Rawlings(R) Partners with Perfect Game USA to
Announce Inaugural
Preseason All-American and All-Region Teams
Thursday March 8, 11:16 am ET
Annual awards will recognize top senior athletes
at the high school level
ST. LOUIS, March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Rawlings Sporting Goods® announced today that
it is unveiling the first annual Rawlings Preseason All-American and All-Region
Teams to recognize the top 360 high school baseball athletes in the U.S., while
also showcasing their abilities to collegiate and professional scouts. In partnership
with Perfect Game USA, the world's largest scouting report service, Rawlings is
devoted to distinguishing "THE FINEST IN THE FIELD" with the introduction of these
two prestigious awards.
Mike Thompson, Rawlings Vice-President, said, "With more than 240,000 high school
baseball players in the U.S., this accomplishment speaks volume about the honored
players and their talents."
The Rawlings Preseason All-Region Team recognizes 360 players from nine regions
around the U.S. Each of the regions will form a 40-man roster, complete with catchers,
pitchers, infielders and outfielders.
In addition, the top 120 of the 360 athletes will be named to the Rawlings Preseason
All-American Team. All 120 award recipients will be named to one of three teams,
each including a 40-man roster.
"Rawlings and Perfect Game USA both share a passion for performance and a dedication
to the enhancement of athletes," said Thompson. "We seek to recognize and reward
athleticism whenever possible and our partnership with Perfect Game provided us
with the perfect opportunity to do so with the creation of the Preseason Awards,"
said Thompson.
"The Rawlings Preseason All-American and All-Region Awards will honor the top high
school seniors throughout the country," said Jerry Ford, President, Perfect Game
USA. "It should be very interesting to follow these players throughout the June
MLB draft and/or their college careers. The Rawlings name stands for the very highest
level of baseball and Perfect Game is excited about honoring these highest level
players as Rawlings Preseason All Americans and All Regional performers."
About Rawlings:
Rawlings is a leading marketer and manufacturer of baseball equipment and other
sporting goods in the United States. Rawlings is the Official Baseball and Helmet
of Major League Baseball® and official ball of the NCAA® baseball championships.
Rawlings is also the official basketball for the NAIA®, NJCAA®, AAU®
and many other
organizations as well as official football of the NAIA®. Rawlings is the official
basketball, football, baseball, softball, volleyball and soccer ball of the National
High School Federation®. For more information, please visit
http://www.rawlings.com.
About Perfect Game USA:
Perfect Game has become the world's largest scouting report service, reporting on
thousands of young players each year. Perfect Game uses its resources to help others
involved in amateur baseball. Whether it's helping USA Baseball scout the Junior Olympics in Arizona and Florida or sponsoring the famous Lions Tournament in San
Diego, Perfect Game seeks to identify the top performance athletes. For more information,
please visit
http://www.perfectgame.org.