A trio of Bryan County baseball players got an opportunity to test their talent and abilities against some of the state’s top players and they did not come up wanting.

Coach Kyle Farmer took Eli Koskela, Gunner Ennis and Ethan Williams to the Georgia Dugout Club’s Top 100 Underclassmen showcase in Marietta June 23-24 to give them a chance to get some statewide exposure, especially to college coaches, and they held their own, he said.

The Top 100 is an invitation only event which is put on annually by the Georgia Dugout Club. Also participating in this year’s showcase were Richmond Hill players Grant Wagner and Landon Walker.

“They had the opportunity to compete in front of (pro) scouts and college coaches,” Farmer said. “It was a great experience for them where they were able to gain valuable metrics which we can send to college coaches.

“This is a stepping stone to getting them the recognition they deserve.”

Williams is a rising senior who played several positions in the infield and also caught when rising junior Koskela, the starting catcher, pitched. Ennis is coming off an outstanding freshman season in which he played the outfield and pitched.

The showcase, as its name states, brings together some of the top underclassmen in the state for an intense two days of displaying their skill set and being evaluated at a high level by scouts and recruiters.

There was, Farmer said, some natural apprehension on his players' part in seeing how they would compare against top players from other areas of the state but once the first ball was thrown out, they found they fit right in.

“They demonstrated hard work, grit and competitiveness,” said Farmer, who is entering his second year at Bryan County after a dozen years at state power Benedictine. “Opportunities like this not only elevate our program but also help build the Bryan County baseball brand, one that represents pride, dedication and statewide recognition.”

And, gaining recognition for the Redskins program regionally and statewide is one of Farmer’s goals. Getting players in the showcase is a step taken toward meeting that goal.

“We want people in South Georgia to know who we are and what we stand for,” Farmer said. “Our players are putting in the work to make that happen.

“I took those guys (to the showcase) for a reason,” Farmer said. “I wanted them to see the top talent in Georgia. They competed their rear ends off and I was proud of them. From now on they’ll (recruiters) know who we are and where we’re from.”

In addition to being put through the paces when it came to hitting, defensive workouts, throwing and running players also had an extensive Q&A session with college recruiters.

It’s been a busy summer for Redskins baseball, Farmer said, as players have been working daily in the weight room to get bigger, stronger and faster in addition to playing travel ball.

And Farmer is leaving no stone unturned in creating an interest and awareness in his program as evidenced by his checking out youth games at Hendrix Park and by the turnout at his recent baseball game.

“We had a two-day camp for first through eighth graders and we had 35 kids,” Farmer said. “The message the first day was to be a sponge:  listen and absorb as much as you could about the game. We ran it the same way we would run one of our practices.

“The second day was to be a buddy and it was a fun day, too, as we had a 100-foot slip-and-slide. This is a baseball community here and the support we’re getting shows that.”