TRENTON, N.J. — The scouts who descended on Carmichael, Calif., a Sacramento suburb, in the spring of 2011 were confident they were coming to see a future major-league slugger.
And Rhys Hoskins was there, too.
Hoskins hit cleanup for Jesuit High School, at least once basketball season ended and he turned his attention to baseball. He had power, sure. But he also was committed to playing for Sacramento State, the only college that recruited him, and that was where the pro scouts would really take notice.
In 2011, the main attraction at Jesuit High was the hitter who batted ahead of Hoskins.