PASADENA, CA- After a strong first half of the CCL season, these seven Saints will represent the team at the CCL Showcase on Wednesday, July 17 at the MLB Academy in Compton.

Jakob Schardt  

Jakob Schardt (Cal State Fullerton) was perhaps the biggest lock to make the CCL Showcase game out of all the Saints selected. The left fielder leads the Saints in virtually every major hitting stat, including batting average (.333), hits (32), triples (4), and RBI (24), and he’s tied for the team lead in home runs (2).  

Another one of Schardt’s best traits has been his consistent availability. Schardt has played in 24 of the Saints’ 27 games so far this season, leading the team, and has 17 at-bats more than anyone else.  

The numbers speak for themselves: Schardt has been working every moment of the season to be selected for this showcase, and as a result, his body of work far outshines most CCL hitters.  

“I really worked hard for it,” Schardt said. “I saw [the showcase] at the beginning of the year and knew that was an ultimate goal… I’m very excited to get selected, I feel honored.” 

The showcase is going to provide Schardt with an opportunity to reunite with many of his current Fullerton teammates. Schardt is one of five Titans selected to the game. He will be joined by Dylan Goff (RHP, Sonoma Stompers), Alijah Ramos (2B, Sonoma Stompers), Andrew Kirchner (1B, MLB Academy Barons), and Tyler Holley (INF, Sonoma Stompers). Ramos and Goff will be Schardt’s opponents on the CCL Showcase North Division roster, Kirchner will join Schardt on the CCL South team, and Holley is set to compete in the pregame Home Run Derby. Basically, Fullerton Baseball and CCL Superfan Keith Franklin is going to have a field day at the game.  

Schardt made it clear he “can’t wait” to see everyone, especially his Titan teammates on the Stompers, who he will be seeing for the first time this summer.  

But also, the always-working Schardt sees this as just another opportunity to hone his craft.  

 “I’m just hoping to see some good arms,” Schardt said. “I know the teams in NorCal have some pretty good pitching and I know I am going to face them in the showcase and it’s going to be good to see different people.”  

Whoever the North sends to the mound, they’re sure to be nervous when Jakob Schardt steps up to the plate.  

Easton Elliot 

The Saints wouldn’t be three games over .500 without the contributions of Easton Elliot (Long Beach State).  

He has given the Saints great defense at nearly every defensive position while also hitting over .300 at the plate. 

While he doesn’t have the home run power as some of the other hitters going to the showcase, Elliot helps the Saints in different ways. 

One of these ways is his speed, as he leads the CCL with 14 stolen bases. 

Elliot rarely strikes out and has drawn nearly more walks (14) than strikeouts (15).  

He went on a tear from June 23- July 9, having six multi-hit games in an 11-game span. He hit .415 and saw his season average climb from an already respectable .273 to a dominant .385.  

“It’s going to be fun, I heard it’s a pretty good crowd and just a lot of people you get to interact with, I’m excited for sure,” Elliot said on the CCL Showcase. 

One of the experiences Elliot is looking forward to at the showcase is getting to interact with different players. 

“Just meeting new people, that’s the main thing,” Elliot said. “Playing with a bunch of guys I haven’t played with before, so it should be a good time.”  

 Josh Livingston  

Third baseman Josh Livingston (Wichita State) is easily one of the most feared hitters in the CCL. Whenever “Aint No Love in Oklahoma” by Luke Combs reverberates through Jackie Robinson Field, the atmosphere shifts. The Saints and their fans lean in, expectant of a big hit, and the opposing team can only hold their breath.  

Livingston has gone above and beyond earning that fear. He’s hitting .315 so far this season with two home runs and 13 RBI in 20 games. His .466 slugging percentage, paired with his excellent average, indicates that not only is he one of the CCL’s best hitters but also one of the league’s most powerful, considering the rate at which he crushes extra-base hits.  

Livingston considers it an honor to be considered among the league’s best, given the talent around the CCL.  

“I’ve never been out here before; I’m playing with a bunch of guys I’ve never met before, and playing against a bunch of guys I’ve never played against before, so it’s good to see where [I] stand,” Livingston said.  

Livingston is going alongside one of his best friends, Alex Birge (Cal Berkeley), who is also his former teammate at Wichita State. For Livingston, it wouldn’t feel right to go to the showcase without one of his best friends.  

“We talked about it a couple weeks ago, we wanted to go together,” Livingston said. “If one guy goes, the other guy should go. He’s had a really great summer, and he deserves it more than anybody.”  

Livingston is also looking forward to making new friends and picking the brains of all the other great baseball players who will be at the showcase.  

“I’m hoping to meet a lot of new guys, talk to guys that we’ve played against already, see what they’re thinking,” Livingston said. “Just meet a bunch of new guys. Just like here [in Pasadena], I’ve made a lot of friends. Opportunity to make more friends around the country and see how they operate.”  

Livingston may have trouble making friends with the pitchers he terrorizes but should have no problem finding other position players who want to talk hitting with him and get some pointers. 

Alex Birge 

Alex Birge is the most well-rounded position player headed to the Showcase game for the Saints.  

He leads the Saints with a .948 OPS, a sign of a very well-rounded hitter who can get on base and hit for power.  

Both have been prominently displayed this season. Birge has the Saints’ only two-homer game this year, on June 29 versus the OC Riptide at Jackie Robinson Field. One of those homers is the Saints’ only homer to their cavernous left field this season, and Birge hit it opposite field, the most impressive display of power this Saints season.  

He also gets on base at such an extraordinary rate because he has elite plate discipline. He has 13 walks this season against 14 strikeouts, which is an incredible strikeout/walk ratio.  

He also has displayed elite arm strength and accuracy for the Saints, throwing out would-be base stealers left and right.  

Birge praised the work of everyone on the Saints this season, saying he couldn’t have earned a selection to the showcase without the people around him.  

“I definitely couldn’t have done it without the coaches and my teammates and how hard we worked this year,” Birge said. “It’s definitely a reflection of them to get into the showcase.”  

Birge, who was also selected for the Showcase and competed in the home run derby last year as a member of the Saints, wants to help all his other showcase-attending teammates have the best time.  

“Hopefully [I’ll] just help them have fun because it’s a cool day,” Birge said. “I’m excited. 

Birge is especially excited to be attending alongside Livingston.  

“Honestly, I think it’s just going to be a competition to see who can have the most fun,” Birge said. “Hopefully, I can outdo him with who has more fun, but we’ll be doing everything together that day, so it’ll be super fun.”  

Birge always brings good vibes, and he hopes his skills will shine through on Wednesday as well.  

 Danny Veloz 

As the Saints head into the break, Danny Veloz (Hawaii) has been their most dependable starter, as he leads the team with six starts and 25.2 innings pitched. Although his ERA is 4.21, he has pitched better than it indicates, as his defense-independent component ERA calculates to 1.91.  

Veloz averages over a strikeout an inning while also limiting walks, as he boasts a K/BB ratio of 3.25.  

His two best starts have come at Jackie Robinson Field, where he has a perfect ERA of 0.00 in 10 innings, only allowed three hits, and has 11 strikeouts. 

Veloz shared his excitement for being a part of the CCL showcase. 

“It’s big time because college coaches are big on summer ball, so it’s a good accomplishment,” Veloz said. “It means a lot.” 

Veloz also shared what he’s looking forward to during the showcase. 

“[I’m looking forward] to meeting new guys from different places and just picking the minds of what they do best and try to learn new tips,“ Veloz said. 

 Aiden Pollock 

Aiden Pollock (Nevada) is heading to the CCL Showcase game with a bit of a chip on his shoulder for himself and his team.  

“Hopefully, all of us can make a name for ourselves, and we can make Saints baseball look like what it truly is,“ Pollock said. “Something that’s awesome, and a great time, and get more people to come here [to Jackie Robinson Field].“ 

Despite being the youngest Saint headed to the showcase, Pollock has already ensured that a lot of eyes will be on him Wednesday. That’s mainly due to his performance this past Wednesday, July 10, against the Santa Barbara Foresters. In his first start of the season, he threw five innings, giving up only one earned run on four hits and struck out five Foresters. To make that performance even more remarkable, Pollock was his own DH that night, picking up his first hit of the year with a line-drive single into left field.  

He has also showcased great stuff out of the bullpen. His four-pitch mix of a Fastball, Changeup, Slider, and Curveball that average 90mph, 81mph, 80mph, and 76mph, respectively, has helped him to an extremely solid 2.92 ERA, and he has even picked up a save for the Saints this season.  

With the potential to be a weekend starter, back-of-the-bullpen guy, or even a two-way player, Pollock has the kind of do-it-all potential that should have scouts salivating at the showcase. 

 Carter Herrera 

Carter Herrera (Cal State San Bernardino) has only pitched twice for the Saints so far this season, but he has been impressive, giving up only two runs in 8 innings of work. 

That includes arguably the Saints’ most important long-relief appearance of the season. In his first outing of the Summer 2024 season, Herrera came in on July 6 against the San Luis Obispo Blues and threw four innings of shutout ball with only two hits allowed and four strikeouts.  

Herrera’s selection likely also considers his performance last season. He threw 24 consecutive innings without allowing a run to close out last summer, and one can imagine what his numbers would have been if he played this June (probably very good).  

His selection is admissible given his lack of sample size because the CCL showcase is more of a skills showcase than an awards show like the MLB All-Star game. Head Coach Aaron Milam clearly believes Herrera is one of the most talented pitchers going to Compton on Wednesday.  

“It’s like watching a surgeon, what he does with the four pitches, putting them where he wants to put them,“ Milam said of Herrera after his performance on July 6. Herrera isn’t an extremely hard thrower, with his fastball topping out at 86mph, so he relies on elite control, as Milam is alluding to. 

Expect him to look in control while some of the best hitters in the CCL look completely lost if he takes the mound Wednesday.  

• Saints reporter Ethan Inman (Southern California)  
• Saints reporter Dylan Gonzales (Fresno State)
• Saints graphic designer Yandel Salas (Chapman)