From a pool of over 150 players that came from all over Mississippi, the field has been narrowed down to the final and most qualified 44 Minority High School baseball players with 6 alternates.  The Showcases were conducted at Smith Wills Stadium with instructors including NCAA coaches and former professional baseball players.

“We are announcing these final participants as the most qualified because we had a number of players that qualified but we had to make some tough decisions so that we continue to host this event with the fairest approach to remain recognized for getting the players that we mutually perceived to be the best of the best that we had to choose from.”

– Clint Johnson, Dir. Player Development

The selection of players was made by the numerous coaches and instructors that conducted the 3 camps.  The next steps will be to place the players on each of the two teams, the Dusty Baker Clutch-Batters and the opposing Ralph Garr Road-Runners, so named after the 2 teammates of Henry “Hank” Aaron during his playing days in the Atlanta Braves organization and life-long friends to the man intimately known as “The Hammer” prior to his death.

The Colombean Coffee Championship will take place on Sunday, August 6th at 6:00 p.m. and will be (1) nine-inning game.  All players will participate. 

The showcase and all elements of the Fantastic 44 and other programs at the Hank Aaron Sports Academy have been free of charge to all players, parents, and families in an attempt to attract more qualified training, instructing, and participation in the game of baseball amidst declining numbers of participation at the minority level at all levels of the game.

“This is all a tribute to the greatest player –in my opinion- of the modern era and certainly that people of our generation have had the honor to watch and to know personally in Hank Aaron, this is exactly what he would have wanted, to bring the game to every child and to have the involvement of two of the better friends he had in his life in Dusty Baker and Ralph Garr.”

– Tim Bennett, CEO of Hank Aaron Sports Academy

The players will next be assigned to each of the rosters for the Clutch-Batters and Road-Runners along with coaches for each team with an expected Tuesday, August 1st release of this information.