McCalester, OK—Team Missouri, a group of underclassmen assembled by the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association, won the 11th Annual Sunbelt Classic in McAlester, Oklahoma, earlier this summer.

The Sunbelt routinely hosts major college coaches and professional baseball scouts throughout America. The Big 12, Pac 10, Big 10, ACC, SEC, Conference USA, and Missouri Valley all were represented this week in McAlester, in addition to numerous Major League Baseball clubs.

Team Missouri was chosen through a set of showcases conducted by the MHSBCA. The showcase is held for high school baseball players in Missouri who aspire to play college or professional baseball.

From the showcase, a select group of underclassmen are asked to represent Missouri in the Junior Sunbelt Classic, held in June each year in Oklahoma. Final evaluations are made available to every college and professional scout in Missouri, and parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas.

At the showcase, position players field and throw from their position, hit in the cage or in a batting practice setting, and run 60 yards. They are evaluated on arm speed, bat speed, and foot speed. Pitchers will throw in a game situation or bullpen situation, and run 60 yards. They will be evaluated on arm speed (separated by different pitches) and foot speed. A simulated game may be used to further evaluate performance.

In it’s seventh year of competing in the Annual Junior Sunbelt Classic, Team Missouri won its first title Wednesday night at Mike Deak Field in McAlester. This year’s championship is a vast improvement from past performances for a team that has never won more than four games in the Sunbelt tournament.

“It takes time,” said first-year Team Missouri director Andy Jackson of Kirksville after Wednesday’s game. "We’ve started doing a better job finding the best talent possible and are happy to have improved the way we have.”

Missouri plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning against California and then held on for a 3-2 win. Bret Schwartz (Blue Springs South) and Mack Kyle (Webb City) both reached base after being hit with pitches in the first inning. Schwartz and Kyle later scored the first two runs of the game and Zac Porath (Carl Junction) scored the third run after reaching base on a California error.

California scored a pair of runs in the top of the fourth but fell just short of winning their second title. Kyle Barbeck of Blue Springs pitched the seventh and closed with two strikeouts for the save after following Eureka’s Ethan Jaeger and Hillcrest’s Chris Barratt.

"We had a great group of players, but they were even better young men," said Missouri’s manager Harv Antle of Camdenton. "Even though these guys were from all over the state, they came together for a week and became a team that triumphed over some of the best teams in the nation including such traditional baseball powers like Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Arizona, and California.

The Sunbelt Classic includes two teams from Oklahoma as well as California, Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, and Canada.

“This is by far the premier junior baseball tournament in the country,” Jackson said.

Other coaches on staff included Jeff City’s Bob Coons, Richard Wood of Blue Springs South, and Jamie Roberts, formerly of Stoutland. The tournament MVP was awarded to Missouri's Riley Reynolds and Barbeck was the Most Outstanding Pitcher while Kyle, Porath, and Schwartz were named to the all-tournament team.

Team Missouri for 2007 includes:
Kyle Barbeck, Blue Springs
Chris Barratt, Springfield Hillcrest
Kellen Bartlett, Blue Springs South
Jonathan Batcheller, Ava
Jordan Coons, Jefferson City
Michael Corbeil, Marquette
Dylan Drury, Cape Notre Dame
Grant Gordon, Salem
Ethan Jaeger, Eureka
Cody King, Kirksville
Mack Kyle, Webb City
Jeff Lusardi, Blue Springs South
Matt McHenry, Blue Springs
Barrett Noirfalise, Joplin
Zak Porath, Carl Junction
Riley Reynolds, Blue Springs South
Bret Schwartz, Blue Springs
Bart Seponovich, Columbia Hickman
Jerick Swarens, Webb City
Jimmy Taylor, Eureka