Stanislaus County baseball All-Stars set to face off in Turlock

All-Star games are supposed to be light and breezy affairs, and the practice sessions leading up those games are no different.

For the most part, that was the case during Wednesday’s workout at Beyer High School, as the East All-Stars prepare for Saturday’s 2016 Modesto Sunrise Rotary Baseball Classic, which will be played at Stanislaus State’s Warrior Field.

First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.

The East All-Stars were relaxed, carefree and cutting it up with one another in the outfield while they waited for their turn in the cage.

But for one player, Pitman’s Colton Evans, it was full-throttle from the moment he stepped over the chalked lines.

Evans, who will play next season at UC Davis, was running down every ball hit his direction during batting practice.

A couple of his new teammates, waiting near the cage for their turn to take BP, could be overheard saying, “That guy’s running all over the place!”

And, when Evans’ cutoff throw went awry during infield/outfield practice, Evans asked Beyer coach Dom Duran to hit him another. Then another.

“Whenever I step on this field, I’m playing my hardest,” said Evans. “Even though it’s practice, I want every rep to be game-ready.”

Duran, coaching in this game for the second time in his four-year career, thinks the “Evans factor” kicks in for every All-Star.

“Pregame is the first time that All-Star teams like this can mesh,” said Duran, who led Beyer to a fourth straight postseason appearance in 2016. “They can learn each others’ arms and their strengths and weaknesses. Once pregame starts, everyone kind of knows how that goes, and the competitive bone clicks in.”

That same process likely will be duplicated Saturday night at the 27th annual affair, especially for those players from smaller schools.

“For sure, coming from a small town you usually don’t get that much hype or that much attention,” said Orestimba’s Austin Martins, who gained notoriety in the fall for his exploits on the gridiron. “So, coming down here and trying to show these bigger high schools that we can compete also and be good ballplayers is a big thing for me.”

This story was originally published June 9, 2016 at 12:59 PM with the headline "Stanislaus County baseball All-Stars set to face off in Turlock."