Baseball - Generic Graphic
Jul 20, 2012
The 2012 Breakthrough Series, a joint effort by Major League Baseball and USA Baseball, begins Monday morning, July 23, with player testing and evaluation, followed by a first round of games set for 5 p.m. at the National Training Complex (NTC) in Cary.
This year’s event features more than 80 top high school players from 21 states around the country and Puerto Rico. Games will run from July 23-25, with a televised showcase game scheduled to be held at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham on July 24, at 11:05 a.m. The game will air on MLB Network on Saturday, July 28 at 2 p.m.
The Breakthrough Series is designed to showcase a diverse group of rising high school players from urban areas throughout the United States. Invited athletes typically have not participated in other travel and high-end tournaments prior to the Breakthrough Series, providing them with an opportunity for exposure. The event moved to the Triangle-area of North Carolina in 2010, with the NTC and DBAP serving as hosts, after being hosted by the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif., from 2008 to 2009.
Since 2008, 77 players have been selected in the MLB first-Year Player Draft, including three first round picks in 2012. Addison Russell was selected 11th overall by the Oakland Athletics, Courtney Hawkins was taken 13th overall by the Chicago White Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers picked Victor Roache 28th overall.
“We are thrilled to once again serve as host of the Breakthrough Series and to bring another premier amateur event to the Triangle-area of North Carolina,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO. “The event continues to provide more exposure for the invited athletes, and we are proud to partner with Major League Baseball on such an important initiative.”
“Major League Baseball is proud to support the annual Breakthrough Series with USA Baseball,” said Frank Robinson, Executive Vice President, Baseball Development, Major League Baseball. “This event is a great opportunity to showcase the country’s best amateur ballplayers from urban communities, and it’s terrific exposure to professional scouts, proven by the fact that 35% of participants from 2008 to 2011 have been selected in the First-Year Player Draft.”
The five-day event officially begins Sunday evening as players will arrive and take part in a Major League Baseball and Major League Scouting Bureau symposium. After the showcase game on Tuesday, a second game is scheduled to be played at 3:30 p.m. at the NTC, and Wednesday games will be held at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Teams will also have practice sessions between games on Tuesday and Wednesday at the NTC. Players will depart on Thursday.
The tournament will consist of eighty players selected by the Major League Scouting Bureau, the MLB Urban Youth Academy, the Atlanta-based organization Mentoring Viable Prospects (MVP), the Chicago White Sox and USA Baseball. Many college coaches and professional scouts are expected to attend the event to recruit players who demonstrate outstanding potential but who may not have had the opportunity for exposure through other summer events.
"In its short history, the Breakthrough Series has proven to be an excellent avenue for Major League scouts and college recruiters to see some of the nation's best amateur players from urban areas," said Frank Marcos, Director of the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau. "The MLB Scouting Bureau is looking forward to identifying and scouting these players on behalf of Major League Baseball."
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