Baseball clinic brings in big-league talent

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers FUNDRAISER IS A HIT— At top, Camarillo residents Kyle Blauert 10, right, and his mom, Cassie Blauert, meet Major League Baseball player Delmon Young Jan. 10 at the inaugural “Hit a Home Run for Hope” Camarillo Pony baseball clinic to benefit the Lazarex Cancer Foundation. About 140 youngsters learned fielding techniques, base running, conditioning, and pitching and hitting mechanics from several professional baseball players, including Cincinnati Reds hitting coach Brook Jacoby, former Dodger Brent Cookson and former New York Mets player and coach at Oxnard College Roger Frash. Also on hand were Delmon and Dmitri Young, both professional baseball players from Camarillo. The brothers were there to honor their mother, Bonnie Young, who died of pancreatic cancer last year. At right, Camarillo residents, from left, Calvin Ito, 8; Brandon Castro, 7; and Jonathan Wolfrey, 7, prove that making it to the pros takes time and plenty of practice.