During an afternoon news conference at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ, Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, named local high school baseball standout Roch Cholowsky is the first player to the lineup for the 20th annual All-American Classic, scheduled to be played at Chase Field on Sunday, August 28.
Perfect Game and its not-for-profit arm, the Perfect Game Cares Foundation, also announced their plans to host a series of youth baseball related events and activities in the Phoenix area between August 24-28 and named Make-A-Wish and the PG Cares’ Grow the Game Fund as All-American Classic charitable beneficiaries. Over the past 19 years, Perfect Game has raised more than $1.5 million to support a number of child-related causes in communities hosting the All-American Classic.
2022 All-American Classic festivities will get underway on Wednesday, August 24, when Perfect Game Cares hosts a youth camp at Chase Field featuring several former Major Leaguers, including All-American Classic Honorary Chairman and Arizona Diamondbacks World Series hero, Luis Gonzalez.
On Saturday, August 27, Perfect Game will host its annual All-American Classic fund-raising banquet on the Chase Field diamond, providing an unforgettable opportunity for baseball fans to rub elbows with baseball stars – past, present and future.
On Sunday, August 28, more than fifty of the most talented high school baseball players from the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico will take over that Chase Field diamond and compete for east versus west supremacy in the 20th annual All-American Classic. This prestigious game offers the baseball community a sneak peek at several young players destined to make their mark at the collegiate and Major League levels of the sport.
“I’m honored to be named to the 2022 All-American Classic, and I look forward to playing with and against some of the top high school players from across North America,” said Cholowsky. “To say this is a thrill and a dream come true would be an understatement, and I thank Perfect Game for providing me this once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“On behalf of Perfect Game, I want to thank the Arizona Diamondbacks for stepping to the plate to ensure that the 2022 All-American Classic will be an unforgettable experience for the players, their families, Phoenix area baseball fans and the event’s sponsors,” stated Perfect Game CEO, Brad Clement. “We look forward to taking the All-American Classic to new heights in Arizona.”
“We are thrilled for this opportunity to raise funds and awareness for Make-A-Wish and efforts to grow the game of baseball in underserved communities around the country,” said Perfect Game Cares Foundation Executive Director, Jennifer Ford. “The Perfect Game Cares Foundation is dedicated and committed to making a positive impact on the communities that open their arms to our players and their families, and we’re looking forward to supporting causes that help improve the lives of children in and around Phoenix.”
“The Arizona Diamondbacks and Chase Field are excited and proud to be hosting the 20th annual All-American Classic,” added Diamondbacks CEO, Derrick Hall. “The entire organization is looking forward to working closely with Perfect Game to make this edition of the sport’s most prestigious youth baseball game one for the ages. We’re also looking forward to supporting Make-A-Wish and efforts to grow the game of baseball through the various activities planned by the Perfect Game Cares Foundation.”
In 2021, the East defeated the West, 9-1, as starting pitcher Dylan Lesko and nine teammates combined to throw the first no-hitter in Classic history. In all, players from the west hold a 12-7 edge over their counterparts from the east.
When Major League Baseball began its 2022 Championship Season, there were 87 Perfect Game All-American players on the Opening Day rosters of 28 of the 30 Major League teams.
For more information, please visit PerfectGame.org and PerfectGameCares.org.
About Perfect Game
Perfect Game is the world’s largest elite youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, producing over 8,600+ events, 300,000+ games and showcases each year across the country. Perfect Game is dedicated to giving amateur players exposure to take their game to the next level, whether that be in college or in the professional ranks. At Perfect Game events, players are performing with top-level competition in front of college recruiters and professional scouts from all over the country. Because of this, these events prove to be invaluable to the college coaches as well as Major League Baseball, as they can scout a large population of talented ballplayers in one location. To date, more than 1,650 players that have played in a Perfect Game event have also played in Major League Baseball. Since 2003, 13,324 Perfect Game alumni have been selected in the MLB First-Year Amateur Player Draft. In the 2021 Draft, for example, more than 95 percent of all players selected had played in Perfect Game events, and every player selected on the Draft’s first day had previously attended Perfect Game events. And in the 2021 College World Series, every player on the rosters of national champion Mississippi State and runner-up Vanderbilt had played in a Perfect Game event.
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