Prep baseball talent to be featured at SBT

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In order to know if you are the best, you have to play the best.

Such is the theory behind the Suburban Baseball Tournament to be held at Plainfield South on Saturday and Sunday.

The tournament is a showcase of the state's top high school baseball players.

Former Lockport baseball coach Jim Hall is the event's coordinator and said the SBT pits the state's top 2009 senior high school players against one another.

The ball players are nominated for the showcase by their respective conferences, with a maximum of two to three from each team. The player then pays an entrance fee which covers lunch, a jersey and something more important -- the chance to display their gifts on the diamonds in front of scouts who might be interested in either drafting or offering the players scholarships.

Hall said he has contacted about 120 college and professional scouts and thinks the turnout of scouts will be higher than last year's total of 70 because the weather will be better.

In front of the scouts, each high schooler will have a chance at a professional workout.

The workout will have the players run from home to first and will also be time them in a 60-yard dash. Outfielders will have their arms tested and infielders will show off their ability to play groundballs.

Hall said this time in players' careers is one of the most opportune to be scouted. He also pointed out that beyond the workout, the players who stand out will be doing so against the top competition that the state can offer.

"Ideally, a lot of parents want their child to get a scholarship," he said. "They want their player to be seen against the best in the area, and now there are a ton of great players playing against each other. (The value of being scouted now) is immeasurable."

To aid scouts even more, Hall said the SBT has thrown together a scouting book available for purchase which will have the players' statistics along with grades and test scores.

Hall said top collegiate teams will have scouts on hand as well as smaller schools.

"No one's stock will stay the same," Hall said. "At the end of the tournament some guys will look really, really good, where as some might drop a little."

The tournament will group the players and coaches by conference, and will then pit the conferences against each other. Scores will be kept, but no teams will be eliminated and every team will face each other.

"It gives our players the best opportunity to be seen by scouts and to get them off to good starts to their senior seasons," Hall said.

The first games will start at 10 a.m. Saturday with two games being played simultaneously and another two starting afterward.

Another four games will be played Sunday.