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Willis was throwing to catcher Brian Schneider of the Washington Nationals last week on a back field at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. They are rivals in the National League East, but could be battery mates in the tournament.Schneider, a Jacksonville native who lives in Palm Beach Gardens, hopes he will be able to catch Willis in the tournament final at San Diego's Petco Park."We've actually talked about that a little bit. That's part of the reason I wanted to start catching him," Schneider said. "Any time you catch somebody and you're more familiar with him, it helps, especially with as big as these games are going to be."Pitchers will have pitch counts that are expected to grow from 60 to 95 as the event progresses. Position players are expected to play with regular-season intensity.Schneider, who signed a four-year, $16 million contract last week, said he won't hesitate to block the plate and risk injury in a collision if it means helping the United States win."The intensity level is going to be a lot different," he said. "I'm going to do whatever it takes for our team to win. Those three letters across the chest mean a hell of a lot. You're not going to go out there trying to hurt anybody, but you want to go out there and do what you can to win."
