Valley All-Star Classic tonight at Eastwood Field

June 7, 2013 at 12:07a.m.

During the course of the 2013 high school baseball season, Eastwood Field played host to 25 prep games featuring some of the top teams in the Mahoning Valley.

Tonight, the summer home of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers will welcome the best of the best when it hosts the Valley All-Star Classic — an all-star game pitting the top high school players of Mahoning County against their counterparts from Trumbull County.

Scrappers general manager Jordan Taylor, who spearheaded the drive to make the all-star game a reality, hopes that tonight’s contest evolves into an annual event.

“Our goal is to build this up and make it a tradition,” Taylor said. “There’s nothing really like this in our area, and it’s a great way to showcase the talent we have in the Valley.

“The response we received has been outstanding. We sent out invitations to those selected to take part in the game, and most everyone jumped on the chance. The players were honored to take part in this all-star game.”

Warren John F. Kennedy coach Don Lee will guide the Trumbull County squad, while the Mahoning County team will be led by Boardman coach Bob Beam.

Like Taylor, Lee hopes tonight’s contest, set for 7, becomes a regular occurrence.

“Years ago, there used to be a Trumbull versus Mahoning County all-star game at Cene Park, but for some reason it dissolved,” Lee said. “This fills a void. It’s great to get the players together on one field, and it gives fans a chance to see the talent we have in the area.”

The fact that the game will be played at Eastwood Field will add to the excitement, according to Lee.

“High school players love playing at Eastwood,” Lee said. “It’s a first-class facility, and when a 17-year-old steps on that field, he feels as though he’s taking part in a special game.

“Most of these kids will be moving on to play in college, and some won’t play beyond high school. Either way, it’s one last chance to play in front of the home fans as a high school player. For them, it’s a big deal.”

Canfield senior Tony Velasquez is part of the 17-man Mahoning County roster. Velasquez, a pitcher, was recently a first-team selection for the All-American Conference. He will continue his education at Elon University, a Division I school in North Carolina. He plans to try out for the baseball team as a walk-on.

“It’s an honor to be selected to the all-star team, especially when you look around and see how much talent this area produces,” Velasquez said. “It’s really going to be neat playing on the same team with a lot of these guys who I competed against all these years.”

Velasquez was also one of four recipients of a Mahoning Valley Professional Baseball Association-Scrappers Backers scholarship.

Each year, the Scrappers Backers award four $1,000 scholarships to Valley seniors who participate in baseball or softball.

In addition to Velasquez, this year’s recipients are Josh Hurford (Sebring), Jessica Buck (LaBrae) and Brooke Culler (Champion).

The Scrappers Backers will recognize this year’s recipients on June 15 at the annual Meet The Players-Scholarship Awards picnic.

The Valley All-Star Classic is sponspored by Mayflower Wollam Insurance Group.