MARYLAND GAZETTE
Sports Columnist
JOE GROSS

5th Annual Mid-Atlantic High School Baseball Classic
"Battle on the Ship"
University of Maryland at College Park's Shipley Field

Skills Showcase is All Set

Applications being accepted from area baseball players

Lou Holcomb, who directs the annual "Battle on the Ship" Mid-Atlantic Baseball Classic, is accepting applications from high school juniors and sophomores wanting to participate in the skills showcase. The event is slated for Aug. 5 at the University of Maryland's Shipley Field.

A tryout and skills combine for players who will graduate in 2009, 2010 or 2011 will be held Aug. 3 at 9 a.m. at Joe Cannon Stadium in Hanover. College coaches looking out for talented players will be on hand at the combine and at the North vs. South all-star games that cap the tryouts.

Holcomb is a former all-county player at Old Mill who was named the state player of the year and was recruited by nearly 50 major college programs. He ultimately chose to stay close to home to play at the University of Maryland.

Eventually, Holcomb signed with the Texas Rangers but a shoulder injury cut short his career after just two years and he returned home to coach at Cardinal Gibbons High in Baltimore.

He realized then that many youngsters needed assistance in finding a college that would suit their skill level. He also realized that young players needed someone to speak on their behalf to coaches and recruiters. So, he put together an organization he called Diamond Recruiting in 2003 and set up the combine and the all-star games where college coaches could get first-hand looks at local players.

Holcomb's dedication to helping young baseball players has been lauded by coaches throughout the Middle-Atlantic region. In the years since he organized Diamond Recruiting, he has been especially helpful to Anne Arundel County players.

More information about Holcomb's event is available online at www.diamondrecruiting.com.