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.