Wilson Premier Classic Hosts Elite Travel Baseball Clubs

More than 50 teams from 21 elite travel baseball clubs will face off in the second-annual Wilson Premier Classic September 22-25 in Peoria, AZ at the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners spring training complex. The invitation-only baseball tournament will feature national championship travel ball teams, D1 prospects and projected top draft picks.

At the tournament, young players showcase their skills and abilities in front of scouts while competing for a championship. In 2016 the WPC had more than 150 college coaches, five MLB first-round draft picks, 200 D1 college commits and 10 Perfect Game All-Americans in attendance. Thirteen of the pitchers in 2016 recorded velocities above 90 mph.

“The Wilson Premier Classic is a tournament that exposes players to the top recruiters across the country, featuring three age groups in a four-day period,” Wilson Premier Baseball National Director Matthew Bliven said. “The best clubs and players from the 2018, 2019 and 2020 graduating classes playing in one central location is extremely desirable for college coaches and pro scouts. You’re going to find up-and-coming professional or collegiate baseball players throughout all of our games.”

MLB scouts and college coaches from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC will be among those in Peoria to see how these players fare against top-level competition. Rosters feature highly regarded prospects like Jarred Kelenic and Joe Gray Jr., both potential top-10 2018 MLB Draft picks according to Baseball America and other outlets.

In total, the Wilson Premier Classic will feature approximately 900 players, with more than 300 of those rated as “high follows” by the major scouting services. Participating powerhouse clubs featuring sought-after players include the EvoShield Canes, San Diego Show, Team Elite and the Orlando Scorpions, among others.

All participating teams are sponsored by Wilson Baseball’s family of brands – DeMarini, Louisville Slugger, EvoShield and Wilson. The four brands will showcase equipment and products for participating teams and create a best-in-class experience for those who attend.

“The Classic serves as the perfect opportunity to highlight the very best of what it looks like to work with Wilson and our incredible family of brands,” said Rob Partin, Grassroots Marketing Manager for Wilson Baseball. “We feature special and unique activation opportunities typically reserved only for our professional players, ranging from custom fittings for EvoShield protective products to an on-site Glove Care Center manned by legendary Wilson ball glove Master Craftsman Shigeaki Aso. Along with the American Baseball Coaches Association, we host a hospitality kiosk for college coaches. It truly is a celebration of partnership for our most valued stakeholders.”

All the teams playing in the Wilson Premier Classic are highly ranked and are either DeMarini Platinum and Gold Squads or Louisville Slugger Prime and Authentic Clubs players. Members of each of the three championship teams will take home custom champions gloves as their trophies from Wilson, the Official Glove of Major League Baseball.