Fallbrook Avos Baseball Club to have March 20 tryouts

“The Avos are coming” is the saying of Fallbrook High School head varsity baseball coach Mark DiBenedetti, who will also be the director of the Fallbrook Avos Baseball Club.

Tryouts for the Fallbrook Avos Baseball Club will start March 20 at Fallbrook High School. The club will have 14-and-under and 12-and-under tournament teams along with an instructional program for participants ages 8 to 10.

“The kids are going to get a very strong fundamental background for baseball and training,” DiBenedetti said. “We’re going to also physically condition and teach these kids what’s important physically to play at a higher level.”

In addition to being the director of the Fallbrook Avos Baseball Club, DiBenedetti will also tutor the pitchers. DiBenedetti, who was named as the Warriors’ head baseball coach last August, had spent 2009 and 2010 as Fallbrook High School’s pitching coach and strength/conditioning instructor.

Ryan Smith, who is Fallbrook’s head JV coach for 2011, will be the Fallbrook Avos instructor for fielding and defense. Jimmy Sullivan, who refines the batting skills of professional baseball players, will be in charge of hitting. Romeo Dalmacio, who has worked with Boise State University track and field athletes, will instruct the players in speed, agility, and quickness.

“The one thing that’s going to set us apart is our staff,” DiBenedetti said. “It’s an outstanding staff.”

The Fallbrook Avos will play in Amateur Athletic Union tournaments, and the players will be AAU members and have AAU insurance. “It’s probably the best one of the bunch, and it’s the least expensive for tournaments,” DiBenedetti said of the AAU affiliation.

“We may host some tournaments ourselves in Fallbrook,” DiBenedetti said. The team may also participate in a Sunday league.

“The kids are going to benefit tremendously,” DiBenedetti said.

DiBenedetti, as the high school varsity coach, also stands to benefit.

“Basically it’s a feeder program. We’re going to use it as a feeder to develop the kids, develop their skills,” he said.

That will provide Fallbrook High School with better-skilled players once they reach ninth grade.

“It’s going to translate to the program,” DiBenedetti said. “The goal is to build a successful program.”

Because the club does not include players old enough to be in high school, it does not violate the CIF prohibition against club participation during the high school season.

“It’s going to really help Fallbrook baseball, period, so we’re excited. The community’s going to love it,” DiBenedetti said.

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