Baseball: Buckel, Yelich trying to make U18 national team

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Competition to earn an invitation for the USA Baseball U18 national team continues today in North Carolina, where Simi Valley Royal pitcher Cody Buckel and Westlake Village Westlake infielder Christian Yelich have been performing well at the USA Baseball Tournament of the Stars.

Buckel threw five shutout innings Saturday and Yelich is hitting above .350. Chad Lewis from Huntington Beach Marina had three hits on Friday. Aaron Sanchez from Barstow and Matt Duffy from Lakewood are also making bids to receive an invite for the U18 national team.

The eight-team tournament features 144 players and includes Bryce Harper from Las Vegas. Other players participating include Christian Lopes from Valencia, Austin Wilson from North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake and Cory Hahn from Santa Ana Mater Dei.

-- Eric Sondheimer