Matt Rice singled, drove in a run and scored twice for Titus Baseball Academy.
By Rich Bevensee
Matt Rice and Andrew Sullinger seem to have the perfect approach to one of the most important summers of their baseball careers.
It’s important because they’re both rising seniors and have a strong desire to play college ball. Their approaches are perfect because they’ve managed to remain calm and play baseball without worrying about outside influences.
That kind of attitude also helps their teammates on the field as well. Rice singled, drove in a run and scored twice from his leadoff spot and played flawlessly from the left side of the infield. Sullinger started the game by pitching two shutout innings with four strikeouts.
The benefactor of their efforts was Titus Baseball Academy 2027 of Wilmington, Delaware, which received a balanced effort from both its lineup and its pitching staff to produce a 7-1 victory over Route 2 Blue Sox of Arlington, Massachusetts, in the Super 17 Invitational on Wednesday at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
Titus finished the week 3-0-1, beating Bucks County Generals Black, 8-5, and Show 17U Showcase Briana, 9-0, and tying Grind 2027
Carolina, 3-3.
The Blue Sox closed their Jersey trip at 1-3. They defeated the New England Ruffnecks, 8-4, and lost to US9 Prospects Red, 3-0, and Grind 2027 Navy, 11-1.
With dozens of college scouts buzzing around ‘The Nation’s’ campus, the Invitational is a chance for rising high school seniors to showcase their talents and their maturity, too.
“These guys (scouts) can see how talented they are skill-wise, but we want our players to show how they are as a person, as a player, as a teammate and as an athlete,” said Titus coach Shawn Hoffman, whose team trains at Chase Fieldhouse, originally known as 76ers Fieldhouse, a 2,500-seat multi-purpose arena and sports complex in Wilmington. “That goes a long way with guys trying to pick players for their program.”
Lucas Sousa, leading off first, singled twice for the Route 2 Blue Sox.
Rice, a 6-foot, 185-pound rising senior at Caravel Academy in Bear, Del., went 1-for-2 with a single, a walk and a sacrifice fly. He started at shortstop and played an inning at third, showcasing a sharp ability to throw off-balance and on the run.
“I’m excited (about recruiting) but I’m letting everything play out,” said Rice, who added that he made playing college ball a goal since he was two years old. “I’m just playing my game nice and loose. Just letting it go.”
Rice batted .390 and was the starting shortstop and batted second this past spring for Caravel, which he helped lead to a DIAA state title.
In a side note, Caravel coach Kristen Caldwell is the first female coach in Delaware to win a state baseball title. She now owns the rare accomplishment of coaching a boys team and a girls team (2022 basketball) to state titles in different sports.
“I think coaches like my defensive aspect, and I swing it pretty well too,” Rice said.
“Matthew is one of the leaders of our team,” Hoffman said. “He does everything you want to see someone do. He plays hard, he’s focused all the time. He raises the level of the team.”
Sullinger, a 5-10, 160-pound righty and rising senior at Brandywine High in Wilmington, surrendered three hits in his two shutout innings of work, walked none and struck out four. After giving up a leadoff single to Lucas Sousa in the second, he struck out the side.
“I felt pretty good. I gave them a chance to make weak contact if they didn’t miss it,” said Sullinger, who offered two-seam and four-seam fastballs which hovered in the low 80s as well as a curveball.
Sullinger, like Rice, is taking a laid-back approach to being watched by college coaches, although he admitted to butterflies about that aspect because his life-long goal has been to play college ball.
“I’m a little bit nervous about it but I’m also letting it play out, just playing the game,” Sullinger said. “I think I can still get bigger and get my velo up.”
“That guy can pitch,” Hoffman said. “You see a lot of times guys can throw hard but don’t know how to pitch. He knows how to pitch. He knows how to miss barrels and get guys out.”
Sullinger was backed by a terrific effort from the Titus bullpen.
Righty Carter Schurman (Appoquinimink HS) pitched one shutout inning with two hits and two strikeouts. Lefty Gavin Dirita (Msgr. Bonner HS, Drexel Hill, Pa.) pitched a scoreless fourth with one hit and one strikeout. Lefty Dylan Thompson (Salesianum HS, Wilmington) allowed one run in the fifth on one hit and one walk with one strikeout. Righty Braden Davis (Penncrest HS, Middletown, Del.) pitched a scoreless sixth and gave up one hit. Righty Hacim Martin (Salesianum) pitched a perfect seventh inning.
Offensively, Thompson had two RBI singles, Davis had an RBI single, walked twice and scored twice, Martin singled and drove in a run, Sean Dugan had an RBI single and scored once, and Hunter Skelton doubled.
For the Blue Sox, Sousa and leadoff hitter Timmy Bapua both singled twice and Brett Daniels doubled.
Matthew Pizzi pitched four innings and gave up five runs on five hits and four walks with one strikeout. Neil Ferrara threw three innings in relief and allowed two runs on three hits and two walks with one strikeout.