CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today announced that Baltimore Orioles catching prospect Adley Rutschman (2018 Collegiate National Team alum, 2019 Golden Spikes Award winner, 2019 MLB Draft 1st Overall Pick, current No. 1 prospect in baseball by MLB.com) will host the first-ever Homegrown Clinic at Charles B. Walker Stadium at Lents Park in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday, October 9, 2021.
Supported by Friends of Baseball and the Portland Pickles, the event is free and open to 150 kids aged 5-12 from the greater Portland area.
USA Baseball Homegrown Clinics are designed to introduce kids to the fundamentals of baseball and softball in a fun, non-competitive, community-based environment. Participants will get outside to learn and play America's pastime alongside a Team USA alum from their hometown.
“Youth baseball is very important to me, particularly in Oregon,” said Adley Rutschman. “The game has given me so many gifts–the friends I’ve made and the lessons I’ve learned playing the game are essential to who I am. I’m so excited to help expose young athletes to the joys of playing baseball, and I’m grateful to USA Baseball and Friends of Baseball for their time and effort in helping create this opportunity. I’m looking forward to a fun day of baseball with Oregon’s young athletes.”
“It is exciting to work alongside Adley Rutschman to host our first-ever Homegrown Clinic,” said USA Baseball Assistant Director of Youth Programs Anthony Cangelosi. “Adley has been a friend to USA Baseball since he played on the Collegiate National Team in 2018. His desire to give back to the community that helped mold him into the person and baseball player he is today, as well as positively impact the youth from his hometown, is admirable. We are thrilled to co-host this event for the kids of Portland.”
During the event, participants will go through various stations manned by members of the University of Portland and George Fox University baseball programs, including baserunning, catching/throwing, fielding, and a home run derby. Additionally, they will play in a modified scrimmage with Rutschman serving as the designated pitcher. Every child who attends will also receive a t-shirt and a poster commemorating the event.
The Homegrown Clinic is one of many free developmental offerings by USA Baseball and continues the organization’s outreach into the city of Portland. The Portland Public School system adopted the Fun At Bat program in 2018 and has since reached 68 schools and over 34,000 kids. Fun At Bat is a joint initiative between USA Baseball and Major League Baseball designed for physical education classes to promote fun and active lifestyles for children while teaching the fundamental skills of bat-and-ball sports.
USA Baseball will implement the COVID-19 protocols mandated by the local government for all participants and attendees during the Homegrown Clinic.
Members of the media are invited to attend and will be required to follow the required COVID-19 protocols. To RSVP for the event, members of the media may fill out a credential application here.
