way. 'It's a lot of driving, but I think it's worth the amount of attention we're getting,' Toma said. 'The nerves are there. They've always been there. I'm very excited, especially with the new team. 'I have to work harder to get seen more. It's that feeling of I have to be better and I have to work hard to make myself look good in front of these college coaches.'
