Rawlings® and Perfect Game USA Announce Preseason All-American and All-Region Teams

ST. LOUIS, March 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Rawlings® announced today its annual Rawlings Preseason All-American and All-Region Teams to recognize the top 400 high school baseball athletes in the U.S., while also showcasing their abilities to collegiate and professional scouts. In partnership with Perfect Game USA, the world's largest scouting report service, Rawlings is devoted to distinguishing "THE FINEST IN THE FIELD" with these two prestigious awards. 

"These selected athletes are being recognized for their skill, athleticism, and dedication to their game which allows them to perform to the highest level of game play," said Mike Thompson, Senior Vice-President, Marketing. "With more than 240,000 high school athletes in the nation, these players represent the very best in their class." 

The Rawlings Preseason All-Region 1st Team recognizes 400 players from eight regions around the U.S. Each of the regions will form a 50-man roster, complete with catchers, pitchers, infielders and outfielders. 

In addition, the top 150 of the 400 athletes will be named to the Rawlings Preseason All-American Team. All 150 award recipients will be named to one of three teams, each including a 50-man roster. 

"Rawlings and Perfect Game USA are synonymous with the game of baseball and these preseason awards allow us to reward these elite athletes for their hard work and contribution to the game," said Thompson. 

"To receive the Rawlings Preseason All-American or All-Region Award is a tremendous achievement for these high school athletes," said Jerry Ford, President, Perfect Game USA. "We're proud to partner with Rawlings to recognize their talent as they prepare for their careers playing collegiate or professional baseball." 

About Rawlings: Rawlings is a leading manufacturer and marketer of sporting goods in the United States and a subsidiary of Jarden Team Sports. Since the company's inception in 1887, Rawlings' mission has always centered on developing and producing innovative, high-performance equipment and protective apparel for the professional player. With an assortment of baseball, basketball, football and softball game-related product lines, Rawlings is present everywhere team sports are played. Leagues and conferences of all skill levels integrate Rawlings' unparalleled product portfolio into their sports: as the Official Baseball and Official Helmet to Major League Baseball®, the official baseball for the NCAA®, the official football for the NAIA®, the official basketball for the NAIA, NJCAA® and AAU®, the approved baseball, basketball, football and softball of the National High School Federation®. For more information, please visit rawlings.com, Rawlings' Facebook page or by phone at (314) 819-2800. 

About Jarden Corporation: Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of niche consumer products. Jarden operates in three primary business segments through a number of well recognized brands, including: Outdoor Solutions: Abu Garcia®, Aero®, Berkley®, Campingaz® and Coleman®, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, K2®, Marker®, Marmot®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Rawlings®, Shakespeare®, Stearns®, Stren®, Trilene®, Volkl® and Zoot®; Consumer Solutions: Bionaire®, Crock-Pot®, FoodSaver®, Health o meter®, Holmes®, Mr. Coffee®, Oster®, Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam®, VillaWare® and White Mountain®; and Branded Consumables: Ball®, Bee®, Bicycle®, Billy Boy®, Crawford®, Diamond®, Dicon®, Fiona®, First Alert®, First Essentials®, Forster®, Hoyle®, Kerr®, Lehigh®, Leslie-Locke®, Lillo®, Loew Cornell®, Mapa®, NUK®, Pine Mountain®, Quickie®, Spontex® and Tigex®. Headquartered in Rye, N.Y., Jarden has more than 25,000 employees worldwide. For more information, please visit www.jarden.com. 

About Perfect Game USA: Perfect Game is the world's largest scouting report service, reporting on thousands of young players each year. Along with holding the top tournaments and showcase events Perfect Game has established a reputation for identifying the top baseball prospects each year. The PG identification process has become a valuable and respected resource for College Recruiters and MLB Scouts. For more information, please visit www.perfectgame.org. 

See Complete Rawlings Preseason All America Teams at http://www.perfectgame.org/all_americans/2011

SOURCE Rawlings