Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities sends team to USA Baseball's 2012 Tournament of Stars
Coming off the recent success of having 14 alumni selected in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program has sent a team of 18-and-under RBI participants from around the country to USA Baseball's 2012 Tournament of Stars, held June 20th-24th at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. Louisville Slugger, the official bat of Major League Baseball, has provided equipment for the RBI team in this wood bat tournament. The group, led by Ernest Radcliffe, manager of the Union League Boys & Girls Club/Chicago Cubs RBI tournament team, consists of the following players:
- Henry Campbell - Yazoo City, MS (Mississippi RBI)
- Ro Coleman - Chicago, IL (Chicago White Sox RBI)
- Darius Day - Chicago, IL (Chicago White Sox RBI)
- Kevan Elcock - Phoenix, AZ (Arizona RBI)
- Jerimiah Figueroa - Chicago, IL (Union League BGC/Chicago Cubs RBI)
- Kevin Franklin - Cerritos, CA (Venice Boys & Girls Club RBI)
- Adan Gutierrez - Hialeah, FL (Miami Marlins RBI)
- Julian Jones - Orchard Lake, MI (Think Detroit PAL RBI)
- Seth Martinez - Peoria, AZ (Arizona RBI)
- Andrew McCoy - Miami, FL (Miami Marlins RBI)
- Joseph Melchor - Tolleson, AZ (Arizona RBI)
- Sal Mendez - Weehawken, NJ (Jersey City RBI)
- Carlos Ortiz - Cleveland, OH (Cleveland Baseball Federation RBI)
- Ricardo Ramirez - Chicago, IL (Union League BGC/Chicago Cubs RBI)
- Corey Ray - Chicago, IL (Chicago White Sox RBI)
- Sadiq Burkholder - Williamsport, PA (Harrisburg RBI)
- Gabe Selochan - Tampa, FL (Tampa RBI)
- Marcellus Sneed - Chicago, IL (Chicago White Sox RBI)
Each year, USA Baseball, in partnership with seven National Member Organizations (RBI, AABC, American Legion, Babe Ruth, Dixie, Pony and NABF), organizes the Tournament of Stars presented by Major League Baseball, which is the primary vehicle used by USA Baseball in selecting the 18U national team. Throughout the five-day event, 144 players from around the country will compete in a championship tournament representing a member organization or as part of the "at-large" USA Stars team, and there will also be a scout/evaluation day solely dedicated to controlled evaluation opportunities. Following the gold medal game on Sunday, June 24th, players will be selected to remain in Cary to participate in the 18U National Team Trials & Training and the Prospect Classic.
Current MLB players who have participated in the Tournament of Stars include, Bryce Harper, Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw, Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey and RBI program alumnus Justin Upton.
For more information on the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program, please visit MLB.com/rbi.