For the 12th consecutive year, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine will host the 2008 First Pitch Classic. The high school baseball tournament consists of 16 teams and will take place on Feb. 21 through 23 at Colleyville Heritage High School, Fossil Ridge High School, Grapevine High School and Keller High School.
"It is an honor to once again sponsor the First Pitch Classic," said Doug Lawson, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine president. "Community involvement is an important aspect of why we exist, so we always eager to provide resources as well as sports trainers for this event."
High schools competing in the tournament include Birdville, Boswell, Central, Colleyville Heritage, Coppell, El Paso Franklin, Fossil Ridge, Grapevine, Keller, L.D. Bell, Lake Dallas, Northwest, South Grand Prairie, Trinity, Waxahachie and Western Hills.
"We are thrilled that Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine has once again sponsored this wonderful showcase of area baseball talent," said Tim McCune, Grapevine High School head baseball coach and tournament coordinator. "The teams competing in the First Pitch Classic routinely end up vying for state baseball championships, so this exhibition to kickoff the 2008 season is an exciting start."
The tournament will kickoff at each site on Thursday, Feb. 21 and Friday, Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m. The championship game will take place, on Saturday, Feb. 25, starting at 6:30 p.m. The site will be determined after the conclusion of Friday's games. Trophies will be awarded to the first, second, third and fourth place teams as well as four consolation winners. The tournament will recognize an All-Tournament team at the conclusion of the games.
The most valuable player award has been renamed to honor the memory of Grapevine High School student and baseball team member Chris Gavora. Gavora sustained fatal injuries in preparation for the tournament last year. The Chris Gavora MVP award will be a yearly tournament award given to the player that shows the best overall tournament play.
For more information regarding the Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine 2008 First Pitch Classic, please contact Tim McCune at 817-251-5210.
Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine is a 233-bed, full-service, fully-accredited not-for-profit hospital, serving residents in more than 20 cities throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The hospital offers advanced medical care for brain and spine conditions, cardiovascular care, intensive care, diagnostic imaging, women's services, neonatal intensive care, sleep disorders and emergency care. VHA, Inc. honored Baylor Grapevine with a 2007 leadership award for its care of patients with acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) and heart failure. This award honors health care organizations that have differentiated themselves around national performance standards. Doug Lawson serves as president of Baylor Grapevine. For fiscal year 2007, the faith-based Baylor Health Care System will report $390 million in community benefits to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Contact: Torrey L. McGraw, 817-329-2857
Email: torreymc@baylorhealth.edu
About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com