By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
Justin “Gator” Moore had such a nice showing at a September baseball tournament in Florida that he was asked to play in another tournament in Arizona. Even better for Moore, a junior at Washington High School, he was named a 2009 Under Armour Baseball Pre-Season All-American.
The 5-10, 180-pounder, who has graded out well in various baseball clinics, hopes he can have a strong showing out west.
The 2009 Under Armour Baseball Pre-Season All-American Tournament will be held Jan. 16-18 at the Kino Sports Complex, spring training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox, in Tucson, Arizona.
The Baseball Factory and Team One scouting departments selected all the players for the three-day tournament.
Moore and the rest of the All-Americans will receive certificates during a special awards ceremony.
Players will then represent their region in a 20-team wood bat tournament.
Besides getting the chance to show off his skills in front of scouts, Moore will also be presented with a team uniform and cleats, among other goodies. He’ll also get the opportunity to prove that he belongs to play at Wrigley Field.
Scouts will use the tournament to qualify 2010 grads for next year’s Under Armour All-America Game, which will be played in August at historic Wrigley Field.
Playing in the tournament will help provide more exposure for Moore. A personal web page will be set up and video footage, contact information and a scout’s summary will be placed on each player’s page. Players may e-mail the web link to any coach or scout in the country to get instant feedback.
Pro scouts from many of the major league teams will be on hand at the tournament. Meanwhile, many of those scouts will be instructing players on-field.
Moore, who carries a 3.3 GPA, hopes to continue his success with the Pam Pack in the spring. He realizes that the “All-American” label won’t go unnoticed by opponents.
Moore, the son of John and Donna Moore, plans to continue working diligently to become the best player he can be in high school. He plans to attend a baseball clinic in Goldsboro this weekend, and already has his sights set on participating in future East Carolina baseball functions.
Moore listed ECU, North Carolina and N.C. State as his “dream” choices for college.
Whether it’s in eastern North Carolina or out west, as long as Moore is on a baseball field, the All-American is happy.