<p>The fields in Dustin Sprong’s baseball dreams are a 10-hour drive from his Morgantown residence.</p>
<p>Sprong, who earlier this month helped Indian Creek advance to its first baseball semistate, has been invited to try out for the U17 national team.</p>
<p>Tryouts are Aug. 22-26 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.</p>
<p>“They are the nicest baseball facilities I’ve ever played on,” said Sprong, who is making his third trip to the USA Complex after being invited to tryouts the past two summers. “It makes me feel good because it’s such an incredible opportunity.”</p>
<p>Overall, there are 16 regional teams (or between 270-300 players) from around the country converging on Cary. Each team is expected to play four games, each under the watchful eyes of USA Baseball scouts and coaches from most Division I college programs.</p>
<p>Sprong, a pitcher/outfielder for the Braves, batted .398. On the hill, he finished with a 5-1 record, three saves and a 1.67 earned-run average.</p>
<p>He is one of two Indiana players on the 18-player Great Lakes Region roster with Michael Doolin, a pitcher for 3A state champion Andrean. Doolin is verbally committed to 2014 NCAA baseball champion Vanderbilt University.</p>
<p>Sprong and Doolin are entering their senior years.</p>
<p>In April, Sprong verbally committed to play baseball at Xavier University. He started receiving notice much earlier.</p>
<p>“Basically, it was from a travel baseball standpoint, and he was seen,” Sprong’s father, Kevin, said. “(In 2016) we went to Indianapolis for a tryout. They time you in the 60-meter dash, check bat exit speed and a player’s pitching velocity.</p>
<p>“There are a lot of variables. Dustin did well enough on all the tests to be invited to national tryouts.”</p>
<p>The Great Lakes Region squad is made up of players from Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. On July 11, coaches and players will meet at Benedictine University in Chicago to practice and build team chemistry before the August tryouts.</p>
<p>Dustin Sprong doesn’t think his baseball-themed summer will prevent him from being part of the Braves’ football program this season. However, the receiver who as a junior finished with 23 catches for 331 yards will be in North Carolina when Indian Creek plays Week 2 against Greenwood.</p>
<p>Braves baseball coach Steve Mirizzi knows Sprong will benefit from the experience.</p>
<p>“You can always learn about the game, and I’m sure he’s going to get some good coaching,” Mirizzi said. “It’s good for Dustin to get that kind of experience and recognition. I want him to have a good experience and have fun.”</p>
<p>Sprong hopes to benefit from having been to the training complex twice before. Neither the complex nor the moment will be too big as he attempts to make the U17 national team.</p>
<p>“My first year everyone was bigger than me because I was 15. The second year I was getting used to the atmosphere,” Sprong said. “This year I’ll be OK.”</p>
