George, a senior-to-be, pitched five innings. He allowed four runs, struck out four and showed the velocity for which scouts scour the country. George's fastball was clocked at between 88 and 92 m.p.h. and his curveball between 75 and 79 m.p.h. - speeds comparable to those of many major leaguers.
George said several scouts praised his performance.
"I was told I did really well," he said. "They said there was only one hard-hit ball, and that was a single."
George is no newcomer when it comes to baseball scouting. His father, Rowland, is a part-time scout for the Florida Marlins. His uncle Will George is a full-time scout for the Colorado Rockies. Both also played minor-league baseball. George's uncle even roomed in the minors with Cal Ripken Jr., the Baltimore Orioles' future Hall of Famer.
George said some scouts had told him that, as things stand, he could be drafted in the first five rounds in June.
First-round picks this year have commanded between $1 million and $5.5 million in signing bonuses. Even fifth-round choices, especially those out of high school, routinely receive six-figure signing bonuses.
George said he realizes there are big stakes in baseball.
"The difference between throwing 92 m.p.h. and 95 is probably $500,000," he said, "but I can't worry about that. I just want to keep improving as a pitcher."
George, who has scored 1,120 on the SAT, is also looking into colleges. After he threw a no-hitter and struck out 10 in a state tournament victory over Red Bank Catholic on May 24, George began receiving steady mail from colleges.
On the mound, he refuses to be ruffled. Yet even someone with his confidence likes to see how he fares against the best in the country.
"It was so important for him to go down to North Carolina and have a good outing," his father said. "He was competing with pitchers who were ranked the No. 8 and No. 15 prospects in the country, and he showed he belonged."
Next for George will be an invitation-only workout for top high school and college players from New Jersey and surrounding states in front of professional scouts this month at Rutgers University in New Brunswick.
"Being a pro has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid," he said.
"Every time I work out, I just want to keep improving. It's exciting, but I have a lot more work to do."
So do the scouts, who should be kept busy monitoring George's progress.
Marc Narducci's e-mail address is mnarducci@phillynews.com.
