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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/11/2022

USA Prime Brings the Talent to 17u WWBA

Alanna Jacob     
Photo: Derek Schaefer (Perfect Game)
MARIETTA, Ga. -- The East Cobb Complex has housed a tremendous amount of talent during this week's WWBA 17U National Championship.

USA Prime 17u National has a lot to do with that, having 22 players committed to play college baseball, with 20 of them committed to a Power 5 program, and 25 nationally-ranked players overall, demonstrating the strength of their program.



Head Coach Brandon Chancellor understands his team is notable, and finds importance in keeping his players relaxed and having fun throughout their tournaments.

“It's fun to play loose as long as they take care of business,” he said in an interview after a pool play game against East Coast Dodgers Scout Team 2024, a 12-0 win for his squad. “It is a game and these guys play so much during the summer and during the year that it’s more of a job already when they’re still 17 and 16 years old...I want them to have fun as long as they take care of business in between the lines.”

Derek Schaefer and Bryce Eldridge, both the No. 1 right-handed pitchers in their home states, took care of business on the mound, both throwing in the 90 mph range. Schaefer, a Tennessee commit, allowed zero hits and struck out three batters in three innings while Eldridge, an Alabama commit, struck out three batters in two innings.

In the top of the first inning, Tennessee commit Camden Bates hit an RBI double to left field that brought in Dillon Head and Antonio Anderson, ultimately proving to be the game-winning runs in the first, though USA Prime would tack on 10 more runs before the dust settled.

Jerson Martin doubled with two outs in the top of the second inning, and Head singled him in to push the lead to 3-0.

Three runs in the fifth and a crooked six-spot in the sixth pushed the lead to 12-0, officially putting the game out of reach. Head, Parker Picot, and Martin all registered multi-hit games, while Picot and Coleman Mizell both drove in four runs to pace the lineup.

Bates, a primary shortstop, was handed the ball to close out the game on the mound, and made the most of his pitching debut, striking out two batters in his one frame. When you have a lead like that, you can throw a position player on the mound and take home a win.

USA Prime 17U, which is currently undefeated and leads Pool L at 3-0-1, has one pool play game left at the WWBA National Championship, and are looking to make a deep run when bracket play begins.