The Hitting Zone
chapter-1172

We were dismissed shortly after. Some guys left in a hurry, while others were more casual. Seeing Noah not moving, I didn't move either.

Danny and Cody were part of the slow movers. They stood up and grabbed their bags.

"We'll catch you guys later." Danny gave a head nod. "Make sure to message me on the gram if you want a showdown. My schedule is flexible in the summer. I'll bring this dude along even if he doesn't want to pitch, he can still play."

"Sure, sure." Noah briefly looked up and acknowledged. "Jake might like the cages the most, but we still have to practice fielding and endurance training. I'll send you our schedule after school let's out. Good luck on your finals."

"Ugh." Danny scrunched up his face in disgust.

Unbelievably, that made Cody crack a smile in his cold demeanor. "He'll need it."

Danny started to complain as the pair walked away.

Noah chuckled. "That guy is probably an idiot. God help him."

I grinned.

We hung around until Dave called Noah. Which he promptly rejected. I hurried to call Dave back using my phone, and explained that Noah was watching the play-by-play for Zeke's game so he couldn't answer. Dave didn't bother about that and just said that he was pulling up, asking if he needed to park. I said we would just meet him out front.

We stayed on the line as Noah and I grabbed our stuff and headed out. Dave was in a line of cars of parents picking up their sons. He rolled down his window to wave to grab our attention. We threw our stuff in the trunk and got in; Noah in the front passenger seat and me alone in the mid row.

"How was it?" Dave asked.

"Pretty good day." Noah said. "Didn't have any strikeouts. But I also didn't see Cody or Danny from Servite. I'm thinking they're the best two pitchers here."

"Yea?" Dave glanced back at me.

I nodded. "I got to see everyone pitch yesterday so I would but those two at the top this weekend. Especially Cody. No one has a faster breaking ball."

"Such a nasty curve." Dave said in agreement. "God, I would hate to have to bat against him. How embarrassing is it to lose to someone younger than you?"

"We're all in high school. It doesn't matter." Noah said. He pumped his fist and yelled in excitement. "Yesss!!! Zeke homered!!!"

"Nice. What's the score now?" Dave asked.

"5-4." Noah started to bounce his leg up and down. "They're only in the seventh inning though. C'mon Dave, drive faster. We can catch the end of the game."

Dave tapped the steering wheel. "Doesn't matter how slow or fast I go, we don't have tickets to go in."

"What?!" Noah looked at him in disbelief.

Dave laughed. "Did you think we would buy extra tickets for a game that you guys would miss most of? Dude, it's sold out. Don't worry, we can sit outside the stadium and stress with the others who couldn't make it in."

"What about your ticket? Can't I use that to go in?" Noah asked.

"No re-entry." Dave shook his head.

Noah slumped in his seat.

Dave laughed. "Don't worry. Zeke and his team has this. They'll win this game and will play again tonight for a rematch against A&M."

Noah straightened back up like he was brought back to life. "Yes! Definitely!"

I nodded along. I hoped they would win too. Keep moving on. Wait. I leaned forward so I could ask. "What happens if they do face Texas and win? Won't that mean that both teams still only have one loss?"

"They would play again. Tomorrow obviously." Dave answered. "That's only if Stanford can win twice today. Against Cal State Fullerton and then Texas A&M. It's a tough schedule in the playoffs. Next weekend would be better if they get that far. The Super Regional is a three game series against one other team. Then bracket play in Omaha."

"School will be out by then." Noah said. "We can go to Omaha!"

"Not Kyle." Dave reminded. "The draft starts Wednesday. He will already be picked. Heck, he could even have his minor league assignment by then."

"What happens to college players that get drafted but are still playing in playoffs?" I asked, trying to understand. "Do they have to give up on playing in playoffs?"

"Of course not." Noah shook his head. "They'll get a little extra time for their contract and assignment afterwards. Besides, college ball is just like minors if you ask me."

Dave laughed. "You're not totally wrong, but there is that big difference of bats being used. Strictly wood once you're a pro. Plus, the whole compensation thing."

"If Kyle drops further than predicted, you think he'll still go?" Noah asked Dave.

Dave, as his twin, should know best. "Unless he really gets snubbed, I think he goes pro. Top ten rounds easy. Top five hopefully."

Noah looked back at me. "Try to look up Kyle's projection on the draft board. They should have something on him. Like a little into of sorts."

"Look up Garret first." Dave told me. "He's obviously looking like round one or two. So he'll be higher."

I sat back and pulled out my phone, trying to find the info of draft projections. "Found Garret. Should I read it to you guys?"

"Yea, go for it." Noah nodded, yet his eyes were still on his own phone.

I cleared my throat before reading. "Garret Knudsen, pitcher and outfielder, from Watsonville, California. The lefty is projected to go late in the first round thanks to a fastball in the 90's and a killer cutter that helped him be a strikeout leader on a state championship team. His ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts per nine innings were one of the best at the high school level. If that's enough, Knudsen is a two-way player, playing center field on his days off the mound. His batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging were second on the team. This is a player that will excel quickly with experience and should be highly valued for his accomplishments." I paused. "Then they listed all his awards since being on varsity. Then they list his height and weight." My eyebrows raised at the next part. "Likely teams: Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Kansas City Royals."

"Ew." Noah commented.

"That doesn't mean anything honestly. Minor leaguers get traded all the time." Dave said. "You've got to take these things with a grain of salt. Jake, you find Kyle yet?"

I nodded. "Yea. I think so." I paused. "He's in the top 100."

Noah scoffed. "What? At 99?"

"98." I corrected.

"He's moved up." Dave commented, sounding a little surprised. "Third round potential. Just last month, we were think fourth or fifth. Read it, Jake."

I took a deep breath. "Kyle Atkins has a familiar last name and with good reason. His older brother, Zeke Atkins was a first round pick last year that passed on the Twins and chose to go to Stanford University."

Noah snorted. "Hot start."

"This Watsonville High School product does not seem to want to follow that same route." I continued. "The pitcher is known for his unique style on the mound despite having an identical twin at the same position, David Atkins, committed to pitching powerhouse, Vanderbilt University."

"Wow!" Dave interrupted me this time. "Even I'm mentioned. Shoot, I probably have a write-up too. Read about me next, Jake."

"Sure." I cleared my throat. "Kyle Atkins improved his fastball speed in the past year by an average of 4mph. He didn't lose his control in the process, striking out more this year than last. His innings per a start also increased, and his WHIP and ERA lowered. Expect this Atkins brother to climb in the days leading up to the draft as teams examine his improvement and willingness to go to the minors over college."