La Verne’s Sean Powell Wins MLB Pitch, Hit & Run Competition
Sean "Boog" Powell
On July 12, 2011, you can expect all the big names in Major League Baseball to be there, guys named Pujols, Prince and Rejes from the National League and Bautista, Hamilton and Ichiro from the American League.
But now there might be a nine-year-old from La Verne ready to crash the party. Over the past several weeks, Sean Powell, a La Verne Little League All-Star, has been competing in Aquafina’s Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit & Run competition. Well, he hasn’t been just competing, he’s been winning each round as well. He won the local competition for his 9-10-year-old age group at Bonita High School. He won his regional competition staged in San Bernardino and he won the whole enchilada at Angel Stadium, meaning is the Angels’ MLB representative who is now competing against the players in his peer group from the other 29 MLB ball clubs.
On June 27, on the MLB network, the top three winners of each age group division will be announced. Currently, MLB is tabulating the scores that Sean and the other 29 players posted for their division. If Sean emerges among the Top 3, he will be on his way for an all-expenses-paid trip to Chase stadium, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the 2011 MLB All-Star game.
“It would be really cool,” said Sean, who also won his La Verne Little League’s home run derby competition for his age division earlier this season.
Even if Sean doesn’t make it to Phoenix, he’s already had a taste of Big League baseball life, hanging out in the Angel dugout and pitching and hitting a baseball and circling the bases in front lots of fans, including his two most ardent supporters, his dad Andy and his mom Jennifer.
Just in case his number is called, Sean has been waking up early and running around the track at Bonita, trying to improve his speed around the bases. But Sean figures to do most of his damage, pitching and hitting the baseball, where he was nearly perfect, going 5-of-6 in both categories at both the Angel Stadium and San Bernardino competitions.
“I’ve got my fingers crossed,” Sean said about a possible upcoming road trip to Arizona. “I love baseball, it’s my favorite sport.”
June 18th, 2011 at 10:19 pm
Great report on a wonderful young man. Sean is special and it would be great if he could represent La Verne at the All Star game. Go Sean!!