When the Goodwill Series makes its way back to Australia for the “World’s Oldest Showcase”, Manteca will have one of its own in attendance, as Manteca High senior Matt Burrows was invited to participate in the baseball showcase against some of the best players in Australia Dec. 16 - 31.
Burrows will man one of the roster spots on the White Sox 18-under squad, coached by Chicago White Sox scout Adam Virchis. The White Sox are one of six teams making the trip to Australia, joining the Tampa Bay Rays (18-u), Texas Rangers (16-u) and the SSK Rookies (14-u) teams in international play.
The Chicago Cubs (18-u, 16-u) will be formed from players from throughout the entire country, while the Rays team will be players from Southern California, and Burrows’ White Sox teammates will be made up of players from the Central Valley.
“It is the highest level of baseball for a high school player,” Burrows said. “You go out and play against players from other countries and teams from other countries; and it is a great way to get your name out there for scouts in our area and abroad.”
Virchis is quite familiar with the Valley Oak League baseball scene, playing a prominent role in the White Sox drafting Oakdale High standout Justin Jones in the seventh round of the 2009 Major League Baseball amateur draft.
Burrows will try and help the club in any facet he can, but will be ready to handle a bulk of the pitching load as well as put the ball in play from the batter’s box.
“I just plan on playing my style of baseball,” Burrows said. “I am going to play the way I know how to play and that is play hard every day I’m out there.
“They see me at third base, so just hitting the ball all over will be my number one goal.”
Each player will have to register to receive their passport before joining the club, opening the opportunity to see great cities like Sydney, Brisbane as well as the capital of Western Australia, Perth. The players will be staying with host families, assisting with the expenses of the two-week trip.
“I’ve been on a cruise to Mexico, but to go 12 hours (flight time) away is really a big deal,” Burrows said. “Not only will we have our scouts, but there will be scouts from Australia there as well. There will be several opportunities to get noticed by professional baseball.”
Each club is scheduled for at least a dozen games, setting the foundation for a lot of playing time. All tournament action will be coached by professional scouts and former professional players and all the hitting will be done with SSK wood bats, giving players familiar with the wood a definite advantage.
“This past week I played in a tournament in Arizona that used wood bats,” Burrows said. “I have been swinging wood preparing for that, so I know that I am comfortable swinging wood.
“To me wood is the same as a metal bat, it really doesn’t faze me.”
Over twenty players from the recent MLB All-Star game participated in the Goodwill Series, including Albert Puljos, Ryan Howard and Carl Crawford.
Burrows will man one of the roster spots on the White Sox 18-under squad, coached by Chicago White Sox scout Adam Virchis. The White Sox are one of six teams making the trip to Australia, joining the Tampa Bay Rays (18-u), Texas Rangers (16-u) and the SSK Rookies (14-u) teams in international play.
The Chicago Cubs (18-u, 16-u) will be formed from players from throughout the entire country, while the Rays team will be players from Southern California, and Burrows’ White Sox teammates will be made up of players from the Central Valley.
“It is the highest level of baseball for a high school player,” Burrows said. “You go out and play against players from other countries and teams from other countries; and it is a great way to get your name out there for scouts in our area and abroad.”
Virchis is quite familiar with the Valley Oak League baseball scene, playing a prominent role in the White Sox drafting Oakdale High standout Justin Jones in the seventh round of the 2009 Major League Baseball amateur draft.
Burrows will try and help the club in any facet he can, but will be ready to handle a bulk of the pitching load as well as put the ball in play from the batter’s box.
“I just plan on playing my style of baseball,” Burrows said. “I am going to play the way I know how to play and that is play hard every day I’m out there.
“They see me at third base, so just hitting the ball all over will be my number one goal.”
Each player will have to register to receive their passport before joining the club, opening the opportunity to see great cities like Sydney, Brisbane as well as the capital of Western Australia, Perth. The players will be staying with host families, assisting with the expenses of the two-week trip.
“I’ve been on a cruise to Mexico, but to go 12 hours (flight time) away is really a big deal,” Burrows said. “Not only will we have our scouts, but there will be scouts from Australia there as well. There will be several opportunities to get noticed by professional baseball.”
Each club is scheduled for at least a dozen games, setting the foundation for a lot of playing time. All tournament action will be coached by professional scouts and former professional players and all the hitting will be done with SSK wood bats, giving players familiar with the wood a definite advantage.
“This past week I played in a tournament in Arizona that used wood bats,” Burrows said. “I have been swinging wood preparing for that, so I know that I am comfortable swinging wood.
“To me wood is the same as a metal bat, it really doesn’t faze me.”
Over twenty players from the recent MLB All-Star game participated in the Goodwill Series, including Albert Puljos, Ryan Howard and Carl Crawford.
