Published: July 03, 2008 12:09 pm            

Team offers baseball expertise to area youth

PRINCETON — Princeton Rays have spent the last few weeks working out their lineup, but there are lots of young, new prospects on deck.

The 12th annual Princeton Rays Youth Baseball Clinic will hit Hunnicutt Field, Saturday, July 12. Running 9:30 a.m.— 1 p.m., the clinic is open to boys and girls, ages 7-15.

First, Rays General Manager Jim Holland said the players will be grouped in age-appropriate categories and split into groups for a variety of clinics involving batting, pitching, fielding and more. During the day, they’ll receive individual tips and advice from the Princeton Rays coaching staff and several of the 2008 Rays.

“We have had an outstanding turnout for the clinic every year we have conducted it. We get a lot of kids that come back year after year and also new kids who hear about it from the ones who have been here,” Holland said, in announcing the annual camp plans.

Registration fee for the one-day clinic is $30. As part of that fee, each camper will receive a T-shirt sponsored by Newberry Ford and The Lewis Agency, a Rays backpack bookbag, an action figure of 1999 P-Ray and current star outfielder Carl Crawford and a set of Rays rally beads.

Plus, they’ll also get to make their own mementos during a Rays autograph session, and they’re invited to watch the Princeton Rays take on the Bluefield Orioles that night at home for free.

“It really is a good value,” Holland said, encouraging parents to register their future pros soon.

Pre-registration is encouraged, since the clinic will be limited to 150 participants.

All campers who are registered and paid in full by Monday should receive their T-shirts on the day of the clinic. Late registration and day-of-the-clinic registration will be $33.00 (the additional $3.00 being used for the mailing of the clinic t-shirts).

Instructors for the clinic will be P-Rays' manager Joe Szekely, pitching coach Marty DeMerritt, hitting coach Rafael Deleon, and infield coach Hector Torres, as well as several players on the 2008 Princeton Rays team.

For more information, e-mail raysball@sunlitsurf.com or call Hunnicutt Field office at 487-2000.

— Contact Tammie Toler at ttoler@ptonline.net.

        

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