Batters on Deck

Ten years ago, every high school baseball team in Kansas could expect a schedule of 10 doubleheaders — hardly the amount of competition afforded to kids in baseball-rich states such as California. Kansas-bred ballplayers still get only 20 games a year — significantly fewer than most states — so they have to make the most of opportunities like this weekend's River City Baseball Festival. Several big-league scouts are expected to attend the round-robin tournament, which showcases squads from Kansas City, Lawrence, Springfield and Omaha. "You'll see kids who throw in the 90-mph range," says Free State High School Coach Mike Hill. "They're still making mistakes and learning, but they have the same attributes as guys who are playing for a whole lot of money." Besides affording the opportunity to scout the next Billy Butler, the tournament offers cheap tickets ($5 adults, $3 students) and the "Legend"-ary ambience of CommunityAmerica Ballpark (1800 Village West Parkway in Kansas City, Kansas, 913-328-2255). In Lawrence, Hoglund Ballpark (on the University of Kansas campus near 15th Street and Naismith) and Free State (4700 Overland Drive) will also host games beginning at 1:30 this afternoon and continuing all day Friday and Saturday. "The great thing about baseball is that it's not just about the game," Hill says. "It's about who you're sitting next to."
Thu., April 17; Fri., April 18; Sat., April 19, 2008