Kevin Gowdy will be pitching in the prestigious Area Code Games in Long Beach.
Santa Barbara High standout right-hander Kevin Gowdy has been named to the Milwaukee Brewers squad for the Area Code Baseball Games on Aug. 4-9, at Blair Field in Long Beach.
The Area Code Games feature eight regional teams of elite high school players from all over the country. The players are selected through a tryout process. The showcase event draws Major League scouts and coaches from many of the top college baseball programs.
The Major League clubs participating in this year’s Area Code Games are the Brewers, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics.
Joining Gowdy on the Brewers squad is Avery Tuck of San Diego. They were teammates on the Santa Barbara Riptide, a local youth all-star travel team, and the Santa Barbara Grizzlies club program. Both players are entering their senior year in high school. The 6-4 Gowdy has committed to UCLA.
“It has been a privilege to coach Kevin and Avery in their early years of baseball,” John Jensen Jr., their former coach with the Riptide, said in a press release. “They are both high-character young men that have worked hard and have taken the right steps in their development plan. The Riptide was a great group of young hungry players that loved the game. There are several other Riptide alumni heading to college to play baseball and further their education.”
Gowdy and Avery also have been invited to play in the Perfect Game National Showcase, Aug. 16 at Petco Park in San Diego. The game will be televised on the MLB Network.
Additionally, Gowdy is trying out for a spot on the USA Baseball 18-Under National Team. The trials for the final 20-man roster are Aug. 17-22 at Cal State Fullerton. The 18U team will play in the WBSC World Cup in Japan. Team USA has won gold medals in each of the last four years, including back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013.
