McKinney senior Matt Lipka has played in hundreds of baseball games, leading the Lions to the playoffs each of the past two seasons as one of the top middle infielders in the state. He starred for Team USA at the Pan American Championships last year and has been invited to the 18U Team USA Baseball Trials from Sept. 12-17 after standing out at the recent Tournament of Stars in North Carolina.

What the salty shortstop has accomplished thus far in his career pales in comparison to the opportunity that awaits, though. As one of 40 players nationwide selected to compete in the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic next month at PETCO Park in San Diego, Lipka will be placed under a microscope by dozens of collegiate and major league scouts.

The premier high school showcase in the nation, the game has vaulted many a player to prominence. Over the last five years, 62 alumni have been snatched up in the first round of the MLB draft, including three No. 1 overall picks: Matt Bush (2004, San Diego), Just Upton (2005, Arizona) and Tim Beckham (2008, Tampa Bay). Ten Aflac All-Americans were taken in the first round of the 2009 draft.

Lipka (6-1, 190) can’t help but notice how those before him have launched their careers by playing in the game.

“There’s nothing like this in the nation. It’s by far the best thing I’ve ever been to,” he said. “On an impact level, it hits a little closer to home than playing for the U.S.”

Not that donning the red, white and blue didn’t leave a lasting impact. Lipka said he got chills listening to the Star Spangled Banner during the 2008 COPABE "AA" Youth Pan American Championships last fall in Mexico. Team USA was repeatedly booed by South American fans pulling for Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico and Brazil, among others. Nevertheless, the Americans dominated the tournament by going 8-0 to qualify for the 2009 IBAF "AA" Youth World Championships in Taiwan.

“Playing for the U.S. was by far the best pure baseball experience I’ve had. It was like playing for the Yankees,” said Lipka, who started four of the seven games he played in, compiling a .467 batting average, four RBIs and eight walks. “It’s a crazy experience. Words can’t even describe it.”

Tidal wave

Swarmed with offers from big-time, tradition-rich college programs, Lipka has been courted by a number of schools seeking his services. Of the 14 offers he received n among them scholarships from perennial powers such as Oklahoma, LSU, Arkansas, Texas A&M and Arizona State n Lipka whittled his list of suitors down to Texas, Georgia Tech and Alabama. He visited each of the three universities, touring the facilities and meeting with coaches and players. After deliberating his choices, Lipka settled on ‘Bama in mid July, specifically noting an affinity for head coach Jim Wells and his assistants.

“The coaching staff from Day 1 was awesome,” Lipka said. “The offer was the best one; they gave us a full ride. Overall, the fit was probably the best of everyone.”

As difficult as the decision was to pass on Texas, the winningest program in college baseball history in terms of win percentage, and Georgia Tech, which has gone 437-177 since 2000, opting to play baseball over football was equally taxing for Lipka. He has been a dual-sport standout the past two seasons for the Lions.

In leading the football team to the bi-district playoffs in 2008, Lipka recorded 33 catches for 577 yards and six touchdowns to collect his second straight all-district first-team honor. As a sophomore, his numbers were even gaudier (50 catches, 937 yards, 13 touchdowns), but McKinney limped to a 3-7 record to miss the postseason for the third year in a row.

Seeing teammate Zach Lee commit to LSU for both baseball and football tempted Lipka to ponder doing the same for the Crimson Tide, but in the end chasing his dream was the highest priority.

“I love football and it’s fun, but I want to possibly play Major League baseball,” Lipka said. “I think that’s going to be my career path so I might as well just focus on baseball and give it my best shot.”

Good choice. Lipka guided the Lions to the regional quarterfinals as a freshman, tops on the team in batting average, hits, runs, RBIs and home runs. The past two seasons have ended in the first round, though McKinney has won at least a share of the District 9-4A championship both times.

Individually, Lipka excelled. He was a unanimous first-team all-district selection as a sophomore and the Most Valuable Player as a junior who hit .380 with nine home runs and 28 RBIs.

“There is no one more deserving than that kid,” Frisco head coach Scott Cook said at the time.

Alabama also got the nod for other reasons. Three of Lipka’s comrades on Team USA are headed to the SEC school and Lipka believes it is the best destination for him to step in as a freshman and start immediately. Though verbal commitments are nonbinding n the first day a baseball player in the Class of 2010 can sign a national letter of intent is in November n Lipka said his decision is firm. Getting it out of the way before the start of two-a-days is also a weight off the rangy receiver’s shoulders.

“It’s always a big relief when you get the commitment off your chest,” Lipka said. “You know where you’re going to go so you just go out there and play and there’s no pressure.”

‘Fun to think about’

When Lipka heads to California next month for the Aflac game, the fact that he is verbally committed to play college ball will be irrelevant to the throng of MLB scouts in attendance. As one of 20 players on the West squad n participants are chosen by the experts at the official selection partner, Perfect Game USA, based on being in good academic standing and displaying qualities off the field that embody baseball's ideals, including discipline, determination and hard work n his every move will be scrutinized. Though professional organizations judge a player on his overall body of work, a strong showing against the best high schoolers in the nation will speak volumes. It may also equal a big payday.

According to Baseball America, Lipka is a five-star prospect, the type of player with the physical ability to be drafted in the top two rounds of the free agent draft following his senior year in high school. Such players generally earn signing bonuses in the millions.

Quite a bit can change between now and the end of Lipka’s senior season. He may decide the lure of a fat check is too good to pass on. As Baseball America assistant editor Nathan Rode noted, “You can go back to college; you can’t go back to pro ball. You make it or you don’t.”

Rode said if he were advising a player with the potential to be drafted in the first two rounds n he said Lipka is currently in the discussion as one of the top 25 seniors in the nation and most certainly in the top 50 n his recommendation would be to bypass college altogether. With the exception of a few cases, five-star prospects make the jump straight from high school.

“Few of these players will bypass an opportunity to play professional baseball immediately in favor of college baseball,” the Baseball America Web site says. “As a college player, though, this type of prospect would be considered a cornerstone to a college program.”

In the event he skips college, Rode said Lipka can expect to work his way up through the minor leagues for roughly four years before landing on a Major League roster. If he is to stick with his commitment to Alabama, even if only for a season, Lipka has the potential to do quite a bit of damage at the plate.

“It’s almost fun to think about what some of these kids would do if they went to college,” Rode said. “He could be a very, very big contributor at the college level not only because of his athleticism and skill set, but because if scouts think he can do it at the pro game with a wood bat, just imagine what he can do against other amateur players with a metal bat. He could have a huge impact.”

At the Tournament of Stars in June in Cary, NC, Lipka showed good range and sticky hands, according to Rode. He ran the 60-meter dash in 6.65 seconds and was clocked from home plate to first base in 4.2 seconds, considered above average speed on the scouting scale. Additionally, he throws in the mid to high 80s on the mound, “good enough for being a shortstop.”

“There’s a lot of potential for this to change between now and June, but right now, he’s playing well on both sides of the ball,” Rode said. “Any time you have a guy doing that, it makes him interesting because it gives him more options, but it also shows he’s a good athlete.”

The other sport

Lipka admittedly hasn’t spent much time this summer concentrating on football, understandable for a guy who hopes to rake in the big bucks on the diamond. But he has remained in peak physical condition and believes he is faster than ever. His hope is that he can return to the form he displayed as a sophomore, when he led the Lions in scoring and outgained the rest of the receiving corps.

McKinney was an offensive juggernaut last season, averaging more than 44 points and 480 yards per game.

“I think our offense is going to be just as good,” Lipka said. “I think we’re going to have a much more successful season, hopefully make it a few rounds deeper in the playoffs.”

McKinney’s 2008 postseason run was cut short by a 69-37 loss to Highland Park. The season before, the squad went 1-6 in district play and averaged fewer than 20 points on the year. Lipka is eager for the Lions to get back to the playoffs on the gridiron. Same goes for baseball.

“There’s always a hunger to get back there. I’ve been freakin' busting it this year, not only for myself but for the team,” Lipka said. “My freshman we year got a taste of going 4-5 rounds deep [in baseball] and it was exciting. In high school there is nothing like it. I want to go back for myself, but also for the younger guys as well.”

Showcasing his talent

Not only will professional scouts be taking in all the sights and sounds at the Aflac All-American Baseball Classic, MLB Hall-of-Famer Ozzie Smith will be personally working with the 40 players as the game’s honorary chairman, a position held in the past by Reggie Jackson, Cal Ripken Jr. and Stan Musial.

In addition to helping promote the Classic, Smith will be on-site in San Diego for game-week activities and to spend time with the players.

"It is an honor to once again be named honorary chairman for such a prestigious high school baseball showcase and return to the home of my first major league team," Smith said. "This game has risen to such a level that the players have a unique opportunity to showcase their talents in front of a national audience and MLB scouts n an opportunity I wish I had starting out."

Lipka said competing at the home of the San Diego Padres, a ballpark he may very well return to in a different uniform one day in the future, is something he will remember forever.

“The whole thing is just an honor. It’s the most important game of the year for me out of my summer schedule,” he said. “Just to be with the top 40 guys in the country is a privilege. It’s pretty special.

“It’s a little overwhelming, but it’s a tribute to (Aflac) because they do a great job with the whole event and are very sharp with everything. To finally see my hard work paying off, it’s getting exciting. It’s going to be a fun year.”

Aflac All-American Baseball Classic

Aug. 16, San Diego

East roster

Tim Saunders, manager

Cecil Espy, assistant

Kevin Maris, assistant

Stetson Allie, RHP/INF

Zach Alvord, INF

Michael Arencibia, OF

Tyler Austin, C/3B

Robert Aviles, RHP

Cameron Bedrosian, RHP

Yordy Cabrera, INF/RHP

Chevez Clarke, OF

Andrew Cole, RHP

Kaleb Cowart, RHP/INF

Reggie Golden, OF

Conrad Gregor, 1B

Trey Griffin, OF

Jacoby Jones, INF

Connor Narron, INF

Justin O'Conner, RHP/INF

Shane Rowland, C

DeAndre Smelter, RHP

Brandon Stephens, C

Karsten Whitson, RHP

West roster

Steve Vickery, manager

Manny Hermosillo, assistant

Omar Washington, assistant

Krey Bratsen, OF

Kris Bryant, INF

Dylan Covey, RHP

Kevin Gausman, RHP

Bryce Harper, C

Jared Lakind, 1B/LHP

Matt Lipka, INF

Marcus Littlewood, INF

Michael Lorenzen, RHP/OF

Brian Ragira, RHP/OF

Stefan Sabol, C/OF

Josh Sale, OF/1B

Aaron Sanchez, RHP

Tyler Shreve, RHP

Kellen Sweeney, INF/OF

Peter Tago, RHP

Jameson Taillon, RHP

A.J. Vanegas, RHP

Austin Wilson, OF

Tony Wolters, INF

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