USD MLK Team Camp Day One

SAN DIEGO, CA. - There’s nothing better than being in San Diego. It is America’s Finest City after all. And when it’s your hometown and you get to see eight games over two days, well, the city is made even finer. 

The University of San Diego hosts its annual MLK Team Camp Friday through Monday of the holiday weekend bringing teams from Orange and San Diego Counties for three games at beautiful Cunningham Field at Fowler Park. Toreros assistant coaches Brock Ungricht and Matt Florer, along with an excellent support staff, put together a field with as many as five potential PBR California Power 25 teams. 

Don’t get me started on the chicken and tri-tip Ungricht cooked up on the Traeger...it was mouth watering! But I digress…

Friday night saw Orange County powerhouse Huntington Beach play two games, one against San Diego powerhouse Rancho Bernardo and one against Patrick Henry. The third game featured Granite Hills of San Diego against Aliso Niguel. For me it was the second viewing of Rancho Bernardo in a week after seeing them in Orange County the prior weekend.

In this MLK Weekend Notebook we’ll take a look at some standouts from the first day of action at the USD MLK Team Camp. 

+ 2020 INF Chad Abel (Rancho Bernardo HS): In the three games I’ve seen of Rancho Bernardo’s in the last week, Abel has collected at least six hits and hit the ball hard every other time. I say at least because all the morning coffee caught up to me during one of his AB’s. In his fist at-bat of this game he smoked an 85 mph fastball on the inner half into the right center field gap for a standup triple. Followed that up with another hot shot to the same side for a single. Over the course of the three games he’s made enough plays to convince me of his ability to play there in the future. He plays under control with fair range to the left, but the charging plays he seems to make with ease with enough arm strength to make throws from many angles. An all out type player.

+ 2021 INF Peyton Schulze (Rancho Bernardo HS): Showed an advanced approach to hitting over the course of the three games of his I saw. And while he didn’t always get the desirable result, he stuck to his approach and plan at the plate. A big, physical 6-foot-1, 195-pounds, Schulze appears thicker throughout his frame from my last viewing. Hit several balls hard showing an all fields approach and more than enough strength to drive balls on a line. The Long Beach State commit looks ready for a big spring. 

+ 2020 SS Noah Sudyka (Aliso Niguel HS): Continues to impress with his overall game, particularly his high level defensive play. Showed his range on a play up the middle where he gloved the ball and made the flip to second for the out. At the plate he continues to show fast hands and developing strength as shown on his standup double to left center field. Heady baserunner who isn’t going to run himself into outs. Excellent pickup for UC San Diego when they nabbed his commitment last year. 

+ 2020 OF Jake Vogel (Huntington Beach HS): The 12th ranked player in the California Class of 2020 rankings, Vogel certainly has the attention of scouts and for good reason. Vogel hit for the cycle in his first four at-bats spanning the Oilers two games. The home run (below) was a sign of his improved power at the plate - Fowler Park on a January late afternoon doesn’t provide ideal power conditions. That followed a standup double to lead off the game. He’s short to the ball maintaining hands inside the ball and using quick/strong wrists to get the barrel through the zone. His speed remains a plus and his outfield defense appears to have taken a step up in his leadership and general ease with which he patrols centerfield. The arrow is pointing way up for Vogel.