When 8-year-old Ren Devereux attended the MLB Pitch, Hit & Run competition on one of the Olney Boys and Girls Club's baseball fields, he had no idea where the event would take him.
After winning his local competition in Olney, the sectional in Laurel and the regional at Camden Yards, Devereux has earned an all-expenses-paid trip to Cincinnati for the 2015 All-Star Game.
While at Great American Ball Park, , Devereux will be one of the three boys in the 7-8 age group in the final stage of the competition. Additionally, the resident of Derwood in Montgomery County will shag fly balls in the outfield during Monday night's Home Run Derby and sit in the stands with his family for the All-Star Game on Tuesday night.
"It's really neat," his father, Charles Devereux, said. "It's certainly an honor. We are really proud of him."
Charles provides a strong role model for his son in the sport. A former right-handed pitcher, Charles ranks third in wins (18) and saves (15) at Maryland and spent five years in the minor leagues, reaching Double-A Bowie in 1995.
Now his son, a diehard Orioles fan, will represent the organization his dad played for years ago.
Ren Devereux started as one of approximately 625,000 kids 7 to 14 years old in the Pitch, Hit & Run competition, and will be one of only 24 finalists in Cincinnati.
The competition combines scores from three events. The kids throw at a designated strike zone, hit the ball off a tee for distance and accuracy to a center line and complete a timed run from second base to home plate. Two national finalists from the competition have gone on to make the major leagues — current Orioles first baseman Chris Parmelee and Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer.
Along the way, Charles Devereux said he always tried to be realistic about how far his son would make it. He said he expected Ren to win the local competition and wasn't surprised by his success in the sectional, but he knew battling the top kids at Camden Yards in the team championships would be a challenge. Ren cherished every minute at Camden Yards.
"I got to be on the field and go in the dugout," Devereux said. "It was just awesome."
And even when Ren Devereux continued to impress and won the Baltimore event, it wasn't a lock he would make it to the national competition. His dad recalled telling him, "That's fantastic, you got the trophy," but he didn't want to get his son's hopes up that his score would place him in the top three in his age group compared with winners from the other 29 ballparks around the major leagues.
When they gathered to watch the announcement June 28 on MLB Network, Ren's name was one of three for 7-8 boys. MLB covers the cost of the trip for the contestant and one other, but the Devereuxes are making it a family affair. Ren's mother, Deena, and his grandparents are paying to join the young ballplayer and his father in Cincinnati.
While there, Ren is hoping to get a chance to meet the four Orioles All-Stars — Zach Britton, Adam Jones, Manny Machado and Darren O'Day — and get their autographs. He is especially hoping to meet Machado, his favorite player, and Devereux will have the chance to share the field with him when Machado participates in the Home Run Derby.
"I hope I catch one of his balls," Devereuex said.
Despite all the events planned for him and the stars he will be around, Ren told his dad his focus is on winning. But he has a mature attitude going into it.
"Even if I don't win, it's going to be a lot of fun," Devereux said.
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