ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves have partnered with the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) to expand youth baseball and softball in the state as well as enhance the experience for both student-athletes and coaches.
The partnership includes hosting the 2019 GHSA championships presented by Mizuno and the Braves at three team facilities, SunTrust Park on May 20, State Mutual Stadium home of the Rome Braves on May 21 and 22, and Coolray Field home of the Gwinnett Stripers on May 20.
“As an organization, we strive to help grow the game of baseball and softball,” said Derek Schiller, Atlanta Braves President and CEO. “Sports play a significant role in youth development, both on-and-off the field, and we are proud to host high school events at our facilitates to create once-in-a-lifetime
experiences for these student-athletes.”
Included in the partnership will have the Braves hosting yearly coaching clinics at SunTrust Park, with Braves coaches and alumni players sharing skills and tips with Georgia high school and youth coaches.
The Braves will also host the Atlanta Baseball Series in April with eight local area high schools playing games at SunTrust Park to wrap up the regular season. This year the teams will play on April 19 and April 20. This fall, the Braves will host their first softball tournament in Atlanta.
“This new partnership with the Braves is much appreciated and very important to the Georgia High School Association,” said Dr. Robin Hines, GHSA Executive Director. “We are excited for the opportunity the Braves organization is providing for our schools to have a genuine professional baseball experience in the championship series. This has been months in the planning and we are very grateful for the Braves’ efforts in making this dream come true for our student-athletes and fans.”
The 2019 7A Championship presented by Mizuno and the Atlanta Braves will be on Monday, May 20 at SunTrust Park in a best-of-three series. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. and Game 2 will start 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. If Game 3 is needed to complete the series, first pitch is slated for 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21.
State Mutual Stadium in Rome, Ga. will host two classifications in a best-of-three series on Tuesday, May 21 and Wednesday, May 22. If needed, additional games will be played on Thursday, May 23. Coolray Field in Gwinnett, Ga. will host one classification on Monday, May 20. If Game 3 is needed to complete the series in Gwinnett, the game will be moved to SunTrust Park on Tuesday, May 21.
The Braves will host GHSA Champion’s Day at SunTrust Park on June 2 vs. Detroit Tigers. The team will recognize the baseball and softball Elite Eight, Final Four, Finalist and State Champion Teams pregame.
Tickets are $15 and will be available for purchase at the Braves Ticket Office the day of each game starting at 10 a.m. Parking for the 7A Championship Games is free in the Red Deck for four hours.
For more information on the games as well as the GHSA partnership, please visit www.braves.com/HighSchoolBall.
