Desert Ridge senior wins international home run competition

Jan. 19, 2010 — Travis Flores, a senior at Desert Ridge High School in Mesa, beat out 74 other high school ball players representing high schools throughout the United States and eight other countries in the 4th Annual International High School Power Showcase Home Run Derby Finals held Jan. 10 at Tropicana Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Showcase Derby provides each player an opportunity to showcase his skills before many top talent evaluators.

In the first round of batting, Travis was Number 28 in the lineup of 75 young men, hitting nine home runs to take third place. The Top five competitors advanced to the championship round, where Travis hit an additional eight home runs to win the event. Two of his East Valley friends also finished in the Top 5: D. J. Peterson from Gilbert High School and Cole Gleason from Red Mountain High School.

Travis began playing ball at the age of 5 and is currently a four-year varsity starter for Desert Ridge High School baseball team, serving as its captain and team leader. Though baseball is his life, Travis has also participated in roller hockey, soccer, football, and wrestling. He signed a baseball scholarship with ASU for next year, achieving his long-held dream of playing baseball there.