TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Prep Stars Take Shot At The Trop's Catwalks

ADVERTISEMENT

By CARTER GADDIS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 6, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Brian Domenico figured there had to be a better way to raise money for his baseball team. A car wash just wasn't getting it done, a fact the Boca Raton Olympic Heights coach found out the hard way about five years ago.

"We were out there all day," said Domenico. "We washed seven cars."

So, Domenico created the fundraising home run derby that would evolve into the International High School Power Showcase, the second version of which took place Saturday at Tropicana Field.

Five dozen power hitters from high schools representing every state, Canada and Germany participated. Zack Helgeson of Hidden Valley High in Roanoke, Va., was the winner.

It started in 2004 as the South Florida Power Showcase, held at Olympic Heights High and contested by 68 players from 26 South Florida schools. In 2005, the event expanded to include the entire state of Florida.

By late 2006, the event had moved to Bucky Dent's Baseball School in Delray Beach and included 20 competitors who had won regional events from 13 states and three countries. This year, Domenico committed the approximately $20,000 it would take to rent the Trop and pay for lights for a day and invited contestants from all across the country, as well as Canadian Brian Sanders and Chris Howard from Germany.

Most of the money to pay the Trop's rental fee, the $8,000 for uniforms and $4,500 for Friday's welcome dinner was raised through the $550 entry fee paid by the participants.

In five short years, Domenico's vision has expanded from a local fundraiser to an event designed to celebrate the home run with a gathering of some of the best high school power hitters from around the world.

"The whole point of it now is to get as much exposure as possible," Domenico said.

Neither of the two local participants, Brandon High's Michael Smith and Wesley Freeman of Winter Haven All Saints' Academy, advanced to the five-player final round. Freeman had the most consecutive homers during a round with four, including one off the "C" ring catwalk.

For Smith, who said he attends 10-12 Tampa Bay Rays games per season, just the chance to swing for the catwalks was reward enough.

"To be able to have the experience to come out here and play where a professional team plays, there's nothing better than that," Smith said.

Reporter Carter Gaddis can be reached at (813) 259-8291 or igaddis@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT