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Peyton Smith selected for Perfect Game All-American Classic




Peyton Smith fires a pitch for East Robertson.FILE/PHIL STAUDER

Peyton Smith fires a pitch for East Robertson.FILE/PHIL STAUDER

East Robertson senior pitcher Peyton Smith is one of four locals to be picked for the Perfect Game All-American Classic.

Station Camp pitchers Chase Burns (Tennessee commit) and Ryan Ginther (Vanderbilt) and Friendship Christian outfielder Camden Hayslip (Alabama) were also selected. Rosters are comprised of the 50 best high school seniors from across the nation.

The 2020 Perfect Game All-American Classic will be played on Friday, Sept. 4 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It will be streamed live on PerfectGame.TV.

Baseball America recently listed Smith as the 48th-best high school prospect for the 2021 MLB Draft. The Vanderbilt commit has been pitching for Team Elite Black on the travel circuit this summer.

The Perfect Game All-American Classic is typically held at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. But the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced the event to move elsewhere this year.

“The Padres have been great partners for more than a decade,” Perfect Game Founder and President Jerry Ford said in a statement. “We are excited that we found a home this year at the beautiful Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, the Dodgers AAA Stadium in Oklahoma City. 

“While many things will be different from past All-American Classics, we will still showcase the very best high school prospects for next year’s MLB Draft. It is always exciting to see the very best perform and this year is no exception. We would like to thank the many people in OKC for helping us out this year. We look forward to running many of our featured events here in the future.”

The players were identified and selected through a series of events, including the Perfect Game National Showcase held last month in Hoover, Alabama, where Smith was named a top prospect and hit 96 mph on the radar gun. Final selections for the game were announced July 24.

Since the event began in 2003, 228 participants have gone on to be first-round picks in the MLB Draft, and 188 players have reached the Major Leagues. Notable alumni include Kris Bryant, Corey Seager, Rick Porcello, Bryce Harper, Carlos Correa, Madison Bumgarner, Andrew McCutchen, Jose Fernandez, Buster Posey and Jeremy Hellickson.

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