Ni hao, HS Baseball Web Denizens. I just returned from Shanghai having chaperoned (my favorite thing to do) a HS baseball team that arranged a trip with the blessing of MLB to MLB development centers in Nanking and Changzhou. The team also played a game against Shanghai American School as part of the tour.
The caliber of play was broad: Nanking split a double header with us, which was a fair result. We beat their ace, a Reds draftee who threw in the low 90s but had command issues. Great ninth inning in the win: we had a 1-run lead heading into the bottom of the 9th but walked the first two guys, and then they advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. New pitcher comes in and gets two popups and strikes out the #5 hitter on sweeping curveball to save the game. We lost the second game, and deserved to lose it. They outpitched and outhit us in that game, but it was competitive. The Nanking team was a bit older, with a 15 year old "phenom" at the young end and a couple of 22 year old vets at the other end. The Nanking stars were solid players. Their left handed hitting third baseman is an orphan from Tibet who jacked two against us, and I'm not sure they've hit the ground yet. I'll get more info but he's a potential signee along with the pitcher.
Coaches were Americans who worked through interpreters. The Nanking field was turf with a very hard base, like the old astro turf. drained very well, though, which was a good thing because it rained all day the day before, very heavily, a flooding kind of rain, but the next day when we played, it was gorgeous.
Changzhou had a team of kids that were the same age as our players, and we beat them pretty handily. They had some decent pitching but their defense and baseball instincts were suspect. They simply haven't played most of their lives like American kids have.
Best memories for the kids: Aside from the baseball, the underground open market in Shanghai where the kids could barter til they dropped and walked away Rolexes, Beats headphones, high fashion wallets and purses, and spinners galore. All top quality, genuine articles. 
Fascinating trip. Lots of people. infrastructure in good shape. Clean public spaces. Thousands of building cranes. The place seems to be booming. If MLB can get a foothold with a couple of interesting stars, baseball could be huge.
Grateful to be able to go: I've now been involved with baseball in China and Romania. Rare privilege.
