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August 13, 2005
Devin Shepherd Wins Game MVP and Sparks West Team to Victory in Third Annual Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic - Event raises over $100,000 for Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins

NEW YORK (February 9, 2005) ABERDEEN, Md. (Aug. 13, 2005) Devin Shepherd, an outfielder from Oxnard, Calif., earned Most Valuable Player honors at the third annual Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Md., as the West Team defeated the East Team, 8-4 in front of a crowd of more than 4,000. Shepherd paced the Easts attack, going 2 for 3 with two singles, two walks, one RBI and two runs scored.

The West's Nathan Bridges started the game's scoring by slugging a two-run double down the left field line in the top of the second, which drove in Devin Shepherd and Jeff Rapoport, who both reached base on consecutive singles. Bridges had a strong offensive game, going 2 for 5 with two RBI's while Rapoport went 2 for 4 with one run and one stolen base.

Brett Anderson was the winning pitcher for the West, which also featured strong performances on the mound from Jordan Walden and Kyle Drabek. Walden, the starting pitcher, and Drabek, the closer, threw two scoreless innings each.

The East Team got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning when Chris Marrero doubled in Billy Rowell, who walked, and Andrew Clark, who was hit by a pitch. Both Rowell and Ryan Jackson helped pace the East's offensive attack. Rowell went 2 for 3 with two singles, two walks, one RBI and two runs scored, while Jackson went 2 for 3 with two singles and one walk. Jackson also made several stellar defensive plays, including a throw to nail Jared Mitchell at home plate on an attempted double steal.
Several East pitchers starred on the mound, including Dellin Betances, who pitched a scoreless second inning, Cory Rasmus, who had two strikeouts while pitching a scoreless sixth inning and Chris Walden, who also had two strikeouts during a scoreless seventh inning.

In festivities held prior to the game, Robby Alcombrack, a power-hitting catcher from Bear River High School near Sacramento, Calif., took first place honors in the third annual Home Run Derby with six home runs. Alcombrack beat other Home Run Derby finalists Kyle Drabek (two home runs), Torre Langley (one home run) and Jeff Rapoport (one home run).

The 2005 Aflac All-American Baseball Classic raised over $100,000 for the division of pediatric oncology at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, the game's official charity, as part of Aflac's ongoing commitment to support research and treatment of pediatric cancer.

At the Aflac All-American Awards dinner on Aug. 11, Cody Johnson (Panama City, Fla.) won the second annual Jackie Robinson Award as the Aflac National High School Player of the Year. Johnson was presented with the award by Rachel Robinson, the widow of the late Hall of Fame Baseball Player Jackie Robinson.

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