masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe Orioles and City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young today announced the revamped fourth annual President’s Cup. This year, the annual tournament will be replaced with a citywide Showcase game to be held on Saturday, April 5 at 1:00 p.m. at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

The showcase will feature an East vs. West game featuring of public and private high school players from schools throughout Baltimore City. The change in format will allow students from diverse backgrounds greater…The Orioles and City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young today announced the revamped fourth annual President’s Cup. This year, the annual tournament will be replaced with a citywide Showcase game to be held on Saturday, April 5 at 1:00 p.m. at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

The showcase will feature an East vs. West game featuring of public and private high school players from schools throughout Baltimore City. The change in format will allow students from diverse backgrounds greater opportunity to interact with each other and form lasting and meaningful relationships.

“We’re really excited about this new format because it will allow students from many more public and private schools in Baltimore City an opportunity to play at a pro stadium in their own backyards,” City Council President Young said. “We have two teams made up of some of the best talent our city has to offer. I can’t wait to watch the game.”

Tryouts for the 2014 President’s Cup Showcase featured hundreds of players from more than two dozen public and private high schools in Baltimore City vying for the opportunity to join the East and West squads that will play April 5 at one of America’s best major league ballparks. During the final tryout on March 29, former Orioles all-star outfielder Al Bumbry visited with President’s Cup players and spoke to them about the role baseball plays in developing camaraderie and perseverance among teammates. The Orioles will host the President’s Cup for the fourth consecutive year.

The President’s Cup aims to unite Baltimore’s youth by using baseball to bring together groups of high school students from different backgrounds that normally would not compete with one another. The President’s Cup is an initiative under the Council President’s ongoing P.L.A.Y. (Productive Lives, Active Youth) campaign. P.L.A.Y. provides Baltimore’s youth with a wide range of opportunities to strengthen their self-confidence, develop leadership skills, learn from positive role models, and be rewarded athletically for their academic achievements. P.L.A.Y. encourages them to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.

The showcase game is free and open to the public.

Participating schools are:

Public schools: Baltimore City College, Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Digital Harbor High School, Maryland Academy for Technology and Health Sciences, Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School, Patterson High School, Paul Laurence Dunbar Senior High School, Southwestern High School and W.E.B. DuBois High School.

Private schools: Archbishop Curley High School, Boys’ Latin School of MarylandCoppin Academy, Friends School of Baltimore, Gilman School, Mount Saint Joseph High School and St. Frances Academy.