The Union Titans got the best of Mountain View in Class 4A Greater St. Helens League baseball Monday afternoon with an 11-run fifth inning that led to a 12-7 victory.
The main event, at least for a handful of baseball scouts, came after the game at Union High School.
Mountain View senior Preston Jones and Union senior Brady Whalen put on a hitting display in the batting cage — the second time this high school season the two have “auditioned” in front of professional evaluators.
“It’s a pretty good feeling, people wanting to watch you swing the bat,” Jones said. “People at the next level think you’re a possible prospect. It’s a pretty big deal.”
Monday, there were a half-dozen scouts in attendance. (There was another game in the region that had two aces on the mound, attracting a number of scouts.) There were close to 20 scouts the first time Union and Mountain View played each other this season.
“Ever since I was a kid, the goal has been to play pro ball one day,” Whalen said. “These are the guys who go back and say what they saw. They say if teams should spend their money on me or not. These are the guys who make those decisions. Playing in front of them is a dream come true.”
Jones has signed with Oregon State and Whalen has signed with Oregon. However, both players are open to the possibility of signing pro contracts out of high school, depending on Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft in June.
Jones had two hits, including a double, in Monday’s game. Whalen had a run-scoring single and was walked four times.
“During the game, it’s tough to stay focused on the task at hand because you know there’s a big opportunity after the game,” Whalen said.
After the teams had their post-game huddles, Union players set up the cage, setting the stage for Jones and Whalen to see more pitches.
Jones said it was odd to get in the cage like that, right after a loss. But he was also motivated.
“It makes you want to prove something,” Jones said. “If you didn’t play well, here’s an opportunity to show what you can do.”
Both players used wood bats in the batting cage — no aluminum bats in pro baseball, after all. Whalen, a switch hitter, blasted a shot over the right-field fence while batting left-handed.
The rest of the high school season will be more of the same for these two. Maybe not batting practice after games, but certainly there will be people watching, taking notes.
Preston Jones and Brady Whalen hope to leave a positive impression.
