A Hispanic high school student from Bed-Stuy fights through poverty and a fatherless home in his attempts to land a baseball scholarship that will help him escape the streets and continue to play the game he loves.

SYNOPSIS:

Tony Baez’s love for the game of baseball exceeds his talent. But he refuses to let that stop him! Raised by his single mother Carmen in the projects of Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn, Tony’s only respite from the crime and poverty of his neighborhood is found on the baseball diamond. His passion for the game is evident in every legged-out infield hit and every hustle play on defense. Tony’s talents pale in comparison to his friends Grant, an All-American phenom, and Bobby, a gifted athlete with a dark streak. But intent on making the varsity team and somehow landing a scholarship that takes him off the streets, Tony’s work ethic fuels him in his pursuit of an impossible dream.

Aided by his frisky girlfriend Flacca, and JV Coach Robinson, a no-bullshitting paternal force of nature, Tony improves his mediocre grades and hits both the weight room and the batting cage...hard. Over the course of two years, we watch him incrementally improve his grades and every aspect of his game as Grant continues to excel and Bobby slips deeper into a life of crime. Developing into the type of blue-collar utility player that every coach covets, Tony’s dream is so close, he can smell it.

But when Bobby is gunned down in the street, that dream seems more unobtainable than ever. With Coach Robinson’s help though, Tony perseveres as he and Grant lead their team to the state championship game at Yankee Stadium. A scout from Miami University is in attendance and Tony’s future lies in his own hands...right where he likes it!

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH