Harper, Bryant play in All-American game

With events like Sunday’s Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic filling his schedule, the former Las Vegas High catcher has been too busy to start plotting a potential future in the major leagues.

Harper’s RBI groundout in the bottom of the 10th and final inning helped the West to a 4-4 tie against the East in front of 8,027 fans at Petco Park in San Diego.

Harper, who was 0-for-5 and struck out three times, said he’s only been focused on playing next season at the College of Southern Nevada alongside older brother Bryan Harper, who transferred from Cal State Northridge.

“I’m not worried about (the draft) at all,” Harper said in a phone interview. “I could care less about the draft right now. All I care about is winning a national championship.”

After appearing on the June 8 cover of Sports Illustrated, Harper announced June 13 he would forgo his final two seasons of high school and enroll at CSN in hopes of becoming eligible for the 2010 draft.

In Sunday’s home run derby, Harper was second with three home runs and Bonanza senior third baseman Kris Bryant was third with two.

Bryant, who was 0-for-2 and drew a walk, said he tried not to let the dozens of scouts in attendance or Fox Sports West TV cameras become distractions.

“I was just focused on having fun,” said Bryant, who has orally committed to the University of San Diego. “You can’t get caught up with all the people there. You’ve just got to go out and have fun, and I had fun.”

On Saturday, Harper received the Jackie Robinson Award, presented to the Aflac National High School Player of the Year. Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith was among the presenters.

“Ozzie Smith, what a wonderful guy and baseball player he was,” said Harper, who also was named Baseball America’s High School Player of the Year in June. “Great inspirational talker. He talked to us at the banquet and it was a wonderful talk. He opened up a lot of guys’ eyes.”

Both players said a highlight of the weeklong trip was interacting with patients at Rady Children’s Hospital.

“That was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” Bryant said.

Nevada was one of only six states with multiple players selected to play in the game, along with California (nine), Georgia (eight), Florida (five), Texas (five) and Indiana (two).

“It’s definitely getting better and hopefully it can keep getting better,” Bryant said of high school baseball in Las Vegas.