7th/8th graders

Attention 7th and 8th grade baseball players. Did you make the junior varsity or varsity squad of a South Carolina high school? If so, we'd like to hear about it! Send us a message on Facebook (search Junior Diamond Prospects if not a friend) or send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and tell us the good news. Please include the grade you are in and the school you attend now and the name of the high school. We'll be compiling a list of those players and updating it as names come in to us. To view, click here.

USSSA

The Carolina Scorpions (pictured left) from Simpsonville recorded a first place finish in the 10U division of the U.S.S.S.A. Early Bird tournament in Greenville last weekend. See if that tournament title vaulted them into the top five in the 10U AAA rankings in South Carolina. To view all the rankings by age division, click here.

Taylor

This young man is a member of the Spartanburg Phillies and Woodruff High School junior varsity programs. Jason Taylor Jr. has some quality bloodlines, his father having played in college and some other relatives who played professionally. This 3B/RHP attends Woodruff Middle School and he revealed to us in our recent conversation a relatively rare accomplishment in another sport. JrDP will let you in on that and a whole lot more about Jason the person, on and off the field, in our Junior Diamond Spotlight. To view, click here.

T Rio

The Junior Diamond Spotlight stays in the Lowcountry for another promising young prospect in the Palmetto state. Not only is Tyler Rio a teammate of recently spotlighted Cody Smith on the Goose Creek Diamondbacks travel team, but they are also teammates on the Goose Creek High School squad. And like Smith, Rio accomplished that feat in just the 8th grade. Tyler spent some time recently with a member of our staff for a JrDP Q and A. You'll find out what this student at Sedgefield Middle thinks about being on the big stage of high school baseball at such a young age as well as a variety of other subjects in the Junior Diamond Spotlight. To view, click here.

C Smith

The Junior Diamond Spotlight moves into the Lowcountry as we continue to canvas the state highlighting the best players in South Carolina. Cody Smith attends class at Westview Middle School as an eighth grader but he will put on the uniform of the Goose Creek High School Gators when the high school baseball season begins. In fact, he is the first of two members of the Goose Creek Diamondbacks that we will spotlight, both having made the Goose Creek High School varsity squad. We suspect you'll be hearing Cody's name for quite a while. We'll introduce you to Cody "Clutch" Smith next in the Junior Diamond Spotlight. To view, click here.

Tillmon

The Junior Diamond Spotlight moves further down I-26 to the Midlands for our next featured player. Brandon Tillmon is a versatile athlete who will display his wares for the Palmetto Elite this spring. We dropped in on the 6th grader at Carolina Springs Middle School in Lexington recently for a Q and A. Tillmon carries a big stick in his offensive game and can do one thing throwing the baseball that only a small percentage of players in America can do. Find out what that is and more in the Junior Diamond Spotlight. To view, click here.

Adair

This right-hand hurler has the distinction of being one of the few 8th graders to make the varsity squad of a AAAA high school in this state. Tanner Adair is currently a student at Hickory Tavern Middle School and lists that achievement as his biggest to date. When the high school season comes to an end, this upstate prospect will don the uniform of the Upstate Spartans. What activities does he like to participate in away from baseball? Who has had the greatest influence on him as a player? You'll find out those things and much more when he steps into the Junior Diamond Spotlight. To view, click here.

TOY

The nominees are Greenville Pirates (9U), Laurens Lightning (10U), Simpsonville Stars (10U), UBC Venom (10U), Carolina Reds (11U), Lowcountry Bulldogs (11U), Carolina Scream (12U), SC Wolves (12U), Carolina Cubs (13U), Carolina Sox (13U), Carolina Reds (14U), and Hartsville Rebels (14U). The votes have been counted and the "2009 Team of the Year" is...To view, click here.

Arroyo

The Spartanburg Phillies have a history of fielding quality teams, no matter which age division you are talking about. One of the bright young prospects on their 11U team is Alberto Arroyo. The "Big Cat", a 6th grader at Dawkins Middle in Spartanburg, contributes to his team's success from either the mound, behind the plate or from one of the corner infield positions. We cornered him recently for a little JrDP Q and A. You'll learn what he finds appealing to him about baseball and some of his favorite things to do off the field. All of this and more in the Junior Diamond Spotlight. To view, click here.

Scouts

Watch baseball, earn ca$h! JrDP Scouts needed: Do you consider your baseball background good enough to cover USSSA, AAU, Little League or Dixie Youth games? If so, we could use your help to write up contests in the 9-14 age groups across South Carolina. We have current needs in the Columbia, Aiken/North Augusta and Myrtle Beach areas. What better way to earn some extra spending money than watching Americas pasttime played by the stars of tomorrow. Anyone interested in being an area scout for Junior Diamond Prospects - and being compensated - should contact Richard Edwards at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Lessons

Baseball Lessons: Are you looking for individual baseball lessons during the fall and winter? There are qualified instructors in every part of the Palmetto state. To view a list of options statewide, click here.

Photos

Junior Diamond Prospects subscribers can access our "Photo Gallery" (look under "Players" on home page). View photos of some of the top young prospects from around the state in game uniforms. We have over 300 players in our gallery now. During the 2009-10 season, we will be adding more and more of the better players that we see. Plus, we'll add more photos of the players already featured here. To view, click here.

Velocity

Ever wonder what the average velocity is for a particular age? Check out the peak velocity of some of the pitchers we have seen perform in person. You can find it on the tool bar under Players/Player Evaluations/Pitcher Velocity or to view it now, click here. We have over 300 players currently in our data base. Check back often as we will be updating this information as it comes in from our area scouts.

Tournaments

JrDP will continue to be your #1 source for baseball tournaments in the state. Check out Tournament Central for upcoming events...

Colonel Jack Whitener Invitational, Union, Gameday Sports, March 19-21... Spring Showdown, Rock Hill, Gameday Sports, March 20-21... Midlands Spring Showdown, Lexington, Gameday Sports, March 20-21... Battle at Patriot Park, Sumter, Gameday Sports, March 20-21... Shamrock Showdown, Aiken, Atomic City Sports, March 20-21... BLWS Benefit, Easley, GameOn, March 20-21... Spring Classic, Myrtle Beach/Surfside Beach, Baseball Dreams, March 27-28

Team Spotlight

Coaches, want to have your team featured in the Junior Diamond Team Spotlight? You'll have the opportunity to share with our readers about your coaching philosophy, your team's accomplishments, be able to recognize your players individually, and much more. Junior Diamond Prospects wants to recognize your

team. Email Richard Edwards at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and we'll let you know how to do it.

Subscribe!

Junior Diamond Prospects is a subscription-based site. In order to bring you top-flight coverage across South Carolina, JrDP is offering you a membership on a monthly or on an annual basis. Get all the insider information for just "pocket change" a day. Try a monthly subscription for only about 30 cents a day. Or better yet, take out an annual subscription for only about 15 cents a day. If you wish to subscribe, set up an account with Paypal first if you don't have one already, then return to JrDP, register (click on register under "Login Form" on left of home page) and connect the dots! For detailed instructions on how to subscribe, go to our FAQ page or click here.

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JrDP Headlines

March 19-21 tournaments: U.S.S.S.A. and Gameday Sports will play host to the "Colonel Jack Whitener Invitational" at Timken Park in Union. To register for that event, click here. U.S.S.S.A. and Gameday Sports will play host to the "Spring Showdown" in Rock Hill. To register for that even, click here. U.S.S.S.A. and Gameday Sports will play host to the "Midlands Spring Showdown" in Lexington. To register for that even, click here. U.S.S.S.A. and Gameday Sports will play host to the "Battle at Patriot Park" in Sumter. To register for that event, click here. U.S.S.S.A. and Atomic City Sports will play host to the "Shamrock Showdown" in Aiken. To register for that event, click here. And Nations Baseball and GameOn will play host to the "BLWS Benefit" in Easley. To register for that event, click here.

Nations Baseball in the Upstate: The Upper State website for Nations Baseball has now been updated with their tournament schedule for 2010. To play a Nations tournament in Easley, Simpsonville or Union this year, contact Phil Evatt at (864) 907-7360. Checkout the schedule by clicking here.

Play Nations Baseball at Heritage: Heritage Park in Simpsonville, one of the most popular places to play in the Southeast, announces their 2010 tournament schedule. Heritage has once again partnered with Nations Baseball as their exclusive tournament host. Get hooked up now with an event at Heritage by clicking here.

Top Gun Sports offers "free" tournaments in '10: Top Gun Sports will offer a unique way for your team to save money in 2010. Play in 3 Top Gun events and the 4th tournament entrance fee is "free". The tournament director for Top Gun Sports in South Carolina is Baseball Dreams, set to hold events in Aiken, Lexington, Murrells Inlet, Myrtle Beach, Rock Hill, Surfside Beach, and West Columbia. To view the 2010 Baseball Dreams tournament schedule, click here.

Baseball + the Beach = Double the Fun: You probably don't want to go through the 2010 season without a tournament trip to the Beach. Myrtle Beach Sports is the U.S.S.S.A. host on the Grand Strand. Schedule your team to play in the most popular vacation site in the Palmetto state. They also host tournaments in the PeeDee in Florence, Hartsville and Cheraw. To view the 2010 MBS tournament calendar, click here.

Baseball in the Lowcountry: Looking to play a U.S.S.S.A. event in the lowcountry? Check out the 2010 Lowcountry Baseball tournament schedule, hosting events in Charleston and Summerville. To view, click here.

Gameday Sports readies for 2010 season: U.S.S.S.A. Baseball and Gameday Sports will offer an extensive tournament schedule in 2010. A full slate of events begins on February 13-14 with the Early Bird Classic in Lexington. Gameday will host events in Anderson, Charleston, Easley, Greenville, Greenwood, Lexington, Rock Hill, Spartanburg, Sumter and Union. To view the 2010 Gameday tournament schedule, click here or look under tournaments on the tool bar.

Atomic City Sports releases 2010 tournament schedule: U.S.S.S.A. Baseball and Atomic City Sports have released their spring/summer schedule for 2010. It kicks off with the Battle of Aiken at Citizens Park in Aiken on February 20-21. To view the complete schedule of events, click here or look under tournaments on the tool bar.

Facebook: JrDP is now on Facebook! Login to your account and search "Junior Diamond Prospects" and add us as a friend (now 250+ strong) to receive notifications of site updates. To login, click here.

JrDP Quote of the Week: "I want everybody to feel he has a chance to get into a game when he comes to the ballpark. I play guys when I want to so they'll be ready when I have to. I don't consider myself a motivator of players. I think it's an insult to a ballplayer to have to be motivated." Gene Mauch

Fletcher Baseball discontinues operation: Scott Fletcher, president of Fletcher Baseball has taken a position with the Colorado Rockies organization. Through prayer and a great amount of consideration Scott has decided to discontinue the Fletcher Baseball program. He feels very strongly that it would be hard to maintain the quality and attention to detail experienced in past seasons without his daily participation. For more, click here.

Who is looking for players? New! 9U SC Cyclones (Upstate), 9U Carolina Devil Rays (Indian Land/Fort Mill), New! 10U Bulldog Baseball (Greenville), New! 10U Laurens Lightning (Laurens/Clinton), 10U Carolina Diamond Dawgs (Anderson/Greenville), New! 11U Easley Baseball (Easley), 11U Carolina Heat (Lancaster), 12U Palmetto Surge (Aiken/North Augusta), 12U South Carolina Hurricanes (Columbia), 12U SC Sluggers (Taylors), 12U Potential Sports Academy (Greenville), 13U Spartanburg Phillies, New! 14U Carolina Hawks (Simpsonville), 14U Potential Sports Academy (Greenville), & more. To view all, click here.

Who is looking for a team? New! 11U RHP Charleston area, 11U C/3B Anderson area, New! 12U P/IF/OF Spartanburg/Duncan area, New! 13U P/IF Cowpens/Spartanburg area, New! 13U OF/3B/2B Greenville/Simpsonville/Taylors area. To view all, click here.

Watch baseball, earn ca$h! JrDP Scouts needed: Do you consider your baseball background good enough to cover USSSA, AAU, Little League or Dixie Youth games? If so, we could use your help to write up contests in the 9-14 age groups across South Carolina, especially in the Florence, Myrtle Beach, and Charleston areas. The spring season is upon us with tournaments in every part of the state. What better way to earn some extra spending money than watching Americas pasttime played by the stars of tomorrow. Anyone interested in being an area scout for Junior Diamond Prospects - and being compensated - should contact Richard Edwards at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

JrDP Scoreboard: In our continual efforts to improve the visibility of youth baseball in South Carolina, Junior Diamond Prospects is very excited to introduce the website's newest feature! Subscribers now have the ability to post game information on JrDP's Scoreboard for everyone to view...For more, click here. Or, to go to the scoreboard, click here.

Polls: Tournament brackets are now up. Chime in on who you think will take home the top honors each weekend in our JrDP Polls. These can be found under the advertisement on the right side of each page.

Advertise on JrDP: Looking for widespread visibility? Want to sponsor an upcoming Junior Diamond Prospects event? Your business could possibly prosper from our rapidly growing exposure. For more information, click here.

Does your team/organization have a web site? Email your link to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will put it on our team page. To view "Team Links", look under Teams on the front page or click here.

Looking for players or a team in 2010? Are you looking for a player for the 2010 season? Are you looking for a team to play with? Maybe Junior DP can help. Send us what you are looking for and we will publish it. Please include city team is based out of or area that you live in, age group of the team or player for the 2009 spring season, and contact information (email address and/or phone number). Also, if your local league is having registrations, send us that information and we will publish it as well. Email Richard Edwards at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

JrDP Spotlights: We've featured many talented players over the past several months, and we plan to bring you more and more spotlights as we move through the 2009-10 season. In this Junior Diamond Prospects feature, our subscribers will learn more about who the better players are, what they like about the game, what they like to do off the playing field, and more. Stay tuned!