Merced County standout will showcase his skills in front of Major League Baseball scouts
Buhach Colony senior Jake Sapien will have an opportunity to showcase his skills on front of Major League Baseball scouts when he heads to Georgia for the Area Code Games in August.
Sapien is one of the top 220 players selected for the event, which will be held at the Lakepoint Sports complex in Atlanta from Aug. 7-10.
“I’m super excited,” Sapien said. “I can’t wait to show what I’ve got.”
Sapien, 17, who verbally committed to Stanford during his sophomore year, participated in the All-Area Code Underclass Games last year. Last year, Sapien and the other players were chosen after a tryout process.
This year there was no tryout process because of the coronavirus pandemic. Sapien was selected to play for the game by an MLB scout.
There will be eight teams representing eight MLB teams in Atlanta. Sapien will be representing the Oakland A’s.
“It’s a huge opportunity,” Sapien said. “There’s going to be about 40 MLB scouts there. If you can really show out that would be good. You’ll probably get some phone calls.”
Sapien was hitting .421 with 11 RBIs in six games before the Thunder baseball season was canceled due to COVID-19 this past spring. He was 1-1 with a 4.20 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched.
Like many spring athletes, Sapien hated not to be able to finish the season.
“It sucked,” he said. It was the last year with my senior buddies. I felt bad seeing them lose their last season.”
Despite not being able to play many baseball games this summer, Sapien hasn’t stopped working. He’s kept throwing, hitting and lifting weights.
“I knew he would find a way to keep working,” said Buhach Colony coach Greg Wakefield. “His family is very supportive. They’re going to make sure there aren’t any obstacles put in his way. Lifting weights and staying in shape has always been big for Jake. He’s going to find a way to get bigger and faster.”
The 6-foot-3, 216-pound Sapien believes he’ll get an opportunity to pitch, hit and play the field at the Area Code Games. He expects to attend Stanford as a two-way player.
Sapien says one of his goals is to hit 93 or 94 mph on the radar gun while pitching in Atlanta.
“Hitting is always fun, especially when you’re hitting well,” Sapien said. “Pitching is fun when you throw hard and nobody can hit you. I love doing both because not everyone can do both.”
Sapien has a 3.9 GPAat Buhach Colony and leaning toward majoring in engineering or business at Stanford.
Wakefield has coached quite a few players at Buhach Colony who have gone on to pitch well after high school including Dylan Floro, who is currently pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers) and Daulton Jefferies, who is in the Oakland A’s organization.
“I think he fits in with some of our other players who have done well after high school,” Wakefield said. “Like the others, he has a high level of confidence in himself and that comes with all their hard work. He fits right in with that group of guys life Jefferies and Floro.”
