Sports, Crossroads, Baseball, Little League, Santa Monica, Lincoln Middle School, John Adams Middle

Home Run Derby Starts Off Santa Monica Little League Baseball Season

Photo by Roger Morante

Santa Monica Little League's Grant Smith of the Pirates hits a baseball at the Home Run Derby Event at Memorial Park Saturday morning. Smith made it to the second round of the Home Run Derby Event.

Photo by Roger Morante

Santa Monica Little League's Jared Levin of the Angels hits a baseball at the Home Run Derby Event at Memorial Park Saturday morning. Levin made it to the second round at the Home Run Derby.

Photo by Roger Morante

Santa Monica Little League's Drew Lipp of the Dodgers hits a baseball at the Home Run Derby Event at Memorial Park Saturday morning.

Photo by Roger Morante

Santa Monica Little League's Joshua Barzalai of the Mets hits a baseball at the Home Run Derby Event at Memorial Park Saturday morning.

Photo by Roger Morante

Santa Monica Little League's Sam Brand of the Pirates hits a baseball at the Home Run Derby Event at Memorial Park Saturday morning.

Photo by Roger Morante

Santa Monica Little League Home Run Derby 2013 Group Shot with trophy awarded to Cody Rains.

Orioles Slugger Cody Rains Wins Home Run Derby

Posted Mar. 3, 2013, 3:01 pm

Roger Morante / Sports Editor

Santa Monica Little League hosted its first Rosti Home Run Derby event followed by the first games of the baseball season on Majors Field at Memorial Park Saturday morning.

After an hour of home run slams by the Santa Monica Little League's top batters, Orioles Cody Rains was declared winner of the Home Run Derby. 

"I'm speechless," said Rains.  "I've always been known as a good hitter and now I just proved it."

The Pirates entered Grant Smith and Sam Brand.

Smith attends Lincoln Middle School and is a three-time Santa Monica Little League All-Star. Brand attends Lincoln Middle School and is a two-time Santa Monica Little League All-Star.

The Dodgers entered Drew Lipp and Sam Chesler.

Lipp is from Crossroads. Chesler attends John Adams Middle School and is a two-time Santa Monica Little League All-Star.

The Mets entered James McCormick and Joshua Barzalai.

McCormick attends John Adams Middle School and is a two-time Santa Monica Little League All-Star. Barzalai attends Paul Revere Middle School and is a one-time Santa Monica Little League All Star. 

The Angels entered Jarod Levin and Geoffrey Belden.

Levin attends John Adams Middle School and is a one time Santa Monica Little League All-Star.

The Orioles entered Rains and Eli Levy.

Rains is a one-time Santa Monica Little League All-Star. Levy attends Lincoln Middle School and is a one -time Santa Monica Little League All-Star who has been playing in the league for seven years.

At the conclusion of the Home Run Derby, the winner Rains was presented with a trophy by Rosti.

Parent Keven Kelsey said that he thought that the event was a good time for everybody to connect at the start of the Santa Monica Little League season.

"My son is in five pitch in the Santa Monica Little League and I think it's a good time for everybody to connect before all the teams go their separate ways," said Kelsey.  "Opening day is great and the kids get to see all these different levels and where they will be playing in the future.  The home run derby is a cool thing because the little kids realize that that would be a fun thing for them to eventually be on the field."

The Home Run Derby was announced by Eugene Jones and Punch Hyde White.