By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor

LONG BEACH, CA—Three games Sunday marked the conclusion of the regular Area Code Games, while the Area Code Underclass Games got underway. I only caught one game of the older group, seeing the White Sox (Midwest) and Brewers (Southern California) face off as I spent the morning checking out some of the underclassmen. The Brewers-White Sox tilt was a fairly well anticipated matchup with the Brewers’ obvious depth of talent, but the White Sox had some good arms slated to pitch.

Ultimately, the game fell flat and the Brewers dominated, winning 7-1, but there wasn’t a shortage of things to see. RHP Tyler Benninghoff (Rockhurst HS, MO) made his first appearance of the event, pitching three innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and a hit batter. He struck out three. He gave up some loud contact, but was facing some of the country’s best hitters and still flashed an intriguing arsenal.