FTB Teams 
News
FTB had 4 players compete in the 4th annual International Power Showcase held at Tropicana field January 8th-10th. Daniel Vogelbach, Justin Shafer, Dante Bichette, and Tyler Marlette all put their talents on display at this great event. FTB hit 36 home runs on the day including 3 mamouth shots into the upper deck of the Dome. Bichette led the way with 20 total home runs and a 2nd place finish, Marlette and Shafer both added 6 a piece (1 HR away from making the finals), while Vogelbach added 4. It was fun to watch a little preview of the power FTB will display during the 2010 summer season. Congrats to all 4 on a great showing.
The 2009 summer and fall seasons were a huge success for the FTB program. 2009 watched 18 underclassmen (and counting) earn college scholarships, as well as seeing 11 FTB alumni drafted in the 2009 June MLB draft. It also saw FTB win 2 Championships, 14 total nationally ranked teams knocked off by FTB teams, 2 National Team trial members, and 3 USSSA All-Americans.
The season started out with the 16U team earning a 5th place finish at the Perfect Game Memorial Day event followed a week later by the 17U team beating the East Cobb Astros and East Cobb Braves in a double header at the Perfect Game National Invitational in the Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN. The combined FTB Clap Bat and Mizuno teams worked together at the Junior Olympics to bring back a 9th place finish, which helped earn Jesse Winker (who finished 19-25 at the plate in the event) a 16U National Trial Invitation. The same week the 18U team crushed the competition at the Mizuno Wood Bat event. They won the Championship with an 8-0 record. This was part of the 18U's 14 game winning streak, which is the 2nd longest streak in FTB history. The only longer streak was put up by the 2007 18U club's 16 Game winning streak.
FTB Programs finished strong on the summer with a 3rd place finish for the 17U team at the Perfect Game BCS Finals. That was followed a week later by the 16U's 9th place finish at the 16U BCS Finals. Two weeks after the BCS, the 16U and 17U teams competed at the USSSA World Championship in their respective divisions. The 17U team won the 18U event, compiling a 10-0 record to take home the Championship rings. The 16U team finished as the runner-up in the 16U field with a 9-2 record for the week. The USSSA event is the culmination of our program's summer, and alot of emphasis is put on it so our athletes have something to play for throughout a grueling summer. Our kids showed alot of heart and determination to finish so strongly!
The end of the summer also brought some individual accolades for FTB players: Kyle Ryan went on to make USA Baseball's 18U National Team and help bring home Team USA's 1st 18U Gold Medal. Jesse Winker and Ahmad Christian were selected as 16U USSSA All-Americans and invited to play in Japan next summer. Alexis Rivera was selected as a 14U USSSA All-American. He will be a front runner for the Japan team in the summer of 2011.
Rounding out FTB's 2009 season was another great Fall. The Underclassmen finished 5th at the Perfect Game Underclass World Championship, setting the stage for a great roster in the summer of 2010. The 17U team finished 5th in the WWBA World Championships in Jupiter (the number #1 scouting event in the country). This was a great send off to our 2010s, who continued to raise the bar for future FTB players. The FTB staff would personally like to thank all of the players and parents for the efforts put forth in the 2009 season and look forward to a great 2010.
FTB finished its Fall season at the WWBA World Championship in Jupiter from October 22-25. FTB had a very strong showing earning its second straight 5th place finish. The World Championship is the premiere tournament of the entire year having 60+ ranked teams from all over the Western Hemisphere. Mizuno knocked off 3 ranked teams including San Gabriel Valley Arsenal who was one of the favorites to win the event. In that game FTB beat potential 1st round pick Dylan Covey who was running his fastball up to 96 MPH. The Mizuno bats were alive all weekend putting up over 7 runs per game with one of the youngest line ups in the event. The pitching was equally impressive surrendering 1 run per game through the first 5 games played. Coach Goodwin and Coach Gonzalez want to congratulate everyone on a great Fall and wish you the best of luck during the high school season. Great job on an impressive season Mizuno!
FTB Summer Commitments
Daniel Vogelbach commits to Mizuno!!! Daniel is a 5'10 1st baseman from Bishop Verot High School. FTB added another top power bat for the summer. Daniel is a premiere power hitter that has legitimate juice to all fields. He has a short quiet approach that allows him to maintain a high average and put up big RBI numbers. Daniel is a very competitive kid that loves to play the game. He will fit in very well with the FTB program. We welcome Daniel to the FTB family!
Addison Russell commits to Mizuno!!! Addison is a 2012 INF from Pace HS. Addison has the total package as a player and individual. He is a 6.7 runner right now with great actions on the infield. Addison squares everything up and hit 8 HRs as a freshman. He has extremely quick wrists and generates tremendous bat speed. Addison has all the showcase skills but is a true gamer when the first pitch is thrown. Addison will help anchor what could be the best infield in the country. We welcome Addison to the FTB family!
Orlando Rivera commits to Mizuno!!! Orlando is a 5'8 INF/UTL from Freedom HS. Orlando is a 6.6 type runner that looks to take over the speed game that Jay Gonzalez left at the top of the line up. Orlando can take over games with his speed and ability to do all of the little things for his teams. Orlando plays great defense all over the field and can be relied on no matter what the spot is. Orlando adds Versatility and a true spark plug to the FTB line up. We welcome Orlando to the FTB family!
Alexis Rivera commits to Mizuno!!! Alexis is a 6'1 OF from Osceola HS. Alexis is a man child that brings a huge power bat for years to come. Alexis has a good baseball IQ and has showcase skills to go along with that. Alexis is a 6.9 type runner with a very good arm from the outfield. Alexis has no fear against older pitching and wants to be up with the game on the line. Along with Jesse Winker and Addison Russell, Alexis will help form FTB's future middle of the line up bats. We welcome Alexis to the FTB family!
Dante Bichette commits to Mizuno!!! Dante is a 6'2 INF from Orangewood Christian High School. Dante is another huge power bat that will be in the middle of the order for FTB. Dante has a great feel for the game and really tries to out work everyone. He is no stranger to the FTB program and fits into what we are all about. Dante can play multiple positions on the field and will take over the right handed power bat that is left by Devon Workman. Dante is a great player and person and we are proud to have him in our family! Dante committed to the University of Georgia this fall.
Update on 18U USA National Team
Team USA wins the Gold Medal in the Pan-Am Games. FTB player Kyle Ryan pitched 4.1 innings, striking out 5, and giving up 0 runs to earn the win against Venezuela to get Team USA in the Semifinals. USA would go on to beat Panama in the Semis and Cuba in the Finals to secure the Gold. Kyle ended the tournament throwing 6.1 innings and not giving up a run. Congratulations to Team USA and Kyle Ryan on an awesome tournament!
Jesse Winker makes Team USSSA! Jesse had a great weekend during the ABR try-outs August 15-16, he competed against an invite only field from all over the country. Jesse is the teams youngest member, and only 2012 to be invited. Jesse will have an oppurtunity to go to Japan and compete on the World stage next summer. Congrats to Jesse and his family on another great accomplishment.
Gabe Rivera commits to Florida Gulf Coast University!!! Gabe is a 2011 RHP from Hagerty High School. Gabe is a smaller framed kid that has a wiry strong frame. He is not tall but he has very long arms and long fingers which help him create angle and movement on his upper 80s fastball. He really competes on the mound and has a good plan for what he wants to do. Gabes also has a + Slider that sits in the upper 70s. Gabe can be used in many different roles at FGCU, and he will excel in any role because he is a true team player. Congratulations to Gabe and his family!
Bryan Rivera Commits to Bethune Cookman University!!! Bryan is a 6'1 160lb LHP. Bryan split time this summer between FTB Mizuno and Clap Bat. He is a projectable pitcher that has a great plan for what he wants to do on the mound. Bryan has a plus change up and gets a ton of ground balls. He will make a big velocity jump when he gets to Bethune and gets on a consistent work out program. Congrats to Bryan and his family for earning his next step in his baseball career!
Jesse Winker commits to the University of Florida!!! Jesse is a 6'2 180lb Outfielder from Olympia High School. Jesse is still growing into his very projectable frame but has a tremendous offensive game plan. Jesse is one of the best 2012 hitters in the country and consistently squares balls up from line to line. Jesse is also one of the hardest working players to ever come through the FTB program. He is a true student of the game. Jesse comes from a baseball family and we congratulate him on this huge accomplishment.
Dante Bichette commits to the University of Georgia!!! Dante is a 6'2 INF from Orangewood Christian Academy. Dante is one of the premiere power hitters in the country in the 2011 class. He is a part time FTB player coming to FTB for major tournaments. Dante is another player with a great work ethic and tremendous character. Dante is a supremely confident kid that competes. Much like Devon Workman he quietly leads by example. Congrats to Dante and the Bichette family on a great college decision. 
Adam Maxon commits to Jacksonville University!!! Adam is a 6' RHP/C from Oviedo High School. Adam just knows how to play the game. This summer he played 5 different positions for Mizuno and excelled at all of them. Adam became one of our big game pitchers as the summer progressed winning everyone of his starts this summer. Adam had multiple D1 offers but decided to stay in state to continue his baseball career. Congratulations to Adam and the Maxon family on the next step in his career.
James Vasquez commits to the University of Central Florida!!! James is a 6' 1st baseman from Martin County High School. James is one of the best 2011 power prospects in the state. He has an advanced approach at the plate and is one of the more balanced players in the FTB program. James is a very good student and looks to excel both on and off the field. He is a future middle of the order bat for UCF. Congratulations to James and his family.
Blake Bortles Commits to the University of Central Florida!!! Blake decided to commit and play quarterback for the Knights. He has been in the middle of FTB line ups for 3 years but decided in July that football was his future. Blake had D1 baseball offers for his power left handed bat, but is going with his passion and we couldnt be happier about his college decision. Good luck to Blake and his family on the next step in his life.
Kyle Ryan commits to the University of South Florida!!! Kyle is a 6'4 LHP from Auburndale High School. Kyle has been a model of consistency this summer in the FTB rotation. Kyle has plus pitchability and huge upside. Kyle projects to be a weekend guy for the Bulls and will contribute immediately. Kyle made the USA trials earlier in the summer. Kyle has a tremendous work ethic and comes from a great family. Congratulations to Kyle and his family.
Jay Gonzalez commits to Auburn University!!! Jay is a 5'10 outfielder from Freedom High School. Jay has been a catalyst in FTB line ups, literally, since he was old enough to play baseball. Jay has tremendous speed and plays with a chip on his shoulder. He will be a true table setter at a university that really values small ball and speed. Jay is a great student and comes from a great family. Congratulations to Jay and his family.
Derrick Workman commits to Mercer University!!! Derrick is a 2010 OF/1B from Dominion Christian in Georgia. Derrick had a great season hitting nearly .600 with 15 HRs while being acknowledged by Sports illustrated in "Faces in the Crowd". Derrick has a great work ethic and a top end skill set to go with it. Derrick has been one of Mercer's top priorities since he had a standout performance with Mizuno at the PG World Championships in Jupiter last October. Mercer is a great fit athletically and academically. Congratulations to Derrick and his family.
Tyler Marlette commmits to the University of Central Florida!!! Tyler is a 2011 C/3B from Hagerty High School. Tyler's best tool is his plus power bat. He has a tremendous core and finds barrels to all fields. He has a plus arm behind the dish and a high baseball IQ. Tyler comes from a great family, and he is another FTB player with tremendous character and passion on and off the field. Tyler will be a game changer for FTB and UCF. Congrats to Tyler and his family.
Ryan Heuler commits to the University of North Carolina!!! Ryan is a 2010 RHP from Cardinal-Mooney High School. He is a 6'3 pitcher that has the body and arm action to be a legitimate power pitcher, also featuring a plus curveball. He will help anchor the 17U rotation. Ryan is a tremendous talent on the field. He is also a great person and student. The Tar Heels have a reputation of great pitching and it continues with the addition of Ryan. Congratulations to Ryan and his family.
Tyler Greene commits to the University of Georgia!!! Tyler becomes the first FTB 2011 commitment. Tyler is an extremely toolsy INF from West Boca High School. He has smooth actions in the field and a solid approach at the plate. Tyler also is an above average runner. Tyler comes from a baseball family that produces dirt dogs. He will team up with Devon to make one of the best 17U middle infields in the country. Congratulations to Tyler and his family.
Devon Workman Commits to Florida Atlantic University!!! Devon becomes the 2nd FTB player to commit for the 2010 class. Devon is an INF from East Ridge High School. He has a huge offensive ceiling and has been in the middle of our club's line ups since his freshman year. Devon is going to a program that has new young coaches that will bring out the best in Devon. Along with Berry, Devon comes from a great family and is the highest of character guys. Devon will excel early on the field and in the classroom for FAU. Congratulations to Devon and his family.
Trevor Berry commits to the University of Central Florida!!! He is a 2010 LHP/OF/1B from Oviedo High School. He is a long 6'3 lefty that has a huge upside. It was a perfect fit for both parties involved. Trevor gets to play for a coaching staff committed to going to Omaha, and UCF gets a lefty that is a standout baseball player and even better person. Congratulations to Trevor and his family. We are excited for you!
1. Kyle Ryan University of South Florida 2010
2. Jay Gonzalez Auburn University 2010
3. Trevor Berry Universty of Central Florida 2010
4. Derrick Workman Mercer University 2010
5. Devon Workman Florida Atlantic University 2010
6. Ryan Heuler University of North Carolina 2010
7. Brandon Bixler Florida Gulf Coast University
8. Thomas Dorminy University of South Florida 2010
9. Nick Gonzalez University of South Florida 2010
10. Dillon Ennis University of North Florida 2010
11. Adam Maxon Jacksonville University 2010
12. Blake Bortles University of Central Florida (FB) 2010
13. Bryan Rivera Bethune Cookman University 2010
14. Tyler Greene University of Georgia 2011
15. Tyler Marlette University of Central Florida 2011
16. James Vasquez University of Central Florida 2011
17. Dante Bichette University of Georgia 2011
18. Gabe Rivera Florida Gulf Coast University 2011
19. Jesse Winker University of Florida 2012
