MARIETTA,
Ga. – Twelve had a good run for a still up-and-coming program at
the WWBA 16u National Championship. Although they weren’t able to
make it past pool play, it doesn’t mean they aren’t a team full
of talent.
“We’re
4-1-2 so we’ve had a couple of ties that hurt us,” said head
coach Dave Miles. “We’ve played good baseball just not quite good
enough. If we won one more game, we’re right there in it.”
Luken
Baker pitched 11 innings for Twelve over two games. He only gave up
four hits and four while striking out 18. He also did well at the
plate, averaging .571 with three doubles, two triples and a home run.
“He
threw two games exceptionally, (and) won both games,” said Miles.
“He was on fire with the bat (and played well) all around.”
“It
would have been nice to win more games and move on to bracket play,
but overall we had a better tournament than we started out as,”
added Baker.
Baker
is a hulking, 6-foot-4, 240-pound right-handed pitcher and third
baseman from Spring, Texas. He is ranked No. 39 on Perfect Game’s
High School Class of 2015 National Rankings, and is ranked No. 9
overall in Texas.
“I’m
just trying to improve that rank every day, and keep working at it,”
added Baker. “I don’t really pay too much attention to the
rankings. It is what it is I guess.”
Although
Baker has been talking to a few colleges, he is uncommitted and
undecided on where he wants to continue his baseball career. Baker’s
teammate, Ryan Johnson, has a little more idea on where he hopes to
be after he graduates.
“I’ve
been talking to TCU, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt,” explained
Johnson. “As of right now, (A&M is) my top choice but it has
nothing to do with distance from home. It’s just a great program.
All the schools I’m talking to have a great program, great
education, and great opportunities so it’s going to be a tough
choice.”
Johnson,
a 6-foot-3, 215-pound outfielder from College Station, Texas, is
ranked No. 14 on Perfect Game’s High School Class of 2015 National
Rankings, and is No. 5 overall in Texas.
“It’s
a great honor to be ranked that high,” added Johnson. “I try not
pay attention to the rankings too much, I just try to come out and
play baseball.”
The
WWBA 16u National Championship is Johnson’s very first Perfect Game
event. He racked up two singles, a double, a triple and two RBI over
the last week.
“It
was fun,” said Johnson about his first Perfect Game experience.
“It’s disappointing to be leaving this early. Overall, it was a
fun event. I didn’t play like I wanted to, (but) I came out here
and I felt like I played hard.”
“He’s
a great five-tool player,” added Miles. “(He has) a big bat,
great speed, big arm, (and) just a great all around baseball player.”
Johnson
has been selected to play for the 2013 Texas Area Code Games. The
roster typically consists of players who have already completed their
junior year of high school; however, Johnson gets the honor of
playing before his junior year. More than 350 players tried out for
the Texas Rangers team by invite-only, and only 22 made the cut.
“It’s
another great honor,” added Johnson. “(It was) a very humbling
experience going out and trying out. There’s tons of talent it’s
ridiculous. It’s just an honor to be chosen and I’m looking
forward to it.”
Johnson
said baseball is “a pretty big part of (his) life.” Along with
going to college, he has even higher hopes for his future in
baseball.
“The
ultimate goal is to be a Major Leaguer and be the best player I can
be,” explained Johnson. “I just try to come out and play as hard
as I can every day and impress as many people as I can to help me get
as far as I can. It would be cool to play for the Astros because I
was born in Houston and I grew up rooting for them and I’m still an
Astros fan.”
Johnson
has been playing with the Twelve Baseball program since he was nine
years old, and was a part of the very first Twelve team.
“The
coaching staff is awesome,” added Johnson. “We’ve had a bunch
of great coaches that have helped me improve throughout the years.
It’s been great playing for them; they’ve given me every
opportunity I can ask for.”
Twelve
Baseball Academy was founded in 2006 by Gregg Bennett. It is a
non-profit organization that works on building the players character
and their baseball skills. According to their website they have been
recognized as one of the top baseball academies in the country.
“We’re
based around competitive baseball,” added Miles. “We coach good
baseball and we are trying to (build) our program around college
recruiting. It’s a young growing program. We’re trying to get
them to the next level. We’ve got teams of all ages but everything
is geared around getting them to this age here (16s) and getting them
into college.”