Nation's Best High School Baseball Players to Play Sixth Annual Aflac All-American Baseball Game at Dodger Stadium
       By: Aflac
Posted: 2008-06-26 05:01:50
Aflac today announced that the 2008 Aflac All-American High School Baseball Game will be played 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 stadium. The premiere high school All-American game in the country, the Aflac All-American Game will take place Saturday, Aug. 9, in Dodger Stadium at noon Pacific time.

The annual Aflac All-American High School Baseball Game showcases 38 of the nation's top high school players in an East versus West matchup following their junior year. Aflac All-Americans are chosen by the experts at our official selection partner, Perfect Game USA, and receive the benefit from the game's relationship with media partner Baseball America, baseball's most influential magazine.

Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith will return as this year's honorary chairman and, in addition to promoting the game, will be on-site in Los Angeles for game week activities. This is the second consecutive year that Smith has served as honorary chairman. 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."

This event kicks off the 2008 Selection Tour, a multi-city tour that travels to Major League ballparks to announce the players' official selection to the team. Today, at Dodger Stadium, Smith helped honor L.A.-area standouts 3B/RHP Matt Davidson (Yucaipa HS) of Yucaipa, Ca.; LHP Tyler Matzek (Capistrano Valley HS) of Mission Viejo, Ca.; INF/RHP Jiovanni Mier (Bonita HS) of Pomona, Ca.; IF David Nick (Cypress HS) of Cypress, Ca.; RHP/INF Brooks Pounders (Temecula Valley HS) of Temecula, Ca.; 1B Jonathan Singleton (Millikan HS, Long Beach, Ca.) of Lakewood, Ca.; C/IF Max Stassi (Yuba City HS) of Yuba City, Ca.; C Andrew Susac (Jesuit HS) of Roseville, Ca. RHP Chad Thompson (El Toro HS) of Trabuco Canyon, Ca.; and LHP Beau Wright (Los Alamitos HS) of Los Alamitos, Ca., the first ten players selected to this year's game. Over the next month, the Selection Tour will make several stops in cities nationwide.

Since the game's inception in 2003, 52 Aflac All-Americans have been selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball first-year player draft, including current major leaguer Justin Upton (No. 1 overall, 2005) of the Arizona Diamondbacks. In the recently completed June 2008 draft, 10 Aflac All-Americans were selected in the first round, including the No. 1 pick overall, Tim Beckham (the 2007 game's MVP), by the Tampa Bay Rays. Also chosen in the first round were Aflac All-Americans Eric Hosmer (No. 3 overall to the Kansas City Royals), Buster Posey (No. 4 overall to the San Francisco Giants), Kyle Skipworth (No. 5 overall to the Florida Marlins) and Ethan Martin (No. 15 overall to the Los Angeles Dodgers). Overall, 143 of 192 Aflac All-Americans have been drafted by Major League teams.

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 Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles. Since 2005, the game has generated nearly $525,000 for charity.

"Having the game at Dodger Stadium really raises the Aflac All-American Game to the next level," said Al Johnson, vice president, Marketing Services, Aflac. "This is a historic year for the Dodger organization as it celebrates its 50th anniversary in Los Angeles. We hope to help the organization make more history -- through its ThinkCure initiative -- by raising more funds in the fight against pediatric cancer."

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.

For more information and tour stop photographs, visit http://www.aflacallamerican2008.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 ten 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 aflac.com .
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