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Emerson, Ga. - Today marked the second day of game play at the best uncommitted class of 2027 event with prospects competing to LakePoint Sports in Emerson, GA for the Prep Baseball Future Games. With the two squads representing the state of California squaring off against the teams of Texas (South and North). 

For the day the squad of Southern California played an afternoon tilt under the Georgia sun against the squad from South Texas. For the second game in a row the SoCal bats were able to produce 10+ hits, but they could not push across more than three runs against a stout pitching staff from both Texas squad with nearly every arm touching 90 MPH or more. The SoCal pitching staff saw some success with three of their arms, but the opener for the day picked up the performance of the day for the staff.

Harvard Westlake righthander Justin Kirchner took the bump for the SoCal squad and kept the South Texas offense at bay over his two innings of work. A sturdily built starter Kirchner lived at 84-86 MPH with his FB attacking the corners of the plate aggressively while spinning a 76-78 MPH CB and an impressive 79-80 MPH CHG which collected whiffs from the South Texas lineup. Kirchner allowed no runs over his two innings and posted two strikeouts to front the pitching efforts. Upland righthander Andrew Weber was next up for the SoCal squad and the burly framed Weber showed a four pitch mix highlighted by a 88-91 MPH FB with life up in zone while dropping in a pair of sound breaking balls in his 76-77 MPH CB and 77-78 MPH SLD which collected whiff from hitters and the makings of a sound 82-83 MPH CHG. His first inning was a bit spotty, but still collected two strikeouts before responding with a dominant scoreless second inning of work. 

Offensively the SoCal bats were rocketing baseballs all around the field throughout the game to collect a total of 12 hits on the day and the duo of Ira Rootman (Harvard Westlake High School) and Elyjah Mason (Huntington Beach High School) carried the lions share of the work. Rootman collected a pair of hits on the day with a double at 93.5 MPH off the bat while rocketing a single in excess of 100+ MPH and then also laced a loud line drive out in excess of 100+ MPH (Rootman has hit three balls over 100+ MPH over the two games). Mason posted another multiple hit day with a pair of well struck singles back through the middle of the field giving him now four hits on the two games including a pair of doubles across five at bats. Zion Martinez picked up another knock today with a double and stung a 96 MPH line drive right at the centerfielder. Jake Kim of Harvard Westlake continued to impress with his offensive ability opening the game with a double down the LF line which missed being a homer by about 5 feet and then in his second at bat lined a loud double off the RF wall. Kemuel Zhang collected a line drive single to LCF, Cole Munyon laced a loud single into LCF, Codey Brown collected an RBI knock on the day.

The SoCal squad will complete their time in Georgia by squaring off with their state counterparts in a afternoon tilt against Team NorCal.