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General  | Blog | 3/21/2010

Brenham, The Baseball Capital of Texas

BASEBALL IN THE HEART OF TEXAS

About halfway between the unbelievably spread out and enormous city of Houston and the bustling state capital of Austin lies the quiet town of Brenham, home to about 28,000 people, the Blue Bell ice cream factory and the county seat of Washington County.

In the rolling hills around Brenham are some of the most historic ranches in the state of Texas, along with the origin of much of the state’s rich heritage and history.

Needless to say, there are also far more cattle than there are people, although the land used to be covered with cotton plantations before the soil gave out and the cattle and ranchers moved in.

Washington County was the capital of the Republic of Texas back in the 1840’s. The vote among the state’s leaders to secede from Mexico in 1839 happened just down the road from where I’m writing this piece. The vote to secede from the Union in 1861 was taken on the very ranch that has hosted me for the past five days, with Sam Houston casting only one of two negative votes.

You know that the people of Brenham are well aware of their heritage when you pull into Fireman’s Park, the home of the Brenham High School Cubs (I have no idea how they chose the name “Cubs” for a school out here, forgot to ask). The big sign over the clubhouse and concession stand reads in big letters “Welcome to Brenham Baseball Country, The Baseball Capital of Texas.”

The sign also lists just some of baseball team’s accomplishments over the past 60 or so years, except that they’ve run out of space. Playing in the 4-A classification, the second largest in Texas, Brenham has won 25 consecutive district titles and six state championships. The town’s baseball fans, who seem to be everywhere we went in town, are a bit nervous though. They’ve been to the state finals five times since they won their last state title in 1988, including last year when they lost to Texarkana HS and their star OF/LHP, Yankees first round draft pick Slade Heathcott. They think that this year’s team has maybe the best chance to go all the way in many years, thus the increased burden of expectations.

(For more background on Brenham Baseball, check out this website: http://brenhamcub.tripod.com/)

A total of 26 Brenham Cubs have played professional baseball since 1967, the most well known being former Milwaukee Brewers 1B and Houston Astros Manager Cecil Cooper. However, the most famous player from the high school, at least at that time, never played professionally. He’s the answer to what is a great trivia question for fans and followers of top level high school baseball.

Who was the last high school baseball player before Bryce Harper (aka “The Chosen One”) to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated?

The answer to that would be Brenham High School RHP Jon Peters (Class of 1989).

The entire story, complete with cover picture, is at this link (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1068357/1/index.htm) and is very much worth the read.

To make a long story short, Peters broke the national record for most consecutive victories by a high school pitcher, winning the first 51 straight decisions of his career. He later lost in the state playoffs, costing Brenham a chance at a fourth straight state title, but the story of the small town pitcher was a national sensation.

I saw Peters pitch for Brenham early in the 1989 season while scouting with the Astros. He was a 6-2, 190 lb right hander with a deceptive delivery and a fastball in the mid to upper 80’s that he could spot with precision. Peters’ curveball and change up were solid pitches as well but there really wasn’t ever a point where he was a pro prospect. He eventually signed with Texas A&M but blew out his elbow early in his college career. I was told that he still lives and works in Brenham and man’s the ticket booth before games on occasion.

I had the opportunity to go by Fireman’s Park at 3:30 earlier in the week before a 7 pm game to watch batting practice and infield before hustling off to another game. I’ve been to Fireman’s Park probably 20 times over the years, including last June when it was one of the fields, along with nearby Blinn JC, used for the Perfect Game Sunshine South Showcase.

Two things left immediate impressions with me.

The first was the sight driving into the parking lot. Lined up on the far side away from the field and potential foul ball damage were 14 pickup trucks. These were the player’s vehicles. 14 pickup trucks and not a single regular car among them. This is Brenham, Texas after all, the middle of ranch country. Any self respecting young man is not going to be seen driving an old hand me down Buick around town.

The second was the precision that coach Jim Long’s (15 years as the Brenham head coach) team worked out over three hours before game time, with exactly two people in the stands watching. Every player had the exact same uniform on, shirts tucked tightly into baseball pants, socks all worn old style with pants at the exact same level just below the knee, hats worn straight with the same bend in the bill. A Marine master sergeant couldn’t have found fault in these uniforms. It was flat impressive. The players went through two hours of various multi-station drills, including an infield routine that brought back memories of the elaborate Ron Polk choreographed workouts at Mississippi State years ago.

You could see the pride that was inherent in the program and the tradition of the Brenham Cubs.



General | Press Release | 5/25/2023

Perfect Game & Launch Hydrate Team Up

Perfect Game Staff
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850 Twixt Town Rd. NE | Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Introducing Launch Hydrate: The Official Sports Drink of Perfect Game, Powering Athletes with Next-Gen Hydration CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Thursday, May 25, 2023) – Perfect Game, the world’s premier youth baseball and softball organization dedicated to hosting the highest quality amateur events while providing meaningful opportunities and information to players, coaches, and families, is excited to announce its official partnership with Launch Hydrate, a leading innovator in the sports nutrition industry. This partnership will provide Perfect Game participants access to Launch Hydrate’s revolutionary sports drink as well as exclusive events, promotions, and products. Launch Hydrate’s Sports Drink sets itself apart with...
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Creighton Tuzzio (2024, Clarinda, Iowa) took the ball in the semi-final game and was able to get on the bump and carve for his team. Tuzzio is a taller 6-foot-6, 210-pound frame with plenty to like in the operation. The right-handed pitcher has a slower and more controlled operation as he works through the delivery. He lifts the leg up around the belt and then works through a three-quarters release with good whip through it. The fastball worked up to 86 mph on the fastball and held in the low- to mid-80s. He creates some angle on it with the taller & projectable frame. It runs arm-side and can be a problem for right-handed hitters. He also showed a low-70s curveball with a bigger 11/5 tilt to it and good depth to miss some bats. The Iowa Western commit threw 5.0 innings, allowing just 1 run, with 4 walks and 6 strikeouts to his credit.   There’s no surprise here, but...
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Pool A Team Top Pos. Player RK Class Top Pitcher RK Class Location Boston Red Sox Scout Connor Lane 500 2024 Tague Davis 59 2024 Boston, MA Cangelosi Sparks Tyler Bell  122 2024 Brady Chambers 500 2024 Lockport, IL Dirtbags National 2024 Dalton Wentz 74 2024 Riley Leatherman 251 2024 Sedalia, NC Florida Burn Colton Schwarz 214 2025 Presley Woodson 500 2025 Sarasota, FL Projected Pool Winner: Dirtbags National 2024 With one of the deepest and most physical lineups in the nation, the Dirtbags National 2024 club have been putting up runs in bunches. No hitter is hotter than Austin Irby, as the ECU commit is While sluggers Dalton Wentz, Will Craddock and Palmer Hornick won’t be in attendance, Lee Sowers, Will Brooks, Jon Young Jr. and spark plug Carter Richardson lead an offense that averages over 7 runs per game. They can cover ground on...
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Todd Coffey
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A high speed look at this 2B from Keon Johnson... #WWBAWorlds @PG_Georgia https://t.co/Ejl8GirIgk pic.twitter.com/ate7ro35cp — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) September 24, 2023 Keon Johnson (2026, Macon, Ga.) started off the morning loud, going down to get a pitch down and smoking a double that split the opposite field gap at a 92 mph exit velocity. The shortstop has one of the best hit tools in the class and has tremendous feel for the barrel. The swing is quiet and simple, staying loose through the zone. The ball jumps and the parts really work. At short, Johnson looked silky with good actions, range, and plenty of arm strength across. The game comes easy for the Georgia native, and still just 15, the all-around game is very well-refined for the age.  Jaxson Wood (2026, Hoover, Ala.) finished batting .500 over the tournament, including three extra-base hits. The primary...
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Troy Sutherland
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Sophomore WWBA Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Extended look at Gunnar Garrison... 7 IP, 1 H, OER, 13 K, 1 BB (70% K) #WWBAWorlds @PG_FourCorners https://t.co/V89oASpD8r pic.twitter.com/tsP1mWCoNz — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) September 21, 2023 Colorado right-hander Gunnar Garrison (2026, Eaton, Colo.) was magnificent in his start for Slammers Anderson 2026’s. The big and physical 6-foot-4, 210-pound arm threw a complete game, seven inning, one-hit shutout, striking out 13 and walking one. The fastball had downhill life to it, sitting in the 85-88 range for the entirety of the game. Garrison held the velocity and reached back for his fastest bullet of the game, at 89, in the seventh inning. Finishing the outing with 70% strikes, he filled up the zone and went right at hitters. He also induced swing-and-miss on a curveball, featuring late...
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John McAdams
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Jack Harley (2024, Mendham, NJ) put together a dominant performance at the plate in the WWBA NEQ, leading his team to a coveted Jupiter bid while also earning MVP-honors. The 6-foot-1 left-handed hitter showcased his advanced bat-to-ball skills on several occasions. He batted .643 with two doubles, a home run and six stolen bases. Harley utilizes a repeatable, synced-up stroke with clean separation into launch. He has a great feel for the barrel and creates good strength at impact to all parts of the diamond. The future Hokie recorded a hit in all six of his games and proved to be a reliable bat at the top-of-the-order for Clubhouse 2024 EvoShield. Harley’s build offers a good balance of strength and athleticism, making him a well-rounded prospect with intriguing upside moving forward.  .#VandyBoys commit Aiden O’Connell (‘24, NH) is back on the bump in the #NEQ...
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Vincent Cervino
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Nathan Caldwell (2026, Columbia, S.C.) looked the part in the batter’s box as the Team Elite three-hole hitter had one of the hardest hit balls of the day. There’s really impressive bat speed and the ability to create violence and rotational acceleration through contact. He missiled a single during the game and there looks like there’s going to be pretty significant impact potential long term. He’s a strong kid with good indicators and offensive tools to like. Drew Borkowski (2026, Huntley, Ill.) showed plenty to like in the arm as he got the start in game one on the day for GRB. At 6-foot-1, 170-pounds he’s got a lanky frame with long limbs and plenty of room for physical projection. It’s a quick arm with solid arm speed throughout and he opened up sitting 85-87 mph with the fastball. The fastball showed good sinking life and he used it to get a lot...
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Cape Cod Top 2025 Prospect List

Vincent Cervino
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Earlier this week we debuted our Cape Cod Top 100 Prospect List and mixed amongst the 100 names were some 2025 graduates who will be eligible for the upcoming 2024 MLB Draft. Below, each of the 50 names are eligible in 2025 and those listed with an "^" are continuing their careers at a new school this fall.  Name Pos. Team School Hometown State Adonys Guzman^ C Bourne Arizona Valley Cottage NY Aidan Jimenez RHP Chatham Oregon State Elk Grove CA Anthony Martinez 1B YD UC Irvine Fairfield CA Ben Jacobs LHP Bourne UCLA Huntington Beach CA Bradley Hodges LHP Hyannis Virginia Fleming Island FL Brady Neal C YD LSU Tallahassee FL Brody Donay^ C/1B Hyannis Florida Lakeland FL Caden Bodine C Bourne Coastal Carolina Haddon Heights NJ Cam Leiter^ RHP Orleans Florida State Island Heights FL Cannon Peebles^ C Cotuit Tennessee Mechanicsville VA Drew Faurot^ SS Orleans Florida State Tallahassee FL...
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