Ray, Cleveland competed in all-star showcase
RUSSELLVILLE — Rising seniors Tristan Ray and Tripp Cleveland recently competed in the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Underclassmen All-Star Event at Troy University.
The annual showcase brings together many of Alabama’s top high school baseball players and provides an opportunity for athletes to compete in front of college coaches and recruiters.
Russellville head baseball coach Blake Beck said players earn spots in the event through regional workouts where college coaches evaluate participants and select teams from across the state.
“It’s a good recruiting event,” he said. “It puts them in front of a lot of college coaches.”
Beck, who participated in the event during his high school career, said the showcase has long been recognized as an opportunity for players to gain exposure at the next level.
“Those two are two of the better players up, so it speaks volumes about their work to this point in their development,” Beck said.
Ray, a catcher, said he was honored to be selected for the event.
“It meant a lot to represent Russellville in going to the Troy event and letting them know how thankful I am of my supporters,” he said.
One of the highlights of the experience, he said, was meeting players and coaches from across Alabama.
Cleveland said being selected was both exciting and rewarding.
“It showed that my hard work was paying off, and I was grateful for the chance to represent my school while competing with talented players from across Alabama,” he said.
He added he appreciated the opportunity to represent Russellville, his teammates, coaches, community, and family while competing against some of the state’s top players.
“The experience gave me a chance to compete at a high level, learn from other players, and continue growing as an athlete,” Cleveland said.
Competing alongside athletes from around the state gave him a better understanding of the level of talent across Alabama.
“It showed me the level of talent across Alabama and motivated me to keep working harder,” Cleveland said.
He encouraged other players to take advantage of opportunities such as the all-star event.
“I would highly recommend going to this event if you’re able to. It is a great experience and opportunity to showcase who you are as a player and also as a person, especially if wanting to play at the next level,” he said.
Looking ahead, both players said they hope to continue playing baseball after high school.
Ray plans to pursue a degree in drafting engineering while exploring opportunities to play baseball at the collegiate level.
“I’m keeping my options open,” he said.
Cleveland hopes to play college baseball.
“Long term, I hope baseball can take me as far as possible, and I’m committed to putting in the work every day to reach my full potential,” he said.
