Everett Hoffman won the 13/14U Home Run Derby at the All-Ripken Games at Diamond Nation.
By Rich Bevensee
Baseball players are so thoroughly trained by their coaches to use the entire field when hitting that when the opportunity presents itself to take big ‘ol hacks at a home run fence, it sends hearts racing.
Take Everett Hoffman from NJ Elite. The rising sophomore from Howell High in Monmouth County was representing his summer club at the 13/14U level in the All-Ripken Games Home Run Derby on Tuesday evening at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
Hoffman occasionally plays up at the 16U level for NJ Elite, no doubt because of his beyond-his-years maturity and dedication to his craft. But when those lobbed pitches started coming in at the Home Run Derby, all the old memories of going yard in the younger age group tournaments came rushing back like a strong summer breeze.
“I’m more of a doubles, gap-to-gap guy,” said Hoffman, who belted four homers this summer. “When I get to hit homers my mind is racing like crazy. It takes me back to when I was younger on these smaller fields. It was so much fun.”
Hoffman delighted observers with his immensely aggressive swing and ability to deliver multiple and consecutive longballs, ultimately winning the 13/14U Home Run Derby title.
Henry Morris won the 12U Home Run Derby at the All-Ripken Games at Diamond Nation.
“You have to be consistent and take deep breaths between swings, but once you get one, you’re kind of in the rhythm and you want to repeat that swing and hit the ball hard,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman described the oh-so-subtle approach to changing his swing for the Derby.
“I think the approach is different,” Hoffman said. “The approach for the Home Run Derby is gap-to-gap, and the gameday swing is up the middle, and also where the pitch goes is where I’ll take it.”
Sam Clarke won the 11U Home Run Derby at the All-Ripken Games at Diamond Nation.
Diamond Nation and Ripken Baseball crowned five Derby champions Tuesday.
Henry Morris of East Coast Ghost Express won the 12U title. Sam Clarke of the Guilderland Bulldogs claimed the 11U crown. Jack Pugsley of the Fair Haven Blue Diamonds won the 10U title. And James Hightower of the Diamond Jacks earned the 9U longball championship.
Jack Pugsley won the 10U Home Run Derby at the All-Ripken Games at Diamond Nation.
Diamond Jacks James Hightower won the 9U Home Run Derby at the All-Ripken Games.