Asher Gibbons
The Southern Editor
The historic Henley Field does more than just host Mocs games. On January 18, Lakeland was the host site for Prime Time’s prospect games for up and coming high school baseball prodigies.
The nearly 10 hour event included workouts such as the 60 yard dash, fielding drills for both the infield and outfield, batting practice and two games of baseball to boot.
For the players, their feedback ranged from personal coaching from the Prime Time staff to their collected statistics from the drills participated in.
According to their website, “Prime Time assists high school players in connecting with college coaches and recruiters through a series of showcases and camps.”
This was proven as coaches from around the college and professional level gathered at the event to witness the next generation of athletes compete. Five Junior College institutions, one National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic school and five Major League teams were slated to be at the event including the Red Sox, Cubs, Royals, Nationals and Mariners. Additionally, two of the Sunshine State Conference clubs were represented in our very own Florida Southern Moccasins and the St. Leo Lions.
Unfortunately for players and fans alike, the weather was certainly a factor during the event. Just before the games got started, winds of nearly 20 mph whipped around Henley, shutting off Lakeland power for about 30 minutes. On top of the winds, the temperature dropped nearly 20 degrees in a span of two hours.
After a brief delay, the two prospect games went ahead and displayed performances for each and every prospect in attendance. A couple of names to watch headed into the college and pro sphere are outfielder Adams Mejia, who posted a blazing 60-yard-dash time of 6.82 seconds and Alejandro Martinez who held the fastest infield throw of 85 miles per hour.
