It’s not often that youth athletes have the unique opportunity to share their memorable plays with legendary pro ballplayers they admire and with sports fans around the world, but HiCast Sports Network is proud to make that dream come true with the HiCast Sports 2019 Most Valuable Play Awards for Youth Baseball and Softball Presented by Rawlings.
Judges for the 2nd annual contest, legendary Hall of Fame Shortstop and 13 time Rawlings Gold Glove Award recipient Ozzie Smith and 2020 USA Olympic Softball Player Keilani Ricketts Tumanuvao selected the Top 3 Most Valuable Plays for Offense and Defense for Baseball and Fast Pitch Softball from more than 2,300 video highlight entries shared by HiCast Sports mobile app users from top ballparks across the country. Winners and their Moments That Matter™ in each category can be viewed here.
The three-phase contest began on November 7th with HiCast Sports team selections for the Top 25 Semi-Finalists in each contest category. Winning ballplayers range from age eight to 18. The general public cast nearly 9,000 votes online for the Semi-Finalists to determine the Top 10 Finalists in each category.
Keilani Ricketts Tuanuvao
Keilani Ricketts Tumanuvao shares, “I’m so excited to be a part of this year’s HiCast Sports MVP Awards Presented by Rawlings. We are so used to seeing the top plays of collegiate and professionals aired on TV and social media, but we know these athletes didn’t just wake up one morning and start making great plays. They were once in these young athletes’ shoes making the same top plays in crucial situations just like we are seeing in these HiCast Sports Network highlights.”
Ozzie Smith adds, “I love seeing young kids out playing baseball and experiencing the competition. Overall, the videos I viewed all share the players’ enthusiasm for the game along with good sportsmanship. Case in point, the opposing catcher congratulating the young man who hit a home run. They’re all winners.”
Ozzie Smith
“This is our second year hosting the contest in partnership with Rawlings. It’s a meaningful way for us to celebrate these young athletes and their teams with a broader audience of fans and professional athletes they admire,” said Stephanie Calabrese, HiCast Sports Network Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer. “Capturing and elevating these memorable moments for players and families is what we’re all about.”
Rawlings provided a powerful lineup of prizes including their new 2020 Quatro Bats and Rawlings custom gloves for the winners; Rawlings Covert Duffle Bags for the finalists; and $25 Rawlings Gift Cards for all semi-finalists.
About HiCast Sports Network
HiCast Sports Network is a game-changing, subscription-based social broadcast company which allows youth athletes, their coaches, families and fans to view and engage with sporting events live and on-demand at top ballparks across the nation anywhere, anytime, on any device. The app makes it easy for users to not only see the whole game, but to save, trim, zoom and share their Moments That Matter™ in clips or highlight reels. HiCast operates with a robust network of partners (venues) and promoters (sporting leagues and event organizers) with which they cultivate win-win relationships. HiCast Sports Network users from around the world have watched nearly 3 million game minutes featuring hundreds of thousands of athletes playing at premier venues in Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Texas. For more information, please visit: www.hicastsports.com
About Rawlings
Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. is an innovative manufacturer and marketer of sporting goods worldwide. Founded in 1887, Rawlings is an authentic global sports brand, trusted by generations of athletes of all skill levels. Rawlings’ unparalleled quality, innovative engineering and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings. Rawlings is the Official Ball Supplier and Batting Helmet of Major League Baseball®, the Official Ball Supplier of Minor League Baseball™ and the NCAA®. For more information, please visit www.rawlings.com