By Marjorie Acosta….
The La Ley Sports Complex in Homestead honored hundreds of South Florida’s varsity baseball players late last month, as friends, family and coaches turned out to support their favorite athletes for their achievements during the 2010-11 season.
Although high school baseball season is officially over, La Ley Sports gave the athletes one more chance to show off their skills. The event kicked off with three competitions: The Golden Arm accuracy competition where Albert Almora, a junior at Mater Academy, took the win with a ball speed of 86 mph; the Base Dasher competition, with Coral Gables High School sophomore Gerson Sotolongo winning with a total speed of 14.76 seconds around the bases; and, finally, everyone’s favorite, the Home Run Derby, where Gulliver Prep sophomore Johnny Ruiz hit nine home runs for the win.
In the middle of all the fun, we found a few surprise guests who didn’t want to miss out on all the action. Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, former Yankees pitcher, came out to show his support to the young athletes. Joining him was the beloved Billy the Marlin of the Florida Marlins. As the excitement mounted at the La Ley Sports Complex, it was time for the awards ceremony. The awards ranged from Most Wins to Best ERA in classes 1A-6A in varsity baseball. Le Ley Sports Founder and President, John Ruiz addressed the crowd saying, “I’m privileged and honored that you all are out here today providing support. One of the main reasons why La Ley Sports is doing this is to make sure we keep our kids where they belong, off the streets and in our parks.”
La Ley Sports is getting ready for the next big sports event: the World vs. States International Baseball Tournament Qualifiers on June 17, the first in the La Ley Sports summer baseball extravaganza. For information on how your team can join, log on to <www.laleysports.com>.
Marjorie Acosta is graduate of Barry University and a former Miss Florida USA contestant. She has worked with ESPN Radio and the Miss Florida USA Channel and now reports for La Ley Sports (www.laleysports.com) on GenTV.
