Cheyenne Mustangs Outfielder Reed Thompson Selected for Colorado Rockies Scout Team

CHEYENNE – Cheyenne Mustangs center fielder Reed Thompson has been selected by the Colorado Rockies to play for the Rockies 2011 Fall Scout Team. The team is comprised of the very best high school players in the state of Colorado and surrounding areas as selected by the Rockies scouting department. The Scout Team will be managed and coached by members of the Colorado Rockies scouting staff and members of the Denver-based Diamond Club Baseball organization.
The Scout Team was formed under the direction of Dan O’Dowd, the Colorado Rockies Executive VP/Chief Baseball Officer & General Manager. In a press release issued by the Rockies, O’Dowd said the purpose of the team is to provide deserving area high school players with the opportunity to develop and showcase their skills in front of college and professional scouts as well as prepare them for collegiate and/or professional levels of baseball. In addition to talent, the Rockies were looking for players who have character, ability, strong work ethic and are serious about their development and aspiration to play the game at higher levels. Players will have the opportunity to develop the many intangibles needed to succeed in the game of baseball.
The Colorado Rockies Scout Team will play approximately 30 games this fall. The team will play in the Denver area and out of state against top high school showcase teams and regional Junior Colleges. Players will participate in showcase events in Albuquerque, NM, Salt Lake City, UT and Lincoln, NE. In October, the Scout Team will travel to Peoria, AZ for the Senior Fall Classic. This is one of the top showcase events in the United States and is attended by college coaches representing over 200 college programs as well as scouts from every Major League organization.
Thompson, a junior and second year starter for the Mustangs varsity team, caught the eye of Wayne Doland, an Associate Scout for the Colorado Rockies in a Cheyenne Mustangs Connie Mack league game in Denver earlier this season. The Mustangs were playing Diamond Club’s summer Connie Mack team in a doubleheader at All Star Park in Lakewood, Colorado on July 1st. In the first game, Thompson made a strong throw from centerfield to home plate to nail a runner trying to score. In addition to making some tough catches in centerfield, the left-handed hitting Thompson also hit well in the two games.
Following that performance, Thompson received an invitation for a tryout in Denver for the Rockies Scout Team. The tryout was held at the Diamond Club Training Facility, the home of the Scout Team. Doland, who also serves as Field Manager for the Scout Team, conducted the tryout. “I thought the tryout went really well,” recalls Thompson. “After the workout, Coach Doland spent a lot of time talking with me about academics, my ACT score, my family, and my baseball history and goals. He wanted to know about me as a person, not just as a player. I really liked what he had to say and I had a good feeling about my chances to make the team when I left the tryout,” said Thompson.
Two days later Thompson received a letter from the Rockies letting him know he had made the team. “This is a tremendous opportunity and I feel so fortunate. I am very grateful to coach Doland and the Colorado Rockies for making this possible,” said Thompson.
The final decision on Thompson’s selection to the team was made by Zach Wilson, Assistant Director of Scouting for the Rockies. “There is great potential through this program to contribute to the overall growth of young baseball players in the Rocky Mountain region. We are thrilled about the opportunity this will present players to gain experience playing in a very competitive environment and to spotlight their skills to the scouting community while continuing to develop their character both between the lines and outside of the games,” said Wilson.
The Rockies will make scholarship awards available to team members. Scholarships will be awarded to individual players based on character, academic achievement, leadership and community service. The Rockies organization believes these qualities not only serve players well on the field, but they are attributes that will enable players to have success in their present and future endeavors. “This team will provide a considerable opportunity for local and regional players to gain baseball exposure and develop skills and qualities that will benefit them in all walks of life. We are pleased to be able to have a scholarship opportunity connected with this program and look forward to assisting young student-athletes in following their ambitions,” said Rockies General Manager O’Dowd. Under the direction of the Colorado Rockies organization and their scouting department, this will be one of the premier development and exposure experiences in the country.
According to Kevin Paintner, president of the Cheyenne Mustangs baseball organization, the Mustangs play in the Colorado Connie Mack league in order to play against the best competition in the area and to increase the exposure of the team’s players to college and pro scouts. “Reed’s experience is proof of the type of exposure our players get. In our organization’s first two seasons, nine of our graduating players have received college baseball scholarship offers,” said Paintner.
Thompson’s achievement is even more remarkable given this is only his second season playing in the outfield. He has played on competitive travel teams since he was nine years old. However, he played almost exclusively on the infield until last season. When Thompson made the Mustangs varsity team as a sophomore, varsity head coach Todd Hall thought outfield was a better fit for Thompson and the team, so he moved him to left field. Thompson gladly accepted the role wanting to help the team however he could. As a sophomore, Thompson earned a starting spot in the outfield and helped the Mustangs win the Colorado Connie Mack League’s North Division last year. “He reads the ball well off the bat and gets good jumps. His arm has gotten considerably stronger over the last two seasons. He has sound swing mechanics and is a very good hitter,” said Hall. This year Hall moved Thompson to centerfield and the improvement has continued. “He has a lot of potential to get even better,” said Hall.
Thompson will be a senior at Cheyenne Central High School this fall where he has lettered in basketball and academics. He is an honor roll student, a member of the National Honor Society, and a member of Young Life. Earlier this year he was nominated by Wyoming Governor Matt Mead to attend the Ronald Reagan Foundation’s Up Close Convention in Washington D.C. as one of two high school juniors representing the state.
One of Thompson’s goals has been to get to a good college where he can continue his baseball and get a high quality education. His experience and exposure with the Colorado Rockies Scout Team should be a big help in achieving that goal.