LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Kennewick shortstop Trek Stemp was among the 30 Northwest players selected to participate in the Area Code baseball games Aug. 5-10 in Long Beach, Calif.

Stemp, who will be a senior at Kennewick in the fall, was named to the Kansas City Royals squad of players from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana after a tryout in front of major league baseball scouts two weeks ago at Gesa Stadium in Pasco.

"It was kind of overwhelming at first," Stemp said Monday, two days before his Kennewick Bandits play a home-and-home with the rival Twin City Titans in a Central Washington League American Legion showdown. "You see all those good players around. You just have to get used to it."

Stemp was one of three area players recommended by a pro scout to try out for the squad, along with Kamiakin's Drew Oord and Southridge's Matt Mendenhall.

Prospects were timed in the 60-yard dash, fielded ground balls, took batting practice and then hit off live pitching.

"The first couple of rounds were not very good, but then I got comfortable," Stemp said, noting it was his first chance to work out in front of MLB scouts.

He'll get a lot more, with representatives from every team plus numerous college coaches expected in Long Beach.

Stemp, the Herald's all-area player of the year as a sophomore and first-teamer after his junior season, has drawn plenty of Division I college interest but has yet to commit.

"This is the biggest opportunity I've had so far," he said. "I've read some stuff about the Area Codes, heard some names of guys who were drafted this year."

ESPN, which took over the games in 2008, reports the event has produced more than 500 major leaguers in its 25 years.

This is the third straight year the Tri-Cities has had a player make the Area Code team. Southridge's Spencer O'Neil was selected in 2009 and '10.