DP Locals Qualify for USA Baseball Showcase Event

Dana Point Times

Two local youth baseball players, Trent Caraway and Rocco DiFrancesco, have proven to be can’t-miss talents in the Southern California region.

The two players, who were both former Dana Point Youth Baseball All-Stars, were recently selected to travel to Cary, North Carolina to take part in USA Baseball’s National Team Identification Series (NTIS). The showcase event brings hundreds of ballplayers from 16 different regions across the country together for a weekend of competitive action.

Caraway was selected as a 13-and-under player and DiFrancesco will compete in the 14U division. Caraway will represent the Southern California-Hawaii region and DiFrancesco will represent the Northwest.

While at the NTIS, the two players will have a chance at catching the eyes of USA Baseball coaching staff in hopes of being named to an official national team.

Caraway, who will be an eighth grader at Marco Forster Middle School in the fall, is a shortstop. He qualified for the NTIS after advancing through a showcase event held at UC San Diego on June 29. He will travel to North Carolina and compete from Aug. 9 to Aug. 12.

DiFrancesco, a catcher, impressed the USA Baseball staff at a showcase at Cal State Fullerton on July 12. DiFrancesco will be an incoming freshman at Dana Hills High School in the fall. His scheduled showcase in North Carolina begins Aug. 24.

During their regional showcases, Caraway and DiFrancesco had to display their talents in events like the 60-yard dash, fielding and hitting drills, and take part in simulated games.

Caraway and DiFrancesco were teammates together in DPYB and while playing for the Saddleback Cowboys developmental team. The duo were part of the Cowboys’ first-place finishes at the TCS Arizona Spring Championships, AAU SoCal World Series, AAU Junior Olympics and the Cooperstown All-Star Village Champions tournament last season.