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In his second trip to the Area Code Games, Westlake High School (Westlake Village, CA) shortstop Cutter Dykstra is quickly getting scouts' attention. Cutter, son of ex-professional baseball player Lenny Dykstra, recorded the highest SPARQ Rating* among all of this year's Area Code participants. The SPARQ Baseball Rating is a numeric value used to gauge a player's overall athleticism and Dykstra's hard work in the off-season obviously paid off. His 77.94 rating included a 3.65 30-yard dash (No. 1 overall at Area Code), a 4.15 20-yard shuttle, a 32.3 inch vertical jump, and a 49-foot power ball toss. In the all-important 60-yard dash, his 6.58 clocking was the second best overall.

"I did not have a lot of experience with SPARQ, but I've been working in the weight room on my power and agility and just did it," Cutter explained. "I'm kinda raw in some of the events, but I did everything as hard as I could. When we were leaving the field, everyone was showing what they got and I was like 'wow, I just might have the highest rating."'

Prior to SPARQ testing Cutter focused on putting on weight, good weight. Cutter hit the weight room several times a week and concentrated on explosive power, agility, and sprint technique. The results of the athletic training gave Cutter more confidence on the baseball diamond and especially offensively on the base paths.

"He put in the work," Lenny Dykstra said. "Cutter works as hard as anybody out there. He puts in time in the weight room, goes to work taking ground balls. He's always working. That's the only way to do it, the only way to get better."

"I have committed to UCLA, but my ultimate goal is to play in the big leagues," Cutter remarked. "I don't know how it'll happen but whatever comes next year, I'm not going to tone it down. I'm going to keep working hard and show what I can do."