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SATURDAY March 27 , 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels March 12, 2004 Risk pays off for Grizz baseball By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Alan Decker took a financial risk by bringing the Southern Oregon Pro-Camp to Ashland last year. Now, about a week before the baseball clinic is to make its second appearance, that risk seems to be paying off. While sign-ups for the three-day camp are more than double what they were at this time last year, the paint has just dried on the new and improved Ashland High baseball batting cages at North Mountain Park. The facility has been tarped and resurfaced, a project paid for with the funds raised by the first SOPC. Those funds totaled about $1,100 last year and are expected to go up this time around based on the fact that 59 baseball players signed up through Tuesday. Last year, Decker says, only 26 kids had made the commitment this early and 76 ended up participating in the camp. "This year we've expanded the program, not only to add to the total number of players, but to broaden the availability to younger players," said Decker, who is also the vice president of Mount Ashland Babe Ruth Baseball. "Having the chance to learn from professional ball players is an opportunity few people get, so we're very excited to be bringing this program to our youth in southern Oregon." The camp is a fundraiser for Ashland Babe Ruth "and Ashland baseball in general," says Decker. His dream is to raise enough money some day to build a baseball stadium for the Ashland High varsity team where the old varsity field stands. "We have an architect doing drawings on it right now," he said. That dream could get a major boost financially in the very near future. According to Decker, 70 to 80 percent of sign-ups occur in the two weeks prior to a camp's startup date. He expects about 200 kids to participate in the camp this year. The 2004 Southern Oregon Pro-Camp will be held March 20-22 at North Mountain Park and will feature a prolific coaching staff trained at the highest level - the Major Leagues. Heading up that staff are former MLB players Bruce Carmichael of the Chicago Cubs, Bob Oliver of the Kansas City Royals, Clint Brill of the Atlanta Braves, Rich Murray of the San Francisco Giants and future Hall of Famer Dave Stewart of the Oakland Athletics. The camp is for players ages 11 through 18. It costs $85 for 11- and 12-year-olds and $185 for everyone else. The younger group goes from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day, while the 13- to 18-year-olds start at 9 a.m. and play until 3:30, with lunch served in between. Camp coaches say it's worth the price. "You can only be as good as you're coached," Brill said. "At the Ashland Pro-Camp the kids and coaches are being coached by guys that have been to the big leagues, which is where these kids want to go. Learning from those that have been there makes it easier to step up to that next level." Camp organizers will also host a free coach's clinic at 7 p.m. March 19 at the Ashland Middle School gym. For more information on the camp contact Decker at (800) 494-5905 or register online at www.baseballcamps.com. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: The new search is here! Click here for more information. .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - ODOT Road Cams