The Hitting Zone



I groaned as the alarm went off early Saturday morning. I felt like I had merely blinked. Dave expressed the same sentiments as I, pulling the covers over his head. I mimicked his actions and snuggled closer to my pillow. 

"Today's the day, Jake!" Noah said excitedly as I heard him move around the room. "We start our journey to Team USA. I hope I get a little lucky with my hits today. Find the holes and get some good bounces. I hope my bunts all die in a ditch. I'll use my speed to shine and make a name for myself."

I played dead as Noah rambled on. As soon as I started to fall asleep again, Dad was shaking me, telling me I had to get dressed and ready. I wasn't the only one slow moving; Dave dragged his feet, getting dressed in normal clothes. Noah and I wore some old practice clothes with shirts that had our school's name and logo on it. 

Breakfast in the hotel lobby was unappetizing. The scrambled eggs were too soggy. The cereal choices sucked. The bacon was undercooked. I wanted to skip it all for a ten minute nap, but Mom was next to me in a heartbeat, pushing a bagel and cream cheese in front of me. Then she found an apple and a banana. I sighed and admit defeat. I was up and I had to eat. 

"Don't look so sad, Jake." Noah grinned. "We get to play baseball today."

I glared at him. "We could play baseball at a normal time. Like in the afternoon."

Dave laughed. "Don't be like that, Jake. A lot of baseball happens in the morning. Especially something like this. Tryouts, camps, and clinics. Didn't you guys wake up and play baseball during the Stanford camp?"

Noah nodded. "Yea. Baseball all day! I actually warmed up to the idea of doing more camps like that this summer. Just to get to play baseball all day." He smiled. "But that's just a backup plan if I don't make the regional team with Jake."

"We don't know yet if Jake is making the team." Dad pointed out. "I know you kids like to think he's unbeatable at the plate, but it just depends on what they're looking for."

"Dad, if they're not looking for the best hitter in the state, then they're stupid beyond belief." Noah snorted. 

Dave nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled Jake aside right away. An automatic pass for the second round."

"That'd be nice." I let out a big yawn. 

"If you're talking, how can you be eating?" Mom sat down with her own breakfast. "We have a long day ahead of us. The tryout. Zeke's game. Jeremy's game. It's best to fuel up and start the day strong."

"Meh." Dave shrugged. "I'm just a spectator all day. Nothing special."

"Make sure you stretch properly and take care of your body." Dad said pointedly. "You don't want to get a sore shoulder or strain anything this weekend. Take it easy, but do so consciously."

Dave rolled his eyes. "Yea, Dad, I know. I can take care of myself."

"Says the guy that gets hurt the most." Noah snickered. 

I cracked a smile. 

Dave kicked Noah's shin underneath the table and earn a glare from both adults. 

After eating, we made sure to have our baseball bags with all of our equipment. I brought four bats this time, not allowing for any mishaps that could lead to embarrassment for me. We loaded up the car and headed to a baseball park that easily had six full size fields. Definitely on par with where we play the Foothill Classic. 

We planned to arrive early, yet we weren't the first ones here. There were twenty or so teens already lining up near a couple of tables. Probably checking in. We got out of the car and headed to the trunk to get the bags out. 

A heavy hand landed on my shoulder, making me jump and nearly trip over my own feet. "Woah, hold up." A familiar voice said as the hands tried to steady me.

I looked back and saw Jeremy. I relaxed and let out a breath of air. 

"Sorry about that, Jake." Jeremy said sheepishly as he took his hands back. He adjusted his ball cap so he could see us better. "Didn't mean to scare you. Thought you saw me approaching."

"It's the morning." Noah stated. 

"Jake is still half-asleep." Dave elaborated. He looked around real quick. "Did anyone notice you yet?"

Jeremy shook his head. "No. I was waiting in my car until I saw you guys pull in." He grinned. "I figured I can try to blend in if I stay with you and your parents. You guys are tall enough for me to hide behind."

Noah laughed and Dave straightened up. 

"Happy you can make it, Jeremy." Dad smiled and nodded. "Did Rose have to stay behind?"

"Yea, she has an early day at the stadium." Jeremy talked about his girlfriend's job in promoting and customer relations a little bit before turning his attention back on me. "You ready for today?"

I shrugged. "We did some extra fielding these last two weeks and I don't fumble with the ball so much." That's all I could do to prepare. 

Jeremy smiled and patted me on the head. "You've got this." He then reached out and did the same to Noah. "You too, kid. Steal a few bases when you can and things will fall into place if you can just get on. Don't be impatient at the plate. Not all these kids will be varsity level."

"Right. It's all our age." Noah agreed. He shook out his arms. "I don't have to be perfect today. I just have to do my best. Don't let anything by. Throws have to be accurate. I need to make contact at the plate and run out hard every time."

I rolled my eyes. "That sounds like you're striving for perfection."

"Well we all can't be perfect at the plate like you." Noah stuck his tongue out at me. 

"How about you get them checked in while Dave, Jeremy, and I stay out of the way?" Dad asked Mom. 

Mom nodded. "Yea, stay out here in the parking lot. I'm sure there'll be some kind of organization where we can follow along from the stands." She looked at me. "If you and Noah get into separate groups, just know we'll be here for you."

Ugh. I made a face of disgust. I forgot that there was a chance of that happening. "Why can't we just do it together?"

"Come on, it won't be that bad." Noah said cheerfully. 

Dave leaned in and dramatically whispered. "Do you really want to field before or after him? The kid likes to show off."

I nodded slowly. "You're right. It wouldn't be too bad to be separated." Get the pressure to perform well on the field away from me. 

"Hey!" Noah butted in. "You can't say that when Jake has the advantage at all the batting drills."

Mom broke things up by steering Noah and me towards the check-in spot. "I'll be back boys. Try not to attract too much attention."

"Hard to do when he's a pro ball player at a baseball event." Noah pointed out in a low voice. "I bet he's signing autographs in the first hour."

I nodded in agreement.