The prep baseball seasons may be coming to a close, but summer league baseball is just getting started.
The Crosscutters baseball program for high school-aged youths kicks off with tryouts this week, set for 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, May 21, and 1-4 p.m. Sunday, May 22, both at Port Angeles’ Civic Field.
Players on high school teams advancing to state tourneys next weekend are asked to be on hand on May 22 but won’t be required to work out, Qualls says.
This year, the Crosscutters are splitting into two squads: one, a 19U “showcase” team geared toward college recruitment and exposure, and a 17U American Legion development team focusing on preparation and understanding of what it takes to advance to the next level.
Cost is $500 per player, with opportunities for financial assistance if needed.
Coaches are looking to fill a roster of 12 athletes for the showcase team and 18 players for the 17U squad, with six athletes allowed to swing between both teams.
Crosscutter players come from across the Olympic Peninsula from Forks and Neah Bay to Jefferson County and even into Kitsap County, head coach John Qualls says.
“The concept behind that is we’ve got to be able to push the threshold of the talent,” Qualls says. “We’re looking for goal-oriented players and we want to help them maximize their potential.”
Compared to other regions, the distance between where the Crosscutters draw their roster is significant, but Qualls notes, “The good news people are used to traveling.”
The coaching staff includes: Qualls, a Sequim resident; pitching coach Wayne Daman of Forks, who pitched for Washington State University in the mid 2000s; pitching coach Andrew Neisenger of Port Angeles, who played for Southwestern Oregon Community College and Saint Martin’s University; coach Darrin Dotson of Jefferson County, who as head coach of Quilcene High School led the Rangers to their second consecutive league title in as many years, and hitting instructor Cameron Leduke of Forks, who played in the Wilder Baseball program.
Daman is a particularly strong addition to the coaching staff, Qualls says, because of his experience: Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 24th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, Daman pitched for three different A-level ballclubs in the St. Louis Cardinals organization (2007-2008).
Like last year, the initial Crosscutters’ summer schedule (subject to change and not yet finalized) features a 12-game league schedule against teams from Kitsap County, plus a number of tournaments at colleges.
Those college-based tourneys are key, Qualls says, for local players looking to play beyond high school.
“(Last year) went really well, but it was evident when we went to college showcases that they (players) were not prepared,” Qualls says. “They did not know how to communicate with coaches. They were intimidated. In this day and age, you’ve got to be able to sell yourself … and put a résumé together, that, ‘This is who I am.’”
This year, Qualls and other coaches aim to fix that issue by having players spending more time with coaches prior to tournaments. “That’s something that’s been missing on the peninsula,” Qualls says.
• June 1-5 – Edmonds Community College tourney
• June 9-12 – Skagit Valley College tourney (Mount Vernon)
• June 17-19 – Anacortes tourney
• June 24-26 – Bankers Invite, Olympic College (Bremerton)
• July 2-3 – Big Bend Community College (Moses Lake)
• July 6-11 – College Showcase Tourney (Centralia)
• July 15-17 – District tournament, Port Angeles
For more information, call Qualls at 461-0482 or email johnqualls34@gmail.com.
