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May 1, 2004
AFLAC Honors Nation's Top High School Baseball Players

ABERDEEN, Md. - AFLAC announced today in a press conference featuring Cal Ripken, Jr. at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Md., the first five of 38 players named to play in the 2004 AFLAC All-American High School Baseball Classic. The nation's rising high school seniors meet in the second annual East versus West match-up at Ripken Stadium on Aug. 6, 2004, broadcast nationally on FOX Sports Net on Aug. 8. At the press conference, Justin Upton (SS, Great Bridge High School, Chesapeake, VA) and Justin Bristow (SS/P, Mills E. Godwin High School, Richmond, VA) were officially named to the 2004 roster and received their team jerseys from Honorary Chairman Cal Ripken Jr.

Three additional AFLAC All-Americans were announced, although not present at the event: Andrew McCutcheon (CF, Fort Meade High School, Fort Meade, Fla), Buster Posey (SS, Lee County High School, Leesburg, Ga.) and Shane Funk (RHP, Arnold High School, Panama City, Fla).

"AFLAC has a long-standing relationship with baseball, while our philanthropic focus is pediatric cancer treatment and research," said Kathelen Spencer, executive vice president of AFLAC.

"We are delighted to be involved with an event that brings together both of our passions while showcasing America's most talented high school players."

With the press conference, AFLAC kicks-off the official multi-city selection tour to honor select AFLAC All-Americans in their hometowns. At each tour stop, an AFLAC representative will present the player with an honorary game jersey. Additionally, AFLAC will donate a monetary gift to an area children's hospital as part of its ongoing commitment to support the research and treatment of pediatric cancer. Net proceeds from the 2004 event benefit the Division of Pediatric Oncology at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.  The 2003 inaugural game raised $20,000 for Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida and $5,000 for the AFLAC Cancer Center.

"Major League Baseball is happy to support AFLAC's effort to promote high school baseball," said Sandy Alderson, executive vice president of Baseball Operations for Major League Baseball. "We look forward to helping grow this game into the pre-eminent event of its type."

In 2003, the inaugural AFLAC All-American High School Baseball Classic featured three players projected to be among the top 10 selections in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft: Chris Nelson (SS, Redan High School, Decatur, Ga.), Matt Bush (SS, Mission Bay High School, San Diego) and Nick Adenhart (RHP, Williamsport High School, Hagerstown, Md.).

"We are thrilled to be extending our partnership with AFLAC through the National Selection Tour and are honored to have Cal Ripken, Jr. as the 2004 Honorary Chairman," said Robert J. Geoghan, founder and president of Sports America, Inc. "The AFLAC All-American High School Baseball Classic is growing on all levels and we hope to make this event as successful in baseball as the McDonald's All-American Basketball Game has been over the last 27 years."

The AFLAC All-Americans are selected by official event partners Baseball America and Perfect Game for their accomplishments both on, and off the field, including involvement in the community.

"The AFLAC All-American High School Baseball Classic is an exciting promotion for the game of baseball and this year's game will no doubt launch a new group of future stars into the public spotlight,ä said Jerry Ford, Perfect Game USA president.

Sports America, Inc. is an event management and sports marketing corporation based in Rockville, Md. The company has created and currently produces the McDonald's All-American High School Basketball Game and Jordan Capital Classic High School All-Star Basketball Game. To learn more about the AFLAC All-American High School Baseball Classic, or dates and stops on the official selection tour, visit www.AFLACAllAmerican.com.

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