Activities at the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex, Presented by Toyota, are designed to help make sports more attainable for disadvantage youth. Tomorrow, Saturday, September 7, an equipment distribution will help Academy athletes continue to gear up to be their best.

Beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Beltre Field in the Academy¡¯s Globe Life Training Complex, gloves, bats, cleats and more will be given to youth baseball and softball players whose parents register in advance at www.texasrangers.com/academy.

The equipment was donated by Texas Rangers fans as part of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Baseball Tomorrow Fund equipment drive last month. The equipment drive was supported by Rangers infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, while Academy Sports + Outdoors gave a $2,500.00 gift card to the Rangers Baseball Foundation for the purchase of equipment.

Additionally, new and used apparel and cleats has been donated to the Academy athletes by the Rangers clubhouse.

Taking the Show on the Road

A second Rangers Academy athlete has been named to the Breakthrough Series team that will compete in the 2019 World Wood Bat Association (WWBA) Freshman World Championships in West Palm Beach, Fla. next month.

Austin Phillips (2024, Young Men¡¯s Leadership Academy) was named to the team this week, joining fellow Academy participant Collin Moore (2024 Rogers Middle School), who was announced last week.

Philips and Moore both participated in the re-branded Hank Aaron Invitational in July. The Breakthrough Series team on which they will play is made up of athletes who stood out during MLB Breakthrough Series events.

The WWBA Freshman World Championship Tournament is a Perfect Game event featuring over 70 teams competing at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla. from October 11-14. This will mark the seventh year of the tournament, which has seen more than 62 former participants drafted to MLB teams and 1,238 former participants ink college commitments.

Blessings in a Backpack

Academy athletes whose families face food challenges on the weekends when children aren¡¯t in school will have a new meal source this fall, thanks in part to two Rangers players.

Outfielder Hunter Pence and pitcher Lance Lynn joined The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation to partner with Blessings in a Backpack. The program mobilizes resources to provide food on the weekends to elementary school students who might otherwise go hungry, thanks in part to a grant provided through Major League Baseball Charities and Big League Impact.

Beginning September 19 and running through November 21, 100 backpacks of food will be distributed to families each Thursday at the Academy following the 6:30-8:30 p.m. training sessions for 12U athletes.

Academy athletes who will benefit from the gift participated in a pre-game presentation with Pence and Blessings in a Backpack volunteer Renaldo Cordova, at Globe Life Park in Arlington on August 30.

Fall Programming

Fall programming begins September 16 and runs through November 21. There will be no programming October 14-18 or October 31.

Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. will feature activities for 18U athletes. Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. will be designed for 12U athletes. Additionally, the weight room will be available to 18U athletes from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and Mondays and 5:00-8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Registration is now available at https://texasrangersya.leagueapps.com/camps.

Fall RBI Upcoming

Preparations are underway for the fall RBI season at the Academy. The season begins October 5, and the schedule is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.