Recruiters, Scouts Get His Number

There’s no hiding at Highland now.

Jason Kubel, an outfielder-pitcher from Highland High, was one of the lesser-known players on the 818 team, partly because the Antelope Valley is a long haul for scouts.

Kubel went six for eight in the Area Code Games this week and was chosen to play on the U.S. Goodwill Series team that will face Japan on Sept. 4-6 at Blair Field in Long Beach.

“I feel real good about that,” he said. “I thought I had a shot at the Goodwill team and it worked out.”

Any doubts were erased by his performance Saturday against the Diamondbacks. The left-handed hitting Kubel doubled down the left-field line to drive in two runs in the first inning, tripled down the right-field line to lead off the third, singled up the middle in the fourth and walked in the fifth.

“I was a lot more relaxed [Saturday],” he said. “I’d played good most of the week and I wanted to keep it up.”

A college coach who plans to offer Kubel a scholarship during the early signing period realizes he is no longer a secret.

“I’m glad he made the Goodwill Series, he deserves it,” the coach said. “But now everybody will be on him.”

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Other players from the region making the Goodwill Series team include third baseman Conor Jackson of El Camino Real and right-handed pitchers Matt Harrington of Palmdale and Jamie Shields of Hart.

Jackson made a strong impression with his bat and glove all week and neither of the pitchers allowed a run in three innings.

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Matt Merricks of Oxnard kindled quite a bit of interest from scouts by throwing 88 mph consistently and displaying a devastating changeup.

The 5-11, 180-pound left-hander needed only nine pitches to retire the side in order in the fifth inning against the Diamondbacks. He also pitched two scoreless innings Thursday against the Angels.

“Merricks has a good feel for pitching,” one scout said. “He is improving rapidly.”

Merricks’ brother, Charles, is a pitcher at UCLA who played baseball and basketball at Channel Islands High.

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Players who have more than one year of high school left typically don’t make an impact at Area Code. But several did this year.

Ryan McCarthy, a versatile Westlake junior, played well at third base and second base, although he was listed on the 818 roster as an outfielder. He hit well, including an RBI single against the Diamondbacks.

Tyler Adamczyk, a junior at Westlake, hit well--and was lucky to boot--getting two broken-bat singles. Adamczyk also pitched two scoreless innings.