Local boys hope to play baseball in Puerto Rico

By Gloria Austin  
Staff Writer
    Two local teenagers are hoping for an opportunity to play baseball with some of the best players in the country, provided they can come up with the necessary funding.
Contributed photograph
HUM FIRE – Parker Walker and teammate Will McGary on making plans for a trip to Puerto Rico to play baseball with Team USA of Coast-to-Coast Baseball.
    Parker Walker, son of Steve and Melissa Walker, and Will McGary, son of Melanie Hardy and Wally McGary, of Oakfield attended Coast-to-Coast Baseball tryouts held at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor during the summer, and both boys are planning to play international baseball in Puerto Rico with Team USA.
    This will be Walker’s second trip to Puerto Rico, as he went in 2008.
    “It was such a good opportunity to build skills,” he said of a return trip. “I thought it would be nice to play with Will, too.”
    Walker, who will only be 14, and McGary, who will be 15, will be playing in the 15-16-year-old age division.
    At the tryouts, McGary wasn’t sure what to expect, but found he was right at home on the field.
    “I just wanted to go and have fun,” he said. “I figured it would be the last thing to do with baseball for the summer, so I just gave it 110 percent.”
    The Coast-to-Coast Baseball coaches worked on the fundamentals of the game from fielding to throwing, along with running a hitting clinic, as well.
    “At first, we started out with stretching and then we went for a 60-yard dash,” McGary said. “We worked on the fundamentals like ground balls, fly balls, throwing and stuff.”
    A difficult point of the day for McGary was fielding.
    “Probably the hardest part was taking ground balls,” he explained. “I was kind of nervous and I didn’t want to mess up. But, they were just looking for fundamentals. So, I was all set.”
    Coast-to-Coast coaches don’t only try to strike a balance with baseball basics. They attempt to tie baseball to life choices, said Walker.
    “I learned not only how to become a better player, but to have a better attitude on the field,” he said. “They help you with skills on the field and off. They show you how to get ready for games and even for life.”
    At tryouts, the players are given a coaches’ evaluation.
    “They scored us on what we did,” said McGary. “I just recovered (from fielding miscues) and did pretty good.”
    With the Little League World Series winding up in August from Williamsport, Pa., McGary and Walker are even more psyched for their competition.
    “I just watched it,” said McGary. “All of those young players from around the world travel to play against top teams.”
    That in essence is what these two young players will be doing in Puerto Rico.
    “I’ve gone down and played with kids from the U.S. that are good players,” Walker said. “I’ve also played against people from Puerto Rico. This year, I’m looking forward to playing with Will and meeting some Puerto Ricans.”
    The youth will not only be exposed to top-notch baseball competition, but to another culture. They will eat foreign food and tour other areas of the island.
    “I was looking forward to the beaches and stuff,” said McGary, “but now, I’m looking forward to playing with very good baseball players down there.”
    Since Walker has experienced the trip to Puerto Rico, he knows what is expected, as a player’s day begins with breakfast between 6-8 a.m., followed by at least a two-hour practice.    Team USA had between two and three hours off for lunch and free time, but by 4 p.m., they were back on the bus at their hotel and headed to the diamond to play a double header each night.
    Walker found himself growing through the experience.
    “I saw improvement,” he said. “I became more of a mature player. I know what to do with the ball more and it just helped a lot.”
    Both players would like to play on the college level some day, and are hoping their experience with international baseball will be a help.
    “I want to go and give 110 percent,” said McGary. “I want to make sure the trip is worth the money to pay for it. I want to get a good background for a college or sports career. It’s a good opportunity to play baseball with kids from around the United States.”
    “I think [the trip] will help our teamwork,” Walker added. “Maybe it will help the teams around here because we can pass on drills and stuff we did there.”