Dimatteo

logan_dimatteo_4.jpgNew! Our next featured player in the Junior Diamond Spotlight has displayed his talent in several states over the last few years. Logan Dimatteo has played at East Cobb, the Atlanta Braves spring training facility in Florida, Cooperstown as well as many sites around our state. He currently wears the uniform of the Upstate Mavericks 14U on weekends and will wear the uniform of J.L. Mann High in the weekday Diamond Prospects Fall Developmental League. We hooked up with him recently and we'll let you in on that conversation, next. Coming Thursday!

L-Day Bash

rob_hughes.jpgNew! With the holiday weekend upon us, some local teams and others from as far away as West Virginia converged on Cherry Park for a large tourney in Rock Hill. There were plenty of hits and cheering fans, but also some scary moments as these young players left it all on the field to try and claim victory. JrDP was there to take in the action and spent plenty of time field hopping to see some of the action from several age divisions. See who caught our eye this weekend at the U.S.S.S.A. Labor Day Bash. For more, click here.

Cherry Park

mighty_casey_cherry_park.jpgNew! The statue of the Mighty Casey greets visitors to only one park in South Carolina. Unlike the stalwart for the mythical Mudville nine, the City of Rock Hill didn't strike out with scenic Cherry Park. This venue holds its share of tournaments throughout the course of the year. Junior Diamond Prospects takes you there through the lens of our camera in this venue feature. To view, click here.

To view other venue features, click here.

Pipkin

mark_pipkin.jpgmark_pipkin_2.jpgNew! Sumter is one of the top baseball hotbeds in our state, with prospects popping up in about every class. Mark Pipkin has the potential to follow in the footsteps of many fine players from that area of the state that have gone on to play collegiately. We had a chance to chat with the Laurence Manning Academy 9th grader recently. You'll get to meet him, up close and personal, in the Junior Diamond Spotlight. To view, click here.

USSSA

riverdawgs_10u.jpgThe Riverdawgs (pictured left) have jumped out to a 7-1 record at the start of the 2010-11 season and the #1 U.S.S.S.A. ranking among 10U AA teams. Included in their early season success is a first place finish at the Atomic City Summer Blast. To view the rankings by age division for this current season, click here.

Jeter

blake_jeter_5.jpgblake_jeter_7.jpgNew! His teammates call him "Big Blake" and it could be interpreted in more than one way. He is physically imposing. But he also has a reputation for hitting some big bombs. Blake Jeter is a 6th grader at Powdersville Middle School and currently plays for the 12U Carolina Sabercats and the 13U Longhorns. We met up with him recently for a Q and A. You'll get to know him in the Junior Diamond Spotlight. To view, click here. 

B of the C's

mighty_casey_cherry_park.jpgjax_cash_4.jpgNew! The 11U field of six teams in the U.S.S.S.A. Battle of the Carolinas all made their home in South Carolina and all arrived at Cherry Park ready to impress the fans. While there were some individual performances that stood out, the teamwork was apparent in the teams that separated themselves from the rest of the field. JrDP was on hand for the action on Saturday. See who impressed and put themselves in position to win it all in our Junior Diamond Recap. To view, click here. 

Tobin

brock_tobin_3.jpgNew! The Lowcountry Bulldogs finished up as the top rated U.S.S.S.A. 11U Major team in the state for 2009-10. Their collective accomplishments included five championships in U-trip play alone. One of the stalwarts on this talented team from North Charleston is Brock Tobin. This 3B/RHP spent some time with us recently, talking about baseball and some off the field activities too. He's our next featured player in the Junior Diamond Spotlight. To view, click here. 

LS Challenge II

clayton_darby.jpglate_summer_challenge_2010_2.jpgNew! Our second featured contest on Sunday in the Late Summer Challenge was probably the best game we have seen in quite a while. And it came in the 10U division. It featured the Simpsonville Bombers and the Upstate Sliders for the 10U championship. This contest was a see-saw affair with good pitching on both sides and an exciting finish that had the parents and fans literally out of their seats. We'll recap it in our Junior Diamond Recap. For more, click here. 

Parents

david_list.jpgAfter ten years of teaching, coaching and giving lessons DP's David List felt like it was time to share what he had noticed and analyzed during that time frame. Some of what he is about to share with you comes from his experience in the classroom and other parts comes from his experience as a coach and now parent. He gives each parent some practical advice of how they should approach their son's baseball career. This is a timely must-read for all coaches and parents of kids who play this great game. To view, click here. 

Scouts

boy_flipping_ball.gifWatch 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

barry_mabry.jpglee_gronkiewicz.jpgBaseball 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 400 players in our gallery now. During the 2010-11 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

jugs_gun.jpgbaseball-spinning.gifEver 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_logo.pngJrDP will continue to be your #1 source for baseball tournaments in the state. Check out Tournament Central for upcoming events...

Labor Day Classic, Anderson, Gameday Sports, September 4-5... Labor Day Bash, Lexington, Gameday Sports, September 4-5... Labor Day Beach Bash, Myrtle Beach, Gameday Sports, September 4-5... Labor Day Bash, Rock Hill, Gameday Sports, September 4-5... Labor Day Celebration, Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach Sports, September 4-5... Chik-Fil-A Labor Day Showdown, Easley, GameOn/AAU, September 4-5... Labor Day tournament, Myrtle Beach, Ripken Experience, September 4-6 

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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Midlands - Tripp Cromer

tripp_cromer.jpgMidlands Hitting/Fielding Lessons: Tripp Cromer (right), former USC player and five year major league player with the Dodgers, Cardinals and Astros is offering baseball lessons for ages 10-18 years old. Tripp is offering lessons for anyone who needs Hitting or Fielding help. For more information feel free to contact Tripp at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 803-479-1555.

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Midlands - Kip Bouknight

kip_bouknight.jpgMidlands Pitching Lessons: Former USC All-American and "Golden Spikes Award" Winner Kip Bouknight is giving baseball lessons in the Midlands area. In the last nine years, Kip has played in the minor leagues with five different MLB organizations. For more information, you can contact Kip at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  or call him at 803-467-0180.

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Midlands - Lee Gronkiewicz

lee_gronkiewicz.jpgMidlands Pitching Lessons: Columbia Blowfish manager Lee Gronkiewicz (left) is now giving pitching lessons in the Midlands area. Gronkiewicz was an All-American at USC and later played in the minor leagues for 8 years. He made his big league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2007. For more information, email him at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Upstate - Jeff Young

jeff_young.jpgUpstate Lessons: Former Minor League and College Coach Jeff Young, is now giving baseball lessons in the Greenville area. Hitting, infield, outfield, catching and pitching lessons are available. For more info, email him at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Upstate - Barry Mabry

barry_mabry.jpgUpstate Pitching Lessons: Former Atlanta Braves Minor League pitcher Barry Mabry (left) has moved back to the Upstate after spending a year in the front office with the Rome Braves. A Boiling Springs HS alum, Mabry has been a private instructor for the past 8 years and has coached in the Coastal Plains College Summer League for the past 3 years. To sign up for a lesson, send an email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Lowcountry - Jeff Ridgway

jeff_ridgway.jpgLowcountry Pitching Lessons: Ten-year professional veteran Jeff Ridgway (right) is now doing lessons in the Charleston/Summerville area. Presently recovering from arm surgery, Ridgway has played in the big leagues with the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves. To set up a lesson today, email him at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

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Upstate - Adam Bullard

adam_bullard.jpgUpstate Pitching Lessons: Current Atlanta Braves minor leaguer Adam Bullard (right) is now doing pitching lessons in the Upstate area at The Strikezone. A Mauldin HS alum, he played at SMC and Gardner-Webb during his college career. To sign up for a lesson you can request Bullard by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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 Business  Location
 Blue Chip, Brizo Inc.  Anderson
 Coastal Baseball Academy  Myrtle Beach
 Frozen Ropes  Simpsonville
 Potential Sports Academy  Spartanburg
 Pro Level Sports  Charleston
 Stars Sports Academy  Lyman
 The Strike Zone  Greer
 Welcome to the Big Leagues  Columbia