Felton Stars for Team Arizona

June 27, 2009

LITTLE AXE, Okla. - A future baseball player bound for Southwestern Oklahoma State University is among a handful of players competing for Team Arizona in the Sunbelt Classic. Mike Felton, a shortstop/second baseman from Chandler, Ariz., is starting for the Arizona all-star squad in an elite baseball showcase that features many of the top high school seniors from a number of different states.

The event, which brings together teams from six states, including one from Canada, is a hot  spot for professional scouts and college recruiters who can get an early glimpse at future draft/college baseball prospects.

Felton's Arizona team has put up a 5-1 record against its competition this week and is a strong candidate to move into the finals Saturday against Texas. Team Arizona beat Ohio 8-4 early on Friday to set up a semifinals showdown against Maryland. In the game against Ohio, Felton started at second base and went one-for-two with one run scored.

This is the second Sunbelt for Felton who last year led the Arizona Junior team to the tournament championship with an 8-1 record. He was named the tournament's MVP when he finished with a .640 batting average.

His performance at the 2008 Sunbelt led ESPN Rise Magazine naming him to the Arizona pre-season all-state team.

Felton did not disappoint in 2009. He led his high school team Corona del Sol to a 29-6 record and the Arizona 5A-1 state title. He hit .526 with two home runs and 49 RBI's while repeating as a first-team all-state selection.

Felton courted interested from a number of places including Central Arizona Community College and Loyola Marymount. A total of seven of his high school teammates signed letters of intent to play collegiately, including two to NCAA Division I Kansas State.

"SWOSU is a place where I can see a different part of the country and get a fresh start," he said. "It just felt right deciding to go there I really connected with Coach (Scott) Selby and how he's trying to build a program."

Felton signed with SWOSU before ever visiting Weatherford. He arrived in Oklahoma a few days before the Sunbelt tournament started so that his father and he could visit the campus.

"I really liked it. Everyone seemed really friendly," Felton said. "It has a real small-town feel and a good college atmosphere."