Tom Myers has made it his mission to grow the game of baseball on the Central Coast.
Myers is in his 11th year of scouting amateur talent for the major leagues. Ten years ago, he started the Santa Barbara Grizzlies Baseball Group, a summer program where high school, community college and four-year college players can hone their skills to improve their chances of advancing to the next level of competition.
“My vision has taken flight and now we have a system in place locally to grow the game year around,” said Myers, the area scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. “The program provides opportunities for local players to receive professional coaching while pursuing their dreams to play high school, college and professional baseball.”
Myers has several area ballplayers competing on teams for the summer season.
The Coastal Dodgers opened their season last weekend with a two-game split against the San Luis Obispo Blues of the California Collegiate League.
This month, the Golden Coast Wood Bat League kicks off its second season. The league includes seven teams of high school players from Dos Pueblos, Santa Barbara, Bishop Diego, Dunn, Santa Ynez, Lompoc, Santa Maria and Morro Bay.
The roster of the Coastal Dodgers includes “some of the best high school, JC and four-year college players from the Central Coast,” said Myers.
Among the standouts on the team are recent San Marcos graduates Chase Hoover (headed to TCU), Joaquin Sandoval (Lewis & Clark in Oregon) and Emmett Speake and returning players Cole Schoenwetter and Owen Estabrook; graduated seniors Jackson Cloud and Vic Heredia of Santa Ynez; Santa Barbara High senior to be Cal Wipf, and former Don and current University of Colorado outfielder Owen McKibben.
The team also has a pair of NCAA Division 1-bound pitchers from Morro Bay High, Morgan Codron and Jackson Howell . Codron is headed to Portland and Howell to St. Mary’s.
The Dodgers’ roster also features current players from Cuesta College and SBCC.
Myers said the goal of the Coastal Dodgers and the teams in the Wood Bat League is to improve the fundamental skills and baseball IQ of every player.
“It is a great time of growth and success for many of these players on the Central Coast,” he said. “I feel baseball is thriving because of the parents’, coaches’ and players’ commitment to making the game great.”
San Marcos head baseball coach Wes Ghan Gibson will guide the Coastal Dodgers. His assistants are former SBCC pitching coach Chris Joyce and former Ventura College assistant Steven Hardesty.
San Marcos assistant coaches Morgan Moore and David Valles will lead the high school team.
“We have been very fortunate to have passionate coaches in our program that are great teachers of the game. Our players are in great hands with our staff,” said Myers.
He added that the Santa Barbara Grizzlies will continue their 14U development program during the summer months with small group sessions and individual lessons from the program’s local coaches.
The 14U development program plays competitive games during the fall and spring months.
To learn more about joining the Santa Barbara Grizzlies, visit www.sbgrizzliesbaseball.com. All rosters and schedules can be found at www.goldencoastcollegiatebaseballleague.com.