Three New York Nine standouts recently took part in the invitation only Metropolitan Baseball Classic, played at MCU park in Brooklyn and Hofstra University on Long Island. The tournament was run by the New York Mets Scouting Department. Two of the clubs the Mets sponsored and put together were the Northeast Mets and the National Mets. There were also other top national baseball organizations such as the Evoshield Canes and Chet Lemon’s Juice and FTB, among others.
Senior first baseman and Villanova commit, Ryan Popp, from Brunswick High School and Junior third baseman Daniel Alfonzo anchored the Northeast Mets club. Dartmouth commit Trevor Johnson played center and hit atop the order for the National Mets, which had a lineup loaded with southern based players. When asked about the experience, Johnson stated, “This was a great experience to play against the best competition in the country and also be able to compete in such close games. It was also interesting to see how I stacked up on my own roster with what the Scouts say were the best players from the south.”
Daniel Alfonzo was his typical low-key self saying, “It was really competitive. Most of the pitchers were 90+ MPH. Every day you faced someone who could really throw. This was a great experience, lots of fun. Playing for the Nine helped me get ready for this”. Alfonzo’s run scoring double in the title game helped earn the Northeast Mets the crown.
Popp anchored the Northeast Mets offense hitting cleanup and helping guide them to the championship game. Popp added, “It was an honor and a privilege to have been selected to play for the Northeast Mets two years in a row in the Metropolitan Baseball Classic. It was fun and a great experience to have played with some of the best high school players in the country and many future professional ball players. The coaches were awesome and long term friendships were made on the team. Best of all was our team winning the Metropolitan Baseball Classic for the first time ever.”
