2007 Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic
Thirty-eight (38) of the nation's top high school baseball players will participate in the fifth annual Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic, which returns to San Diego for the second consecutive year. Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, who began his 19-year career with the Padres and was a 15-time All Star and 13-time Gold Glove award winner, will be this year's honorary chairman. The 2007 Aflac All-American Baseball Classic will be played at San Diego State's Tony Gwynn Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 11, airing live on FSN at 3 p.m. ET.
"I'm thrilled to join Aflac in honoring the stars of tomorrow - the very best high school players across the country - in San Diego, my first major league home," Smith said. "I wish a game like this existed back when I was in high school, and I can only imagine how special it will be for these young men to get such national recognition and exposure."
As honorary chairman, Smith will promote the game, make appearances, film a public service announcement and be on-site in San Diego for game week activities, including serving as keynote speaker at the Awards Dinner on Thursday, Aug. 9, and throwing out the first pitch at the game on Aug. 11. Former chairpersons include Reggie Jackson (2006), Cal Ripken (2004-05) and Stan Musial (2003).
The Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic showcases the nation's top high school players in an East versus West match-up. Aflac All-Americans are chosen by official selection partners Baseball America magazine and prep scouting service Perfect Game USA. 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.
Since the game's inception in 2003, 29 Aflac All-American alumni have been selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball first-year player draft, including No. 1 overall selections Matt Bush (2004, San Diego) and Justin Upton (2005, Arizona).
"Now going into our fifth year, the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic, and the immensely talented players who participate in it, continues to illustrate why our game is the nation's premiere high school baseball event," said Jeff Herbert, Aflac's chief marketing officer. "San Diego warmly embraced our players and their families last year. We are extremely pleased to bring the game back to the San Diego community for another year."
As part of Aflac's ongoing commitment to the fight against childhood cancer, all game proceeds from the 2007 Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic will benefit San Diego's Children's Hospital and Health Center. Since 2003, the game has generated nearly $355,000 for charity.
Today kicks off the 2007 Selection Tour, a multi-city tour that travels to major league ballparks to announce the players' official selection to the team. Today, at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, Smith helped honor southern California standouts Isaac Galloway (Los Osos HS, Rancho Cucamonga), Aaron Hicks (Wilson HS, Long Beach), Clark Murphy (Fallbrook Union HS, Fallbrook) and Ryan O'Sullivan (Valhalla HS, El Cajon), the first four players selected to this year's game. Over the next two months the Selection Tour will make stops in over a dozen cities nationwide.
The Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic is endorsed by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association as the country's marquee prep All-American event.
For more information and tour stop photographs, visit http://www.aflacallamerican.com.
