7^th Division I Player from 17U White team to commit.

Dennis Mitchell looks intimidating. At 6’2 and 225 lbs he looks every bit the part of a big time power hitter. Over this summer he left no doubt that he is indeed just that…a BIG TIME power hitter. After an amazing tournament at the 17U WWBA tournament in Georgia Mitchell has mad a verbal commitment to the University of Harford. NorCal East Head Coach , Mark Helsel,  thinks Hartford got a great player, “People pay money to see players do what Dennis does. He is in a league of his own. He hit tape measure home runs this summer that left all of us in awe. He hit one ball this summer that registered 101 MPH off a wood bat. That’s unreal. He made great plays at first base. He even stole a few bases for us this summer. I can honestly say that he did everything and much more that we hoped he would do for us. He’s big and strong, but he’s like a gentle giant. Our players absolutely adore Dennis. He’s actually a very funny kid, too.”

Mitchell chose the University of Hartford over many other schools. “Hartford is the right fit for me. They saw me play a lot this summer. Coach Shank may have come to every game we played in GA. That meant a lot to me. The coaches made it very clear that they believe I can be an impact player there. That’s exactly what I want to be". ’There is no doubt that Dennis Mitchell will be an impact player in college and beyond.

Dennis is the 7th player from this year's 17U White team to accept a baseball scholarship at a Division I school.

17U White Team goes 7-1 at WWBA in Georgia

The NorCal East 17U White team lived up to their billing as one of the top teams in the country by finishing in the top 8 teams at Perfect Game’s World Wood Bat National Championships in Marietta, GA. In what many believe is the largest tournament ever (216 teams) the White team won their pool by going 5-0. They then knocked of the Dallas Yankees (ranked #5 in the country) 6-1 behind the stellar pitching of Mitch Warner and David Rosenberger (UVA). They won their second playoff game by beating a very good team from GA (Home Plate Chili Dogs) 5-4. Tanner Wilt (Coastal Carolina) and Brock Goodling (Clemson) showed why they are legit DI pitchers by dominating the Dogs. In the quarter finals the White team ran in to a buzz saw in the All American Prospects (Miami, FL) and bowed out. Prior to that game the White team had outscored their opponents 49-9, which put them in the top 5 teams in the tournament for runs scored and runs allowed.

Adkins Chooses UNC-Ashville

Cody Adkins made a list of schools that he had a strong interest in and UNC-Ashville was at the top of his list. Fortunately, the coaching staff at UNCA liked him as much he liked them. After watching Cody play centerfield for the 17U White team all week at the WWBA in Georgia they offered Cody a baseball scholarship and Cody verbally accepted. Cody was all smiles, “I like everything about them. I like their coaches, their facilities and I know I will a great degree there”. Cody plans to major in engineering.  Coach Helsel had this to say, “UNCA got a very, very good player and an even better person.  The UNCA coaches watched him play and saw what kind of player he is. I have enjoyed coaching him very much. He could be the poster boy for NorCal East Baseball because he plays the game the right way. He has one gear and that is 110% all the time. He is very coachable and I think he hasn’t even scratched the surface of how good he can get. I could not be happier for Cody and his family”.

Yakopec to play for University of Pittsburgh

Lefty pitchers are a hot commodity. 6’4” lefty pitchers are even hotter. That’s why the University of Pittsburgh is so happy that David Yakopec chose them over many other colleges. “I like the idea of playing closer to home where my friends and family can see me play”, said David. “Pittsburgh has a great coaching staff and they made it very clear that they wanted me. It felt good to tell them I wanted to be a Panther. I also love that I’ll be playing in the Big East. I’ll get to compete against a lot of really good teams. Coach Helsel agreed. “David made a great choice. He followed his heart and it lead him to Pitt. It’s a good fit. The more he pitched for us the more interest he was getting from college coaches. I know several other schools that really wanted him. He’s got a great pitcher’s build and is only going to keep getting bigger and stronger. He also has a competitive spirit that makes him even tougher on the mound. David has a very bright future”.

LaNeve Gets Big Surprise!  

Colorado Rockies Scout, Ed Santa, gave Zac LaNeve some hope that he had a chance to make the East Coast Pro team team when he told him at the tryout that he would "call him with the details" the next day. By 5:00 the following day Zac had not heard from Santa and doubt began to set in. Then, he got an unexpected call from New York Yankee Scout, Matt Hyde, who informed him that he had made the Yankee Area Code team. "I wasn't even thinking about making that team", said the NorCal East Shortstop. To add the cherry on top, he then got the call from Santa later that night, informing him that he had also made the Oakland A's East Coast Pro team, too. "I was in a little bit of shock" said LaNeve. "Making one of these teams is a big deal. I am so excited to be on both teams".

NorCal East now has two players on both teams. Tanner Wilt also got selected. Coach Helsel had this to say, "Our organization is represented very well with Zac and Tanner. They are great kids and both are capable of performing at a very high level. I can only imagine the doors that will open for them. The Area Code games and East Coast Pro Showcase are two of the largest scouted opportunities in the country. Most of the kids playing on those teams get drafted so I would expect that this is just the beginning for both of them. It's very, very exciting. We hope that Zac and Tanner are setting the tone for the younger players in our organization and we can place players on these teams every year.". 

LaNeve will play infield while Wilt pitch. They will travel to New York where they will practice with the team at Yankee Stadium. Then, they will play in Florida for the East Coast Pro team, followed by playing in California for the Area Code team.

To learn more about the two teams go to www.EastCoastProShowcase.com and the Area Code Games http://northeastyankees.com/home.html

2012 Class Loaded with Talent

4 NorCal East players in the 2012 class are ranked among the tops in the country according to Perfect Game. Thanks to a great effort at the Perfect Game Junior National Showcase in Florida two weeks ago Max McDowell is the # 4 ranked 2012 player in Pennsylvania and # 105 nationally. Christian Helsel is # 5 in PA and # 129 nationally, Russell Clark is # 7 in PA and # 133 nationally and even though David Rosenberger wasn't even there and he is the # 1 ranked LHP in PA and ranked # 134 nationally. David has already committed to play college ball at the University of Virginia.

Not to be outdone, the 2011 class is represented well, too. Tanner Wilt (Coastal Carolina) is the # 1 ranked pitcher in PA and # 155 nationally. Brock Goodling (Clemson) is the # 2 pitcher in PA and # 271 nationally. Dennis Mitchell is the # 1 ranked first baseman in PA and # 434 nationally and Zac LaNeve (Boston College) is the #  2 ranked SS in PA and # 500 nationally.

With these amazing rankings it could be said that NorCal East is attracting the top players in the entire state of PA.

Tanner Wilt Makes NY Yankees Area Code Team

Receiving an invitation to tryout for the Area Code games is a big deal. Not many invitations are given and you must be recommended by a pro scout just to tryout. Making the team is extremely difficult because the competition is so amazing. That's why Tanner Wilt was so excited on Wednesday when he got a personal call from New York Yankees scout, Matt Hyde. "He told me I made the team, said Tanner. "I was shocked". Tanner is NorCal East's first ever player to make the Area Code team.

Coach Helsel had this to say about Tanner making the team. "Brent Ronan (Padres Scout) recommended 9 of our players and all nine got invitations. That, in and of itself, is huge because just getting invited and attending a tryout is a huge exposure opportunity. Brent showed tremendous confidence in all nine of our players when he recommended them and we are very grateful for his support. The fact that one of our players made the team is just tremendous. It doesn't surprise me that Tanner was chosen. He's an outstanding pitcher and is very deserving. All of his hard work is paying off for him. I couldn't be happier for him. I think he will represent our organization extremely well and will perform at a very high level. Big doors are opening for Tanner."

To learn more about the Area Code Games go to:  http://northeastyankees.com/home.html

Rosenberger chooses UVA

Fresh off his dominating 15K performance this past weekend, David Rosenberger has verbally committed to the University of Virginia. The 2012 grad from Allentown, PA chose UVA over several ACC and SEC schools. "I just felt totally comfortable with everything at UVA, said David. Coach Kuhn did a great job of making me feel like UVA was the right fit for me. I have been to several of their camps and they have seen me pitch a good bit. I couldn't be any more excited".

Coach Helsel had nothing but praise for David. "He is as good as any 2012 LHP in the country. He was one of the leaders in strikeouts in the state of PA for AAAA schools as a sophomore. He is a strike throwing machine and he is a fierce competitor. He just shuts good teams down. David deserves the success he's had. God gave him a lot of talent and he gets the most from it. He's a very discplined kid with a fantastic work ethic. I think he's only going to keep getting better and better. UVA got a gem. "

Rosenberger is the first 2012 grad from the NorCal East team to commit. He is joined by 2011 commits Tanner Wilt (Coastal Carolina), Brock Goodling (Clemson) and Zac LaNeve (Boston College)

NorCal East 17U White team ranked #23 in the country according to Perfect Game.  

Congratulations to the NorCal East 17U White team which is ranked # 23 in the country according to Perfect Game's preseason rankings. The initial rankings came out today and will be updated throughout the year. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the ranking is how fast NorCal East has risen to the top 25. In only their second full year of operation they are listed alongside the other top organizations, most of which have been in existence for more than 10 years such as East Cobb Astros # 2, ABD Bulldogs (CA) #1, Dallas Yankees # 5, Orlando Scorpions # 4, etc. NorCal Baseball (CA) is listed as the # 16 ranked team in the country. The Canes from Virginia are listed as # 2. It is very likely that the NorCal East White team will face off against the Canes in the first tournament of the year at James Madison. The White team will also have an excellent opportunity to play some of the other highly ranked teams when they travel to the University of Georgia in June to play in the East Cobb Astro's hosted tournament.

Another interesting observation is that NorCal East is the only team in the top 25 from the entire Northeast. The vast majority of the teams listed are from the south, southwest and west.

See the complete listing and article on the # 1 team in the country at: http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=4766

Coach Helsel had this to say about the lofty rankings "Of course we are flattered to be listed alongside all of these other great organizations. We have a lot of really good players who I feel are right there as far as competing on the national level. But, like any other rankings, the truth is always decided on the field. We are just so anxious to get our season started".  

Zac LaNeve chooses Boston College.  

Another NorCal East player has made his college choice. Zac LaNeve has chosen Boston College to continue his academic and baseball career. Zac is the second NCE player this year to receive a scholarship to play baseball at an ACC school. BC saw Zack play last summer at the WWBA in GA and again in the fall at Ft. Myers. They were so impressed with Zac that they offered him last fall and held that offer until he accepted this past weekend while on a visit to BC. Zac couldn't be any more excited, "This is a dream come true. Since I was in little league one of my goals was to play DI baseball. Now, I'm going to get that opportunity at one of the top academic schools in the country and play in the best conference in the country. The coaches at BC were great with me and gave me the time to make an informed decision. I love everything about it up there".

Coach Helsel had this to say about Zac. "He has the tools to be a great college shortstop and beyond. He does things that you can't teach. In baseball terms you say "he has great actions". Besides that he's a very hard worker and very focused on becoming the best player he can be. He received a lot of attention from many schools and had many choices. I think he made a great choice in BC. They have been very high on him since they first saw him last summer and to their credit they never waivered. They got their guy."

NorCal East Announces the NorCal East Player Guarantee 

NorCal East Co-Founder, Mark Helsel, made a huge announcement at the spring organizational meeting on March 14^th. He unveiled the all new NorCal East Player Guarantee. Each NCE player signed a certificate which indicated their willingness to strive for the ideals set forth by the organization. At the end of the season Helsel will return the certificates with his signature indicating the player exemplified the NorCal East high standards for conduct both on and off the field. The guarantee is below.  

NorCal East players believe in CANEI (Constant And Never Ending Improvement). They understand and embrace the journey of becoming the best player they can be. More importantly, they strive to become the best human being they can be. They bring value to their team by being a great teammate and a great person. NorCal East players are purpose driven. They have goals and they work toward achieving their goals every day.

NorCal East players look you in the eye when you speak to them. They give you a firm handshake and they tell you the truth. They understand that body language and communication skills are important to building relationships.  

NorCal East players play the game the right way. They sprint on and off the field and give 100% on every play. Hustle isn’t something they do; it’s who they are. They show great respect for their parents, siblings, teammates, coaches,  umpires, opposing teams, opposing coaches and the fans. NorCal East players win with class and lose with dignity. They play with “sameness” because they know that they must control their emotions to be the best they can be.  

NorCal East players are grateful for the opportunity to play the greatest game on earth and consider it an honor and a privilege to play it in the greatest nation on earth; The United States of America.  

NorCal East players are confident in themselves and in their teammates. They have prepared themselves for success mentally, physically and spiritually, and for this reason they expect to win. They are fierce competitors, but recognize that baseball is a game, not a war. NorCal East players are humble. They look for ways to serve, not to be served.  

NorCal East players are people of character. 

 Brock Goodling commits to Clemson Tigers

2011 Grad Brock Goodling has chosen to continue his baseball career at Clemson University in South Carolina. Goodling chose Clemson over 20 other schools who were recruiting him. Clemson has one of the most successful college baseball programs in the country and is consistently ranked in the top 20 of college baseball.  Goodling is a RHP from Mount Union, PA and will pitch this summer for the NorCal East 17U White team. His fastball has been clocked in the 90’s. NorCal East coach Mark Helsel had this to say about Brock’s decision. “I was fortunate to be on the same visit when Brock saw Clemson for the first time and his eyes just lit up. You could tell that it was the right place for Brock. They’ve got everything he wanted; tremendous facilities, fantastic coaches, high academic standards, great weather and a very successful program. I am very happy for Brock and his family. He’s one of the most likeable kids you’ll ever meet and he obviously has the talent to play at the highest level of college baseball.  I expect him to have a very successful career at Clemson”.

NorCal East Players getting recruited by the top DI schools in the country and getting recognized nationally by Perfect Game. 

One of the many advantages of being a NorCal East player is getting national exposure. The NorCal East program’s primary objective is to attract quality players (on and off the field) and then promote these worthy players to college and pro scouts. The NorCal East coaching staff is committed to helping each and every one of it's players find a place to play at the next level. As an example, since last fall NorCal East players have been on invited visits to the following schools:  

Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Miami (FL), Clemson, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Wake Forest, East Carolina, North Carolina State, Kent State, George Mason, Boston College, Hartford, Coastal Carolina, Stanford, Liberty, Radford and Vanderbilt. NorCal East players also have planned visits this sping and summer to Auburn, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Central Florida, Georgia, Louisville and Texas Christian. At least 8 NorCal East players have already been offered scholarships to play at one or more of the schools listed above. Many more will be offered scholarships this summer and fall after NorCal East plays on a national stage all summer and fall.  

Additionally, NorCal East players are getting recognized by the top national recruiting services. According to PGCrosschecker, NorCal East has some of the top rated players in Pennsylvania. Three NorCal East players are ranked nationally. Several NorCal East players have been invited to Perfect Game's Inivtation Only National Showcase at Tropicana Field in Florida.

NorCal East players are also drawing the attention of Pro Scouts. Several NorCal East players have already been invited to the East Coast Pro Showcase in June. At least 10 NorCal East players will recieve invites from Professional Scouts to attend the Area Code tryouts.

World Class Speed Coach, Ed Lovelace, spends the day with NorCal East players in Pittsburgh. 

NorCal East players got treated to a very rare training. They spent the entire day with one of the top speed coaches in the country, Ed Lovelace. Along with Ed, the Pitt coaching staff was there to watch, as well as Doug Strange, director of player development for the Pirates. Brent Ronan, San Diego Padres Associate scout was there, too. At the all day speed clinic at the Cost Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh, Ed did what Ed does, he talked about speed all day long, demonstrating and teaching things that most of us have never heard before. Speed training is virtually non existent, yet lack of speed is one of the first things to get a player  scratched off any scout's list. Go figure. Our NorCal East organization is working hard to make sure that never happens to one of our players. 

NorCal East pitcher, Tanner Wilt, commits to Coastal Carolina University

NorCal East pitcher, Tanner Wilt, has chosen to continue his baseball career at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina.

Coach Helsel also commented, "Tanner is a true competitor. Every time he's on the mound it looks the same. He's out to win and there is no backing down. He has the confidence and the ability to be a really good college pitcher. Coastal Carolina is a great school and has a strong baseball tradition. Their coaching staff did a fantastic job recruiting Tanner. He really feels at ease with them".

Tanner is the second NorCal East player to verbally commit to a Divisoin I school. In November former NorCal East player, Austin Urban, committed to Penn State. The Penn State Coaches had this to say about Austin. "Austin is very athletic and a guy we feel could play a few different places for us. He is another player we signed who we feel will help us on the mound and in the field. On the mound, he has a very good arm and a great feel for his secondary pitches. Defensively, he is an outstanding middle infielder. At the plate, he is a high contact guy that shows good gap power."