FREEPORT - For most of its participants, the Freeport International Baseball Invitational doesn't begin until today.

But it's never too early to display one's talents on the diamond.

Freeport's Swartz Field hosted a talent showcase Monday evening in which players from the teams in town for the tournament had a chance to catch a scout's eye.

"I run showcases all over the region," said Ron Vrana, the National Scouting Report's Area Director. "But this is the first time we've come up to the Freeport Invite.

"The purpose of this is to give the scouts here an idea of what kind of talent will be included in this tournament. Then, over the next few days, they can follow the prospects around to the different fields and get a closer look at them," he added.

Pro teams use the information Vrana takes from his camps, but helping college teams find talent is his specialty.

"A lot of colleges use me as their eyes and ears," said Vrana. "I've worked with schools in Virginia, New York and Indiana, among others.

"I see the same kids a lot at the other showcases," he said. "That's why I'm glad we were able to come up here and see some different talent."

Fifty-four players were registered to compete, but 18 didn't show up because of poor weather.

A steady rain threatened to wash out the showcase, but the skies cleared just in time.

The talent pool included several players from Canadian teams.

"Colleges love to look at the Canadian kids simply because they are more willing to move," said Vrana. "There have been Canadian players who have signed with colleges in Massachusetts, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas. Kids around here are less likely to move that far away. They want to stay closer to home."

Players were first timed in the 60-yard dash, sprinting from center field to the left field foul line.

Arm strength was next, with catchers throwing to second base, outfielders to home plate and infielders across the diamond.

Pitchers then took the mound, each throwing up to 10 pitches in front of a radar gun.

Finally, a simulated game was played to see how each player reacted in real-game situations.

"With the rain that fell earlier, the conditions aren't the greatest," said Global Scouting Bureau's Claudio Reilsono, who signed 19 players to pro contracts last year. "I'm sure it's going to slow the kids' speed down and affect their throws. But there are some good ball players here today."

One of those players was Daniel Gandia, a 17-year old pitcher from Puerto Rico.

Gandia's American Legion team, Bayamon, was unable to make the trip. He came with his parents to take part in the showcase and will play in the tournament as a member of the Brown County (Ind.) Eagles.

His fastball was clocked at 85 mph.

"I think I did pretty well," Gandia said. "Though my warm-up pitches didn't go so well. I could've done better."

Ironically, a team Gandia played against in Puerto Rico was able to make the trip. He conversed with a few of its players during the showcase.

"I don't know any of them personally, but I was able to talk with a few of them here today," he said.

The Freeport Invitational will continue today with games played at six fields in the area.