A long, but eventful and successful return to Lake Charles for the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series was capped off by a Home Run Derby for the 2022 and 2023 classes.
The 2022 event was won by NorCal’s Chandler Tuupo, a Gonzaga commit who homered in both the semis and the finals to capture the inaugural championship belt awarded to the winner of the event.
“It’s pretty cool,” Tuupo said. “I didn’t expect to be winning this, but I’m pretty pumped.” The first baseman out-dueled a field that featured two players from every participating team, and was one of two advance to the finals.
“I mean, I just flew in from the airport, so I didn’t think I would have that high of a chance. It was kind of tough, and the pressure was on, because there are a bunch of amazing ballplayers out here, so I just had to try my best.”
The event was a hit amongst the players, who ended taking batting practice in the indoor cages with the scheduled testing day having been scrapped due to a rainy forecast for the day. That was followed by the first-ever “Opening Ceremonies” for a Program 15 event; every player and coach on every team gathered down the lines and were welcomed to the event by a multitude of staff.
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