Ballplayers Get Chance to Impress College Scouts

While most Kirkwood-area SLABA players end up with the South-West Stars, most Webster Groves-area kids play for the St. Louis Tigers.

The team's base schools are Ladue and Webster Groves, but they have probably the largest pool of schools to draw from. This also includes: Kirkwood, Brentwood, Clayton, Lindbergh, Maplewood, Parkway North, Ritenour and University City, John Burroughs, CBC, Chaminade, De Smet, DuBourg, Lutheran South, Lutheran St. Charles, MICDS, Priory, SLUH and Westminster.

(For part one of this story, .)

The Tigers play their home games at , , Aviation Field in Forest Park, Brentwood Park and Jack Buck Field at Heman Park in University City.

The Tigers program has attained much recent postseason success, including appearances in the 2010 16-and-under PONY Zone Tournament in Joliet, Ill., the 2009 18U NABF World Series in Jackson, Miss., the 2008 16U NABF World Series in Michigan, a bid to the 2008 17U NABF World Series in Virginia, a 2007 16U PONY Regional Championship and a berth in the 2007 16U PONY Zone Tournament in Grand Ledge, Mich.

“This year our talent is just through the roof,” said Tigers 18-and-under coach Matt Pohlman, who is in his second season. He added that because some of his players also play on other teams, it’s led to inconsistent lineups, making it hard to develop chemistry. The result has been a mediocre 9-10 record, largely due to a lack of pitching.

“For the most part it’s a good team,” Pohlman said. “It’s just a matter of having everybody together. We’re right there, just need to have a little better starting pitching.”

The Tigers are averaging better than seven runs per game and the offense is led by Westminster graduate Andrew Beck, who will continue his baseball career at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Ga.

“We can hit with anybody,” Pohlman said. “It’s just a matter of our starting pitching holding everybody under four runs, which is our goal every game.”

SLABA Allows Opportunities to Prepare For College

Pohlman said players can get the same benefits from SLABA as they do with the high-priced select teams.

“We’ve sent a lot of kids to college,” he said. “SLABA and prospect teams travel and allow kids to get noticed by college coaches.”

He added that the cost differential is huge and that the lure of traveling can still be fulfilled in SLABA. He took his Tigers team to Omaha, Neb., to play in a 46-team tournament as part of the College World Series festivities. He did add that many teenage players aren’t ready to travel every weekend.

“SLABA gives you the time you want to have during the summer,” Pohlman said, “but you’re still playing baseball almost every night. The difference is that 30 to 45 minutes after the game you’re home.”

The Meramec Valley Travelers get their players from the Rockwood school districts, as well as Lindbergh, Pacific, Valley Park and Washington. Jeff Parker, a six-year SLABA coaching veteran, is in his second season as the head coach of the Travelers 18U team.

The Northwest High graduate watched his team go 3-1 in the Lindenwood Fourth of July Tournament. Despite a rough start, the Travelers “have been playing really well lately” and ended the weekend with a 15-8 overall record.

Despite the team name, Parker agrees with Pohlman that playing locally can ultimately be more beneficial for most players. Instead of being redshirted at big universities in the Big 12, ACC, SEC or Conference USA, players can play “right away” at a local school.

“The talent level in SLABA is definitely something that the colleges in the area are interested in,” said Parker, adding that many coaches have connections to MLB teams. “If you stay local and you don’t have the money to travel, you still get the exposure.”