Josh Hartle, a senior who has played on Reagan’s baseball team since his freshman year, was selected to participate in a three day baseball event. 

In these three days, the 50 chosen players practiced scrimmage and then played the game. The players selected are broken into two teams, the East and West coast. 

“It was surreal and really exciting when I got the call,” Hartle said. 

Hartle is the pitcher for the Reagan varsity team. He has been committed to Wake Forest University since his freshman year. Before he committed to Wake Forest, he had twelve other offers.

“The sky is the limit for Josh,” said head baseball coach Gary Nail. “He has the physical and mental make-up and talent to be a Major League baseball player.”

The game was played on Friday, Sept. 4 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It aired on television at 3:30 PM.

“It was just a really cool experience playing in a minor league park and having a lot of fans at the game and being on TV,” Hartle said. 

The Perfect Game All-American Classic also has a campaign called the PG Cares Rise campaign. They are partnered with the Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral and ask for donations to send to the organization. The game has raised almost $1 million dollars. 

“It was awesome to help raise money for the Toby Keith foundation and for the kids that are battling cancer,” Hartle said. “It’s something that’s bigger than yourself and playing and representing that was inspiring.”

Scouts can also attend the game in order to learn more about the players chosen and potentially give them an offer. With Hartle already committed to Wake Forest, he was focused on the game and building relationships.

“The best part of the event was seeing a lot of my friends and hanging out with them at the park and hotel, and meeting new people and interacting with them throughout the week,” Hartle said. 

When he was chosen to play in All-American, Hartle was sent a package from the organization containing gear and other attire, like sweatshirts and t-shirts.

“Opening up the gear was definitely one of the best parts because we got everything we needed for the game and attire to wear around,” Hartle said.

All-American is an extremely high honor in baseball. The 50 players are chosen out of all high school players nationwide. Hartle being selected shows great talent and is something to be very proud of.