• Home
  • News
    • Police & Fire
      • First Responders
    • Out of the Past
    • Weather
    • Manheim
    • Opinion
    • Entertainment
    • Social
      • Births
      • Engagements
      • Weddings
      • Anniversaries
    • Archives
  • Shopping
    • Serving You
    • Showcase of Homes
    • Taste of the Town
    • What’s On Tap
  • Sports
  • Obits
  • Contact Us
    • Advertising
    • About Us
    • Newsroom
    • Delivery Issues
    • Subscriber Services
      • Subscribe
      • Manage Your Subscription
    • Photo Reprints
    • Send Us Stuff
  • e-edition
Lititz Record Express
Don't Miss
  • ‘All is Calm’ is a Christmas miracle
  • Laurel Avenue Lights opens for season Nov. 30
Home   >   Sports   >   Book selected to compete in PBR Future Games

Book selected to compete in PBR Future Games

By Bruce Morgan on July 17, 2019
  • Tweet
  • Pin It
Colton Book, a rising junior left-hander at Manheim Central, will pitch for Team PA at the Prep Baseball Report (PBR) Future Games in Georgia, which will be held from July 31 to Aug. 3. Lititz Record file photo

Colton Book, a rising junior left-hander at Manheim Central, will pitch for Team PA at the Prep Baseball Report (PBR) Future Games in Georgia, which will be held from July 31 to Aug. 3. Lititz Record file photo

 

It’s been an eventful week for Colton Book.

First, the rising Manheim Central junior left-hander tossed a no-hitter for his Keystone State Bombers 17U baseball team last Thursday at the Boston Open.

Then, not long after returning home, Book learned Sunday that he had been added to the Pennsylvania team’s roster for the Prep Baseball Report (PBR) Future Games, featuring the top uncommitted Class of 2021 prospects and select 2022 prospects from PBR’s 40-plus state coverage area.

“It’s awesome,” Book said. “I was definitely really excited. The kids I know that are going are really good.”

The 6-foot-4 lefty is replacing recent Duke University-commit Fran Oschell, a junior-to-be at Malvern Prep, for the Games, to be held at LakePoint in Cartersville, Ga. from Wednesday, July 31 to Saturday, Aug. 3.

“We select roughly 15 to 20 players state-wide each year, and they are players that are either entering their sophomore or junior year of high school. They have to be uncommitted,” said Greg Williams, the Prep Baseball Report director of scouting for the state of Pennsylvania. “Typically, we’ll have 250 to 300 college coaches in attendance.”

Book has already been talking with roughly 15 to 20 schools, and since last Saturday — just two days after striking out eight in his no-hitter in a 9-0 Bombers’ win — he received Division-One offers from UMass Lowell, Marist, and Seton Hall.

Pitching at the PBR Future Games could open some more doors for Book, who has a four-pitch repertoire which includes a fastball, change-up, curve ball and slider.

Adding velocity to a heater which Book says has reached 84 miles per hour is among his goals at the top of his list.

His command, however, is a serious asset, which allowed him to finish 7-0, 0.35 ERA for the Barons this spring, allowing just two earned runs while helping his team win the L-L Section Three championship and advance to the District Three 5A playoff quarterfinals.

“I would say (a strength) is definitely being able to hit spots, throw any pitch for a strike and throw any pitch anywhere in the strike zone — inside, outside, all that kind of stuff,” Book said.

Relying mostly on his fastball, Book’s blueprint is to get ahead in the count and then take advantage of his options.

In 40 innings this spring for Manheim Central, he struck out 47 batters and walked just 12.

“I would say I try to get (batters) out with the first pitch, and then if I don’t do that, then I’ll try to strike them out,” Book said.

On the Pennsylvania team which is heading to Georgia for the PBR Future Games, Williams said that Book might not yet have the velocity that the other pitchers do, but he is at the top of that group in other qualities.

“In command and feel for his pitches, he’ll be at the top of the list,” Williams said. “He just has a very good understanding of how to pitch and the velocity should come as he continues to develop physically.”

Team PA’s first roster in 2012 was highlighted by Darlington’s Brendan McKay, who made his Major League debut this season with the Tampa Bay Rays, retiring the first 17 Texas Rangers he faced on June 29 in a 5-2 victory.

In all, five players who have represented Team PA have gone on to sign professional contracts.

For Book, going to Georgia will be a quick trip, but one he hopes is productive.

“It’s a great opportunity to go pitch in front of a bunch schools and get my name out there,” he said.

 

  • Tweet
  • Pin It

About Bruce Morgan

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

  • Holiday Home Tour is Dec. 8

    The Women’s Club of Manheim’s annual Holiday Home Tour will...

    • Posted December 4, 2019
    • 0
  • Norman S. Lannigan Sr., 96, WWII vet, electrician, PSU fan, enjoyed his family, birdwatching

    Norman S. Lannigan, Sr., 96 of Lititz, died peacefully, with...

    • Posted December 4, 2019
    • 0
  • George B. Lewis, 93, MCHS grad, WWII vet, Wyeth worker, chicken farmer, EFCH member

    George B. Lewis, 93, of Elizabethtown, died Sunday, Nov. 17,...

    • Posted December 4, 2019
    • 0
  • Donna I. Kachel, 80, taught Sunday school at Grace Church, an avid volunteer with a servant’s heart

    Donna I. Kachel, 80, of Lititz, in the presence of...

    • Posted December 4, 2019
    • 0
  • Louis H. Hoober, 97, farmer, founded Skee-Craft Boat Co., fire co. volunteer, school board member

    Louis H. Hoober, 97, of Lititz, and formerly of New...

    • Posted December 4, 2019
    • 0
  • Miriam Gehman Harnish, 95, active at Calvary Church, helped with husband’s businesses, fantastic cook

    Miriam Gehman Harnish, 95, of Manheim, formerly of East Lampeter...

    • Posted December 4, 2019
    • 0
  • Kenneth E. Graybill, 89, long-time trucker, active Lititz COB member, enjoyed winter sports

    Kenneth E. “Ken” Graybill, 89, of Lititz, passed on to...

    • Posted December 4, 2019
    • 0
  • Latest

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Holiday Home Tour is Dec. 8

    The Women’s Club of Manheim’s annual Holiday Home Tour...

    • December 4, 2019
    • 0
  • Norman S. Lannigan Sr., 96, WWII vet, electrician, PSU fan, enjoyed his family, birdwatching

    Norman S. Lannigan, Sr., 96 of Lititz, died peacefully,...

    • December 4, 2019
    • 0
  • George B. Lewis, 93, MCHS grad, WWII vet, Wyeth worker, chicken farmer, EFCH member

    George B. Lewis, 93, of Elizabethtown, died Sunday, Nov....

    • December 4, 2019
    • 0
  • Zoning board approves dog breeding kennel

    A very quiet “boo” could be heard when the...

    • October 16, 2019
    • 9
  • Plans unveiled for former Wilbur complex

    Preliminary plans for the former Wilbur Chocolate plant in...

    • May 24, 2017
    • 8
  • Name that school! — District seeks input on name for new elementary school

    Manheim Central’s newest elementary school is currently under construction....

    • July 11, 2018
    • 6
  • Scott Shaub says:

    What an amazing person, you will be missed my...

  • Regina Goldstein says:

    Deepest condilences go out to Brandin's famil...

  • Kevin Campbell says:

    Well, there’s a name from the past. This is K...

Widgets Magazine

Our Location


View Larger Map

Links

Lancaster Farming
Ephrata Review
LancasterOnline
Lititz Community Directory

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Photo Reprints

  • Home
  • News
    • Police & Fire
      • First Responders
    • Out of the Past
    • Weather
    • Manheim
    • Opinion
    • Entertainment
    • Social
      • Births
      • Engagements
      • Weddings
      • Anniversaries
    • Archives
  • Shopping
    • Serving You
    • Showcase of Homes
    • Taste of the Town
    • What’s On Tap
  • Sports
  • Obits
  • Contact Us
    • Advertising
    • About Us
    • Newsroom
    • Delivery Issues
    • Subscriber Services
      • Subscribe
      • Manage Your Subscription
    • Photo Reprints
    • Send Us Stuff
  • e-edition

Copyright © 2019 The Lititz Record Express, a member of LNP MEDIA GROUP, Inc.