By Tamas Mondovics
Brandon area residents shouldkeep their eyes on one of their own local athletes as he represents his community during national tournaments coast to coast this summer.
Fifteen-year-old, Brandon High School Eagles, Jerry Biller III, has been selected to join the nationally- recognized Southern California National Travel Baseball Team (So Cal NTT) for its summer competition.
“It is a great honor to be selected for the team and I am looking forward to meeting and playing with many talented players throughout the summer,” Biller said.
In 2012, So Cal NTT had players from 13 states winning three national tourneys and third place at USA Baseball 17u Championships East.
“One of the main advantages of being on this travel team is the chance to be recognized,” he said.
It is noteworthy that as a Valrico resident growing up in the North Brandon Little League, Biller has represented the program on many all-star teams throughout his six years.
Inspiring to be an impact player for the Brandon High School Eagles and go on to play D1 baseball, the young athlete is not lacking in future goals.
“Jerry has superior mechanics in fielding and hitting which will contribute to So Cal’s team depth of highly skilled players,” said his dad, adding that So Cal NTT recruits top athletes from around the country seeking the top position in 2013.
So Cal was founded by Coach Scott Luke, in 2005 with the goal of bringing together some of the top age-group prospects from around the country to play in as many as five tournaments a year. In 2012 So Cal was nationally ranked 6th.
To date Luke’s programs have placed 11 players in the Major Leagues, more than 32 in professional baseball, 33 on USA Baseball National Teams, and more than 133 players have gone on to play college baseball, three of them on the 2008 College World Series Champions Fresno State.
Luke said that the program prides itself in competing at the highest level in the country’s most prestigious tournaments and helping all players reach their highest potential in the game. D1 Scholarships are the ultimate goal for all players.
So Cal NTT will play in 2 national circuits, USA Baseball and The Perfect Game throughout the summer.
For more information, please visit www.perfectgame.org, or www.leaguelineup.com.
