‘It’s the Cadillac of events’: Modesto Nuts host six high schools for baseball showcase

Seth Van Dyk knows that later this season, he’ll need the experience he got Saturday.

With the Central Catholic baseball team tied at 1-1 in a nonleague battle with Gregori High in the bottom of the sixth inning, the senior lined a 1-2 pitch to center field for the Raiders’ sixth hit of the game.

“Coach (Kyle) Crawford said it’s good to get those dogfights early in the season because when we’re in the section runs or trying to get a league title … there’s going to be those close dogfights,” Van Dyk said. “You’ve just got to know how to bear down and win those games and it was good getting the W before league starts.”

He advanced to second on a passed ball and to third on a wild pitch before Xavier Diep, who was on as a pinch hitter, turned on a pitch, lining it to right field. Van Dyk came around to score what became the game-winner for the Raiders (5-0) in a 2-1 slugfest at John Thurman Field. Fernando Alaniz drove in the Raiders’ first run in the fifth inning.

“Diep is someone he’s always locked in all the time … he knows how to catch some barrels, for him to come in when it was needed was awesome,” Van Dyk said.

Van Dyk is no stranger to playing on the same field that has seen the likes of Julio Rodriguez, Troy Tulowitzki, Nolan Arenado and many other current big-leaguers. Last season, the Raiders faced Valley Oak League rival Oakdale. They lost 10-8 in extra innings. This season, Central Catholic moved to 5-0.

It’s a new year and they played a different opponent, but the experience still never gets old.

“The environment is awesome. The Nuts do a great job setting things up and then the fans just come out here and support. It’s just sick,” Van Dyk said. “We get to do the introductions, walk-up music, announcements, it’s just a whole different environment and it makes you want to go out there and play harder.”

The Central Catholic-Gregori showdown was the first of three games at the home field of the Seattle Mariners Low-A affiliate Modesto Nuts as part of the team’s High School Showcase. Six local teams were in action in a three-game all-day event. At 10 a.m. the Raiders and Jaguars faced off followed by Escalon and Linden in the 1 p.m. game and Downey vs Central Valley in the 4 p.m. contest.

TP Wentworth threw the full seven innings for Central Catholic, striking out 11 batters. He had a no-hitter going through seven and two-thirds innings before Lance Easterman singled and Canon Buttell doubled. Dominic Joseph started for Gregori (2-4), striking out six batters in five innings.

In the second game, a six-run fifth inning set the table for Linden to secure an 11-8 win over Escalon (2-8) in an offensive slugfest. The Lions recorded 10 hits and the Cougars weren’t far behind with nine. Four players finished with two hits for Linden (5-3). Greg Adams and Josh Fiori recorded doubles and Jamin Miller added a triple. Nico Franzia blasted a two-run homer over the left field fence in an attempt to power Escalon back into the game in the sixth inning.

Also leaving the yard was Central Valley’s Juan Alonzo in the final game of the day against Downey. He got the Hawks (5-5) out of the gate fast with a three-run home run in the first inning on the first pitch of his first at bat. The Hawks would score one run in the third inning and went on to win 4-3.

It was great,” Alonzo said. “I was going out there hunting first pitch fastball, and he gave me exactly what I wanted and I just took it.”

Bringing people together

At last year’s showcase, Enochs High coach Haig Shahbazian met up with people he hadn’t seen in “decades.”

“It was a great day,” he said of last year’s event. “When he (Modesto Nuts Director of Corporate Partnerships Corey Gales) hit us up asking if we wanted to be involved in it, I was like, ‘Absolutely’. … Baseball just brings everybody together.”

Enochs pitcher and University of San Francisco signee Kannon Sharpe struck out 10 batters in the team’s 4-3 Central California Athletic League win over Turlock last year.

Enochs plays this year on the second day of the showcase.

Gales said the calls to be the next team to participate in the showcase have not stopped since reintroducing high school baseball to John Thurman Field last year. The event in just one year has expanded from one day with two games to two days with six games.

The Eagles take on East Union on Saturday, March 23, at 10 a.m. in the first matchup of the second three-game slate that features Patterson vs. Hilmar at 1 p.m. and Ceres vs. Beyer at 4 p.m.

“We moved one of our games around to be a part of it,” Shahbazian said. “We have professional baseball in our backyard and a lot of people don’t realize what a great yard and great opportunity it is.”

It is the continuation of an effort by Gales to keep John Thurman Field and the Modesto Nuts a staple in the community. Gales, who grew up in Modesto, played on the field.

“When I was a kid at Beard Elementary School, we played our championship games on that field,” he said. “Our goal is to expand on getting more community baseball events into our stadium.”

Everybody benefits

Downey coach Justin Schwitters had his game plan set for at least a week and a half. Everyone would get an opportunity to bat and a chance to play in the field Saturday, no matter what. Mission accomplished.

“We got all 16 kids in the field and an at bat,” he said.

Senior Cameron Rodriguez-Delaney was one of the subs that got in and contributed, recording a single, a walk and scoring a pair of runs. He also recorded three straight outs at second base in the fourth inning. After drawing his walk with the Knights (3-3) trailing 4-2 in the top of the sixth inning, he came around to score on a Jaxen Rowland double to cut Central Valley’s lead to just a run.

“That was great,” Schwitters said. “He’s a senior who works really hard in practice every day. He got a hit in his first at bat. It was a good day for him, I’m happy for the kid.”

A win for the Knights would have been the cherry on top of an amazing experience. They fell victim to costly strikeouts with runners in scoring position. They loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning, but ended the game on a groundout and back-to-back strikeouts.

“The thing that was tough was we made less errors than them, we walked less batters, we had more hits, but we just didn’t win,” Schwitters said. “That’s a pretty unique situation, it’s just we strike out too much.”

Last year the showcase was at the end of March, highlighting VOL and CCAL rivalries. Having the event near the middle of the month gives fans the chance to see nonleague competition and welcome extra teams from the Modesto area. Gales says he worked closely with high school coaches to accommodate their schedules, which were set months before the season.

“I just want to thank the Modesto Nuts,” said Central Valley coach Brad Bussard. “For them to give us their facility to showcase our local talent, I don’t even think they understand how much that meant to our kids. It’s a big thank you to them for buying into the community and inviting the community to this event. The atmosphere was great, the kids loved it. We battled today and it was just a great way to display our program.”

Because the Nuts are an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, players are at spring training with the big league team during spring training. They do not report to Modesto until April, meaning the field can be used to host other events. Whether it’s at the beginning or the end of the month, Gales believes March is the perfect month for high school baseball at John Thurman Field.

“There’s some nerves, you feel like you’re in the spotlight, especially at the plate,” Alonzo said of playing in a professional ball park. “But you’ve just got to take a deep breath and relax and just work with it.”

Players were treated to pregame batting practice in the Nuts batting cages, a freshly manicured field that was prepped before each game by the organization’s grounds crew, walk-up songs and the team’s official announcer on the mic introducing each batter.

“It’s a beautiful ballpark and people are enjoying the memories that they’re making in two and a half short hours,” said Gales. “I just love seeing the look on all the kids’ faces looking at our scoreboard, which is first class. They see their names up on that board and to see their high school logo spin in and just all the stuff that comes with it, it’s a great experience. It’s the Cadillac of events, in my opinion.”