Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith Returns as Honorary Chairman; Final Rosters Are
Announced
SAN DIEGO, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third time in four years, 40 of
the nation's top high school baseball players will descend upon San Diego to
play in the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic, the country's
premier high school baseball showcase. This year's game will be played Aug. 16
at 5 p.m. PDT in PETCO Park, home of the San Diego Padres, and will be
nationally televised live on FOX Sports Net.
The baseball showcase features an East versus West matchup of the nation's
top high school players following their junior year. For the second
consecutive year, the Aflac Baseball Classic will be played in a major league
venue. Last year's showcase was played at Los Angeles' historic Dodger
Stadium.
The Aflac Baseball Classic is more than just a game: It is part of Aflac's
ongoing commitment to the fight against childhood cancer, with proceeds
benefiting Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. Since 2003, the Classic has
generated nearly $685,000 for charity.
"The Aflac Baseball Classic showcases baseball's stars of tomorrow, and
also allows us to raise significant funds for local hospitals that share our
passion in the fight against pediatric cancer. This year's benefitting
hospital is Rady Children's Hospital," said Jeff Charney, Aflac's senior vice
president and chief marketing officer. "The city of San Diego has always
offered tremendous support for this game and we are thrilled to bring it back
to the community for another year."
Ozzie Smith, Hall of Fame shortstop and former San Diego Padre, will again
return as the Aflac Baseball Classic's honorary chairman. In addition to
helping promote the Classic, Smith will be on-site in San Diego for game-week
activities and to spend time with the players. This will be Smith's third
stint as honorary chairman. Past honorary chairmen have included Hall of
Famers Reggie Jackson (2006), Cal Ripken Jr. (2004, 2005) and Stan Musial
(2003).
"It is an honor to once again be named honorary chairman for such a
prestigious high school baseball showcase and return to the home of my first
major league team," Smith said. "This game has risen to such a level that the
players have a unique opportunity to showcase their talents in front of a
national audience and MLB scouts -- an opportunity I wish I had starting out."
Today also marks the release of the full 40-player roster for the 2009
Aflac Baseball Classic. Aflac All-Americans are chosen by the experts at the
official selection partner, Perfect Game USA.
Aflac Baseball Classic alumni have made a huge impact on Major League
Baseball's first-year player drafts. Since the game's inception in 2003, 62
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). Ten Aflac All-Americans were
taken in the first round of the 2009 draft, including the No. 3 pick, Donavan
Tate, by the Padres. San Diego also drafted 2008 Aflac All-Americans Everett
Williams and Keyvius Sampson.
The Aflac Baseball Classic is considered the country's marquee prep
All-American event. Participants must have just completed their junior year of
high school, be in good academic standing and display qualities off the field
that embody baseball's ideals, including discipline, determination and hard
work.
The full team roster is on the following page. For more information about
the Aflac Baseball Classic, 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. As 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,
Aflac insurance products provide protection to more than 40 million people
worldwide. In 2009, Aflac was recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the
World's Most Ethical Companies for the third consecutive year and was also
named by the Reputation Institute as the Most Reputable Company in the Global
Insurance Industry for the second consecutive year. In 2009 Fortune magazine
recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for
the eleventh consecutive year. Fortune magazine also ranked Aflac No. 1 on its
global list of the Most Admired Companies in the Life and Health Insurance
category. Aflac appears on Hispanic Enterprise magazine's list of the 50 Best
Companies for Supplier Diversity and on Black Enterprise magazine's list of
the 40 Best Companies for Diversity. Aflac was also named by Forbes magazine
as America's Best-Managed Company in the Insurance category. 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 aflac.com.
East Team
---------
No. Pos. Name Ht. Wt. High School (Hometown)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
13 RHP/INF Stetson Allie 6-4 225 St. Edward High School (Olmsted
Falls, OH)
12 INF Zach Alvord 6-0 180 South Forsyth High School
(Alpharetta, GA)
7 OF Michael Arencibia 6-1 165 Key West High School (Key West,
FL)
1 C/3B Tyler Austin 6-2 200 Heritage High School (Conyers,
GA)
41 RHP Robert Aviles 6-4 193 Suffern High School (Suffern,
NY)
32 RHP Cameron Bedrosian 6-0 195 East Coweta High School (Senoia,
GA)
25 INF/RHP Yordy Cabrera 6-4 190 Lakeland Senior High School
(Lakeland, FL)
8 OF Chevez Clarke 6-0 185 Marietta High School (Marietta,
GA)
18 RHP Andrew Cole 6-5 190 Oviedo High School (Winter
Springs, FL)
11 RHP/INF Kaleb Cowart 6-3 190 Cook County High School (Adel,
GA)
33 OF Reggie Golden 5-11 205 Wetumpka High School (Wetumpka,
AL)
6 1B Conrad Gregor 6-3 220 Carmel High School (Carmel, IN)
42 OF Trey Griffin 6-4 205 M. L. King Jr. High School
(Stockbridge, GA)
23 INF Jacoby Jones 6-3 189 Richton High School (Richton,
MS)
5 INF Connor Narron 6-3 187 Charles B. Aycock High School
(Goldsboro, NC)
10 RHP/INF Justin O'Conner 6-1 190 Cowan Junior/Senior High School
(Muncie, IN)
4 C Shane Rowland 5-10 175 Tampa Catholic High School
(Tampa, FL)
21 RHP DeAndre Smelter 6-2 205 Tattnall Square Academy (Macon,
GA)
24 C Brandon Stephens 5-11 185 Lassiter High School (Marietta,
GA)
14 RHP Karsten Whitson 6-4 190 Chipley High School (Chipley,
FL)
Head Coach: Tim Saunders
Assistant Coaches: Cecil Espy, Kevin Maris
West Team
---------
No. Pos. Name Ht. Wt. High School (Hometown)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
13 OF Krey Bratsen 6-0 160 Bryan High School (Bryan, TX)
23 INF Kris Bryant 6-5 205 Bonanza High School (Las Vegas,
NV)
18 RHP Dylan Covey 6-2 200 Maranatha High School (Pasadena,
CA)
24 RHP Kevin Gausman 6-4 180 Grandview High School
(Centennial, CO)
34 C Bryce Harper 6-3 195 Las Vegas High School (Las
Vegas, NV)
7 1B/LHP Jared Lakind 6-2 200 Cypress Woods High School
(Cypress, TX)
10 INF Matt Lipka 6-1 192 McKinney High School (Frisco,
TX)
9 INF Marcus Littlewood 6-3 190 Pineview High School (St.
George, UT)
15 RHP/OF Michael Lorenzen 6-2 175 Fullerton Union High School
(Anaheim, CA)
11 OF/RHP Brian Ragira 6-2 175 Martin High School (Arlington,
TX)
27 C/OF Stefan Sabol 6-2 205 Aliso Niquel High School (Aliso
Viejo, CA)
5 OF/1B Josh Sale 6-0 203 Bishop Blanchet High School
(Seattle, WA)
21 RHP Aaron Sanchez 6-3 170 Barstow High School (Barstow,
CA)
4 RHP Tyler Shreve 6-4 215 Redlands East Valley High
School (Highland, CA)
33 INF/OF Kellen Sweeney 6-0 180 Jefferson High School (Cedar
Rapids, IA)
55 RHP Peter Tago 6-1 160 Dana Hills High School (Laguna
Niguel, CA)
19 RHP Jameson Taillon 6-7 230 The Woodlands High School (The
Woodlands, TX)
38 RHP A.J. Vanegas 6-3 205 Redwood Christian School
(Alameda, CA)
25 OF Austin Wilson 6-4 200 Harvard-Westlake High School
(Los Angeles, CA)
1 INF Tony Wolters 5-10 165 Rancho Buena Vista High School
(Vista, CA)
Head Coach: Steve Vickery
Assistant Coaches: Manny Hermosillo, Omar Washington
Media Contacts:
Tim Turner
Aflac Incorporated
706.243.5594
trturner@aflac.com
Matthew Freeman
Edelman
404.832.7714
matthew.freeman@edelman.com
Jesse Lovejoy
San Diego Hall of Champions
619.757.9147
jesselovejoy@yahoo.com
SOURCE:
Aflac
Web Site:
http://www.aflacallamerican.com