COLUMBUS, Ga., July 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The nation's best arms, the best speed and the best bats are among the finalists nominated for the fourth annual Aflac National High School Player of the Year Award, given to the country's top prep baseball player. The Player of the Year recipient will be presented with the Jackie Robinson Award, a trophy named in honor of the late Hall of Famer. Sonya Pankey, Robinson's granddaughter, will present the award at the Aflac All-American Awards Dinner held at the San Diego Hall of Champions on Aug. 10, 2007 in San Diego. Also on hand for the ceremony will be Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, honorary chairman for the 2007 Aflac All-American Baseball Classic.

The Player of the Year nominees are:

Isaac Galloway, OF, Los Osos HS - Rancho Cucamonga, Ca.
Sonny Gray, RHP, Smyrna HS - Smyrna, Tenn.
Eric Hosmer, 1B, American Heritage HS - Cooper City, Fla.
Ethan Martin, 3B, Stephens County HS - Toccoa, Ga.
Harold Martinez, INF, Braddock HS - Miami, Fla.
Tim Melville, RHP, Holt HS - Wentzville, Mo.

The inaugural Jackie Robinson Award, presented in 2004, went to Aflac All- American alumnus Justin Upton, a shortstop from Great Bridge HS (Chesapeake, Va.). The Arizona Diamondbacks made Upton the No. 1 overall pick of the 2005 Major League Baseball June draft. In 2005, Cody Johnson, a first baseman/outfielder from Mosley HS (Panama City, Fla.), won the award. Johnson was taken No. 24 in the first round by the Atlanta Braves. Last year, Michael Burgess, a pitcher/outfielder from Hillsborough HS (Tampa, Fla.), won the award. Burgess was taken No. 49 in the first round (a supplemental first round selection) by the Washington Nationals in this year's MLB June draft.

The Jackie Robinson award, named after the first player to break the Major League Baseball color barrier, recognizes the nation's top rising senior who demonstrates outstanding character, exhibits leadership and embodies the values of being a student athlete.

The player of the year nominees were determined by official Aflac All-American Baseball Classic selection partners Perfect Game and Baseball America.

The fifth annual Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic will be played Saturday, Aug. 11, at San Diego State's Tony Gwynn Stadium. The event is the nation's elite high school baseball showcase featuring the top 38 rising senior players in an East vs. West match-up. The game will be televised live nationally on Fox Sports Net at 3 p.m. Eastern time. Proceeds from the game will benefit the San Diego's Rady Children's Hospital and Health Center.

To learn more about the Aflac National High School Player of the Year nominees and the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic, visit http://www.aflacallamerican.com.

About Aflac:

For more than 50 years, Aflac products have given policyholders the opportunity to direct cash where it is needed most when a life-interrupting medical event causes financial challenges. Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States and the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force in Japan. Our insurance products provide protection to more than 40 million people worldwide. Aflac has been included in Fortune magazine's listing of America's Most Admired Companies for seven consecutive years and in Fortune magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for nine consecutive years. Aflac has also been recognized three times by both Fortune magazine's listing of the Top 50 Employers for Minorities and Working Mother magazine's listing of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit http://aflac.com.

Media Contacts:
Tim Turner
Aflac Incorporated
706-243-5594
trturner@aflac.com

Jeff Heckelman
Edelman Sports
212-642-7718
jeff.heckelman@edelman.com

SOURCE Aflac Incorporated