Brooks Still Inspires Awe in Prep Stars

By: Keith Mills

Brooks Robinson played his last game for the Orioles 31 years ago, long before the players in this year's all-star baseball game that bears his name were born. Yet there they were last week at the Warehouse at Camden Yards, getting Robinson's autograph and posing for pictures while in awe of the legendary No. 5.

"If you're an Orioles fan, you've heard of Brooks Robinson," said Sean Thompson of Archbishop Curley. "I don't care how old you are."

"Brooks? He's the greatest third baseman of all time," said Dulaney's Alex Frederick.

For the fifth consecutive year, the state's premier all-star baseball game for high school seniors will once again carry Robinson's name. The Brooks Robinson All-Star Game, formerly the Crown All-Star game, will be played for the 27th time Sunday at Oriole Park following the Orioles-Pirates game. Once again, it is sponsored by the Geier Financial Group of Ellicott City.

"Brooks said the sponsor had pulled out and wanted to know if I was interested in sponsoring the game," said Geier Financial Group president Joe Geier, a graduate of Mount St. Joseph. "I grew up here in Baltimore, and I wanted to give back to the community. So this was just a natural fit for us."

"For Joe to step up like he has is really great for these kids," Robinson said. "It's a big deal for them to play at Camden Yards, where the Orioles play. I remember when I was 18 years old, and I had the chance to play at Travelers Field in Little Rock, where the Arkansas Travelers used to play, and that was big at that time growing up. So to be able to play at a major league stadium such as this one, it's something these kids will never forget."

They'll also never forget meeting one of baseball's true icons and playing with some of the state's finest high school seniors.

"He's been an inspiration to a lot of people," said Frederick, a former high school teammate of Steven Bumbry, son of Orioles Hall of Famer Al Bumbry.

"I've only seen him on ESPN Classic and old tapes, but he's still the greatest. There's not a bigger game than this. It's the ultimate all-star game if you're a high school player in Maryland."

"It's a dream come true," said Calvert Hall's Kevin Lingerman. "To play with the best players in the state, it's everything I ever wished for."

Frederick and Lingerman were also named to Team Maryland, a 20-man roster of 16 seniors and four juniors who will represent the state next week in the Sun Belt Classic in Norman, Okla.

"We were able to show everyone last year that Maryland baseball can compete with anyone in the country," said Beck, a member of Team Maryland as a junior. "All you hear about is Florida and California and the teams down south. We usually do pretty well."

Beck will play for the South team in Sunday's game. Here are the rosters and coaches for this year's game

NORTH TEAM

Mike Dillon, Calvert Hall: Dillon anchored the Cardinals’ pitching staff the last two years along with Lingerman. An All-Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference pick the last two years with a 20-2 career record, he will attend Ohio University.

Sean Thompson, Archbishop Curley: A three-year starter for the Friars, Thompson hit eight home runs this year with 26 RBIs. He also won seven games as a pitcher with 70 strikeouts. He originally signed with High Point University but has rescinded his letter of intent because of a change in the school's coaching staff.

Josh Futter, Wilde Lake: Futter hit .463 with three home runs and 20 RBIs, finished 4-2 as a pitcher with 1.92 ERA and was named first team All-Howard County. He will attend James Madison University.

Frank Zier, Governor Thomas Johnson: A four-year varsity player, Zier hit .390 with two home runs this season. He finished 15-6 in his career as a pitcher and will attend Frederick Community College.

Luke Sawyer, Calvert Hall: The starting catcher for coach Lou Eckerl's MIAA A Conference champions, Sawyer was named to the Under Armour Preseason All-America team. He is headed to Anderson University in Indiana.

A.J. Jamison, Williamsport: Jamison hit. 596 as a senior and .541 as a junior for the Wildcats and was named Washington County's Co-Player of the Year. He finished his three-year career with 11 home runs and 51 RBIs and will attend Eastern Kentucky.

Kevin Lingerman, Calvert Hall: Lingerman, the first freshman in 20 years to start on the Cardinals' varsity, wrapped up a sensational career last month. He finished 20-0 as a pitcher in three years and hit .390 with 17 doubles this spring, helping the Cards win the MIAA A Conference championship. He was offered a scholarship to play at George Mason but is also considering other schools.

Alex Frederick, Dulaney: Frederick is headed to University of North Carolina-Greensboro after an outstanding four-year varsity career in which he hit over .400 three times. He hit .484 this year with six home runs and 32 RBIs. As a pitcher, Frederick was 4-2 with a 1.27 ERA. He was Dulaney's Most Valuable Player the last two years and played in the Four-State Elite Classic in Hagerstown.

Austin Knight, Boys' Latin: The starting shortstop for Mike Bordick's MIAA B Conference champions, Knight hit .593 this year with six home runs and 18 RBIs with only three errors in 17 games. He will attend Palm Beach Community College.

Tim Leather, South Hagerstown: A four-year varsity player for the Rebels, Leather hit .375 this year and .439 as a junior. He was named All-Washington County the last two years and received the Bob "Turtle" Smith Scholarship at Frederick Community College.

Phil Ruzbarsky, Westminster: Ruzbarsky helped coach Brian Harman's Owls win last year's Class 4A state championship and followed it up with a senior year in which he hit .349 with four home runs. He was also a member of the Maryland State Baseball Coaches Preseason All-State team and will play next year at Richmond.

Steve Visnic, Glenelg: A pitcher and first baseman for the Gladiators, Visnic was 6-0 with a 1.26 ERA this year while hitting .314. He was named first team All-Howard County and will attend either Mount St. Mary's or University of South Carolina Beaufort.

Ben Winter, Centennial: One of the area's most complete players, Ben hit .400 this year and finished with a three-year pitching record of 19-3. He was named Howard County Player of the Year the last two years and will attend Towson University.

Ryan Kemp, Mount St. Joseph: Kemp pitched and played the outfield for coach Dave Norton, who watched his senior slugger hit .412 with nine home runs, which tied him with Mark Teixeira for the single season Mount St. Joe record. He will attend St. Joseph's University.

Jordan Wlodarczyk, C. Milton Wright: "Woody" led Joe Stetka's Mustangs to the Class 4A state finals by hitting for a .513 average with 32 RBIs and 22 runs scored. He was named first team All-Harford County and will play next year at Harford Community College.

Harman, Ty Whitaker and Eckerl will coach the North team. Harman, who just finished his 19th year of coaching, has won seven Carroll County championships and led the Owls to the 2007 state title. Whitaker began his coaching career under Roger Wrenn at Patterson before moving onto Eastern Tech, where he is an assistant to coach Spike McElfish. Eckerl's Calvert Hall team won its fourth straight MIAA A Conference championship this year, beating Archbishop Spalding in the final at Ripken Stadium.

SOUTH TEAM

Kevin Brady, Gaithersburg: The Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year, Brady is headed to Clemson after a sensational three-year career. His record as a pitcher is 19-2 (16-0 the last two years) while he hit six home runs the last two years with a slugging percentage of over .800.

Sander Beck, Severn: Like Brady, Beck spent last fall pitching for the Oriolelanders scout team and is one of the premier high school hurlers in the country. He pitched a no-hitter against Severna Park in late March and was named first team All-MIAA B Conference. He is headed to Maryland.

Brady Feigl, Old Mill: The ace of coach Mel Montgomery's Patriots, Brady struck out 84 batters this year and was named first team All-Anne Arundel County. He'll attend Mount St. Mary's.

Mike Boyden, La Plata: A pitcher and first baseman, Boyden's three-year record as a pitcher is 17-2. As a sophomore, he pitched a one-hitter in the state quarterfinal playoff game, and this year he struck out 14 to win the Class 3A state championship. He will attend George Washington University.

Tyler Bennett, Colonel Richardson: A four-year varsity starter, Bennett was a member of Team Maryland as a junior. He hit .500 this year, .443 as a junior and .446 as a sophomore with a combined 12 home runs and 97 RBIs. He will play at Maryland.

Carl Travers Jr., Riverdale Baptist: Another MSABC Preseason All-State selection, Travers hit .540 this year with 13 home runs and a slugging percentage of 1.048. He was named Old Line League Conference MVP and will play next year at Radford University.

Cory Jenson, Severna Park: The senior shortstop was named first team All-Anne Arundel County after hitting .537. He will attend Hillsborough Community College next fall.

Tommy Winegardner, Riverdale Baptist: Winegardner is headed to Coastal Carolina after being named an Under Armour and Rawlings and Perfect Game All-American.

Michael Foster, Easton: A Team Maryland selection as a junior, Foster hit .469 during his senior year and was named first team All Mid-Shore. He will attend Mount St. Mary's.

Brian Hudson, Stephen Decatur: A four-year varsity starter for coach Rich Ferro, Hudson hit .426 with four home runs and 28 RBIs this season. He will attend Northwest-Shoals Community College in Mussel Shoals, Ala.

Chris Bell, Leonardtown: Bell pitched and played three positions for the Raiders, hitting .408 with two home runs. An All-St.Mary's pick the last three years, he will attend Chesapeake College on the Eastern Shore.

Tom Gilchrist, Sherwood: The senior center fielder led Sherwood to the Class 4A state championship last month after playing for Team Maryland as a junior. A three-year starter, Gilchrist hit .429 both as a junior and as a senior. He will attend Frostburg State University.

Devin Gardner, Kent Island: The senior captain helped the Trojans win their first state championship after hitting .441 with a slugging percentage of .763. He'll attend Anne Arundel Community College.

Shane Boyd, Damascus: One of Montgomery County's most complete players, Boyd was named first team All-County and a first team Preseason All-State. The center fielder hit .413 as a senior and will attend Frostburg University

Michael Turner, St. Michaels: A four-year varsity starter, Turner hit .491 with six home runs. He received the Moton High School Alumni Association and Maryland House of Delegate scholarships and will play next year at University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Andrew Capece, Dave Lanham and Scott Milligan will coach the South team. Capece has built Eleanor Roosevelt into a state power in his 12 years at the Prince George's County school. The Raiders are 216-40 with eight regional championships, nine county titles and the 2007 Class 4A state crown.

Lanham just finished his sixth year at St. Mary's in Annapolis and has won two MIAA B Conference championships. He is moving on next year to Meade High School in Odenton, where he will be the school's athletic director. Milligan returned to Colonel Richardson and led the Colonels to their first state championship in 2007 and the first Bayside championship this past spring

Issue 3.24: June 11, 2008