As the nation’s top baseball players gear up for a great weekend in Mesa, Arizona, we look back at some standout Baseball Factory alumni who hold recognition of being named a Pre-Season All-American and how their careers have progressed since the showcase event.

Alex Bregman

Alex Bregman – Bregman is a 2012 graduate from Albuquerque Academy in Albuquerque, NM and was a two-time Pre-Season All-American in 2010 and 2011.

The standout at short stop impressed scouts with his baseball skills, and he backed that claim up, being the first youth player to ever win USA Baseball’s Player of the Year honors. He also helped to lead the 16U National Team to a Gold Medal in the Pan Am Championships. When he arrived at Pre-Season, Bregman was already one of the country’s most polished hitters. In the field, he was one of the more surehanded and reliable fielders seen during the event and made plays all around the bag at second during the event.

At LSU, Bregman was one of the most dynamic athletes in school history, named a First-Team All-American by Baseball America, in addition to being named a Golden Spikes finalist and First Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team in 2015. He started all 196 career games at short, and in his final season with the Tigers in ’15, hit .323 with 22 doubles, three triples, nine homers, 49 RBI and 38 stolen bases.

It was no surprise that when major league teams came calling at last year’s MLB Draft about Bregman, he was bound to be drafted near the top. Bregman was selected second overall by the Houston Astros in last June’s draft, and played 66 games, moving to High-A Lancaster by season’s end. He showed no trouble with elevated talent, batting .319 in 37 games with eight doubles, four triples, three homers and 21 RBI.

Trent Clark

Trent Clark – Clark attended the 2013 Pre-Season event and wowed scouts as a sophomore with his left-handed swing, generating quick bat speed and power with his line-drive swing-path. Defensively in the outfield, he showed fluidity with sure hands as his speed allowed him to cover gaps easily.

Clark, a 2015 graduate from Richland High School in Fort Worth, TX, was drafted 15th overall last year by the Milwaukee Brewers and quickly demonstrated his ability to hit the baseball, posting a .309 average in Rookie League with the Brewers of the Arizona League and .310 at Rookie League Helena in the Pioneer League last season. Clark is rapidly ascending up Milwaukee’s top-prospects list, being named the organization’s second-best prospect by MLB in late July and will likely begin this season at Single-A.

Nick Kingham

Nick Kingham – Kingham was a 2009 Under Armour Pre-Season All-American from Las Vegas, NV. The right-hander attended Sierra Vista High School and put on a great showing during the tournament as a two-way player with outstanding tools and a great feel for pitching on the mound. Twice during his outing, Kingham touched 89 mph on his fastball and mixed a sharp 10/4 slider with a changeup that showed a lot of tumble. He struck out six of the 20 batters he faced, allowing only two hits.

That potential led him to be drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB Draft, working his way from Rookie League ball to finish out ’10, all the way to Triple-A Indianapolis in 2014, where he made 14 starts and pitched to a 3.58 ERA. After being added to the 40-man roster by Pittsburgh late in 2014, Kingham suffered a setback as Tommy John surgery shut him down after making just six starts in 2015. Determined to get back better than ever, the 6’6″ righty is working hard to return from injury sometime during the 2016 season.

Matt Krook

Matt Krook – Krook is a 2011 Pre-Season All-American alum and was a 2013 grad from St Ignatius College Prep in Hillsborough, CA. Krook came to the event as an athletic, 6’3″ pitcher and outfielder who shined brightly on the mound during the event. He carved up hitters with an 88 mph fastball and featured a cutter that ran in on right-handed hitters.

Krook then moved onto the University of Oregon where in 2014, he entered the scene with an impressive freshman campaign, finshing with a 2-1 record and a 1.79 ERA, striking out 60 in 45.1 innings pitched, holding opponents to a .148 batting average. However, Krook’s season was cut short due to injury and it was determined the left-hander would need Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2015 season. He took a redshirt for ’15 and will be back to full strength in ’16, focused on helping the Ducks and regain his status as one of the top lefties in the nation.

Daniel Vogelbach

Daniel Vogelbach – Vogelbach came to the 2010 Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament as a young, athletic first baseman who played the position well, moving easily around the bag, using his hands and feet well and displaying accuracy on his throws. With the bat, he showed pop and generated good bat speed, spraying the baseball all over the field with power.

It was that kind of raw power and potential that had the Chicago Cubs excited to select Vogelbach in the second round of the 2011 Draft from Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, FL. In 2013, between Low and High-A, Vogelbach hit 19 homers and batted .284 in 131 games. He followed that up with 16 blasts at High-A Daytona in 2014 and last season at Double-A Tennessee, he hit 16 doubles, one triple and seven homers in 76 games.

Baseball Factory will feature live updates throughout the event at baseballfactory.com, featuring in-game highlights, top performers and the sights and sounds from Mesa. Follow along on Baseball Factory’s Facebook page, on Twitter (@BaseballFactory) and Instagram (@baseballfactory).