Nation's Top High School Players to Compete in Sixth Annual All-Star Game on Aug. 9 at Dodger Stadium
Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith Returns as Honorary Chairman
COLUMBUS, Ga., July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac today announced the full
38-player roster for the sixth Aflac All-American High School Baseball Game,
which features the best high school baseball players in the country. The game
will be played on Aug. 9 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, the first time in
the game's six-year history that it will be played at a major league baseball
stadium, and will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Net at noon Pacific Time.
The annual Aflac All-American High School Baseball Game showcases the
nation's top high school players in an East versus West matchup played
following their junior year. Aflac All-Americans are chosen by the experts at
the official selection partner, Perfect Game USA, and in consultation with the
staff at baseball's most influential magazine, Baseball America.
As part of Aflac's ongoing commitment to the fight against childhood
cancer, all game proceeds from the 2008 Aflac All-American High School
Baseball Game will benefit ThinkCure, the official charity of the Dodgers,
which supports critical cancer research at City of Hope and Children's
Hospital of Los Angeles. Since 2005, the game has generated nearly $525,000
for charity.
"Now going into our sixth year, we're proud to be taking the nation's
premiere high school baseball event to the next level by hosting the event at
historic Dodger Stadium," said Al Johnson, Aflac's vice president of Marketing
Services. "The Aflac All-American game is a terrific way for us to showcase
the country's top young talent, while raising money and awareness for the
ThinkCure initiative, which helps in the fight against pediatric cancer."
Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith will return for the second year as the
game's honorary chairman, and in addition to promoting the showcase, will be
on-site in Los Angeles for game week activities. Past honorary chairmen have
included Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson (2006), Cal Ripken (2004-05) and Stan
Musial (2003).
"I wish this game existed when I was in high school, as it's such a
tremendous opportunity for these young men to show their skills in front of a
nationwide audience and MLB scouts," said Smith. "Aflac does a tremendous job
promoting this game and working hard to support pediatric cancer research, and
I'm proud to be a part of it once again."
The Aflac All-American Game boasts alumni who have had a huge impact in
the past five Major League Baseball first-year player drafts. Overall, 52
alumni have been selected in the first round, including three No. 1 overall
selections: Matt Bush (2004, San Diego) and Justin Upton (2005, Arizona), and
this year's top pick, Tim Beckham (2008, Tampa). The 2008 draft saw 10 Aflac
All-Americans drafted in the first round.
The players will be led by a stellar coaching staff as well. All-USA Coach
of the Year Todd Fitz-Gerald, head coach at perennial American Heritage in
Plantation, Fla., will manage the East team. He will be assisted by the
assistant coach of last year's East squad, Kevin Maris, of Oak Hall School in
Gainesville, Fla. (and son of former Yankees slugger Roger Maris), and
legendary San Diego coach Manny Hermosillo of Montgomery High School, who also
served as manager for last year's West squad.
Managing the West team will be Andy Hall, head coach of Wilson High School
in Long Beach, Calif. Rounding out the West coaching staff are Omar
Washington, and former major leaguer Cecil Espy, both of whom have coached in
the game since its inception.
The Aflac All-American High School Baseball Game is considered the
country's marquee prep All-American event. All participants must have just
completed their junior year of high school, be in good academic standing and
display redeeming qualities off the field that embody the ideals of the sport
of baseball, including discipline, determination and hard work.
The full team roster follows. For more information about the Aflac
All-American High School Baseball Game, visit 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 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 www.aflac.com .
East Team
Pos. Name Hgt. Wgt. High School (Hometown)
C/3B Luke Bailey 6-0 195 Troup High School (LaGrange, GA)
RHP Ethan Carter 6-5 205 Menchville High School
(Newport News, VA)
INF/OF Scooter Gennett 5-10 170 Sarasota High School
(Sarasota, FL)
INF/RHP Mychal Givens 6-2 185 Plant High School (Tampa, FL)
OF Brian Goodwin 6-0 170 Rocky Mount High School
(Rocky Mount, FL)
RHP/INF Michael Heller 6-2 180 Sarasota Mooney High School
(Bradenton, FL)
RHP Christopher 6-7 235 Westfield High School
Jenkins (Westfield, NJ)
LHP Ian Krol 6-1 170 Neuqua Valley High School
(Naperville, IL)
OF Braxton Lane 5-11 170 Sandy Creek High School
(Tyrone, GA)
C/RHP Austin Maddox 6-3 220 Eagle's View Academy
(Jacksonville, FL)
RHP/OF Keyvius Sampson 6-1 185 Forest High School (Ocala, FL)
INF/RHP Richie Shaffer 6-3 190 Providence High School
(Charlotte, NC)
OF/RHP Drew Steckenrider 6-4 200 Greater Atlanta Christian HS
(Lawrenceville, GS)
OF Donovan Tate 6-3 200 Cartersville High School
(Cartersville, GA)
INF/OF Jason Thompson 6-0 185 Germantown High School
(Germantown, TN)
RHP/INF Daniel Tuttle 6-2 185 Randleman High School
(Randleman, NC)
OF/INF LeVon Washington 5-10 170 Gainesville High School
(Gainesville, FL)
RHP Zack Wheeler 6-4 180 East Paulding High School
(Dallas, GA)
C/INF/OF Michael Zunino 6-2 185 Mariner High School
(Cape Coral, FL)
Manager: Todd Fitz-Gerald
Assistant Coaches: Kevin Maris, Manny Hermosillo
West Team
Pos. Name Hgt. Wgt. High School (Hometown)
INF/RHP Matt Davidson 6-3 205 Yucaipa High School (Yucaipa, CA)
RHP Matthew Graham 6-3 195 Oak Ridge High School (Spring, TX)
RHP Scott Griggs 6-2 185 San Ramon Valley High School
(Alamo, CA)
OF/LHP Slade Heathcott 6-1 196 Texas High School (Texarkana, TX)
OF Kyrell Hudson 6-2 185 Evergreen High School
(Vancouver, WA)
LHP Tyler Matzek 6-3 185 Capistrano Valley High School
(Mission Viejo, CA)
INF/RHP Jiovanni Mier 6-2 170 Bonita High School (Pomona, CA)
OF/RHP Jacob Morris 6-3 195 Coppell High School (Coppell, TX)
INF David Nick 6-2 175 Cypress High School (Cypress, CA)
RHP/INF Brooks Pounders 6-5 220 Temecula Valley High School
(Temecula, CA)
LHP Matthew Purke 6-3 170 Klein High School (Spring, TX)
1B/OF Jonathan Singleton 6-2 218 Millikan High School
(Lakewood, CA)
C/INF Max Sassi 5-10 187 Yuba City High School
(Yuba City, CA)
C Andrew Susac 6-1 190 Jesuit High School (Roseville, CA)
RHP Chad Thompson 6-8 215 El Toro High School
(Trabuco Canyon, CA)
RHP Jacob Turner 6-4 205 Westminster Christian Academy
(St. Charles, MO)
C/INF/OF Jonathan Walsh 6-3 211 Coppell High School (Coppell, TX)
OF Everett Williams 5-10 165 McCallum High School (Austin, TX)
LHP Beau Wright 6-2 205 Los Alamitos High School
(Los Alamitos, CA)
Manager: Andy Hall
Assistant Coaches: Cecil Espy, Omar Washington
SOURCE Aflac
CONTACT: Tim Turner, Aflac Incorporated, +1-706-243-5594,
trturner@aflac.com; Matthew Freeman, Edelman, +1-404-832-7714,
matthew.freeman@edelman.com, for Aflac/