Yuma Diamondbacks ready to receive honor with Major League team

Before five Yuma area high school players take batting practice at Chase Field, we caught up with their coach as to just how deserving these kids are

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - It's always a dream for young baseball players to touch a Major League field.

For five high school players from Yuma, that dream is set to come true, as players from the Yuma Diamondbacks RBI team were chosen to join the main Diamondbacks RBI team.

The selections, which include Gila Ridge's Caleb Rosado, Cibola's Andrugh Yee, along with Cesar Chavira, Juan Pablo Chaves, and Ernesto Vizcarra from San Luis, will be honored Thursday.

They'll get a chance to take batting practice at Chase Field in a pregame ceremony ahead of the Diamondbacks' series finale against the Atlanta Braves.

Head coach of the Yuma RBI team, James Kuzniak, says those who were chosen are more than deserving.

"We hustled, these guys really did everything, not only just their skills on the field, just really how they were as people," Kuzniak said.

Thursday's event is just part of what has been an experience for the players all week, with the boys already getting a chance to talk to different MLB players earlier.

Yee even got the opportunity to help master his curveball with Atlanta veteran Charlie Morton, who has been using the pitch throughout his 17-year career.

"He spent 20 minutes talking to (Yee) about curveball and curveball release, for him to take the time out and talk to these guys is really cool," Kuzniak said.

The boys also got to talk to former slugger Khris Davis, who retired in 2021 after a career in which he hit over 200 home runs.

In addition to talk about the game, Davis discussed life off the field as well.

"He was real with the guys, he talked about the struggles, he talked about the highs the lows, being a good person what he regrets," Kuzniak said.

For full coverage of Thursday's events, tune into our 10:00 p.m newscasts on Thursday, July 11.