Karros Plays in High School Baseball Under Armour All-American Game

By Skylar Jones

Managing Editor

Senior Kyle Karros stepped up to the plate this summer playing in the All-American Baseball Game at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. 

 The All-American Baseball Game is comprised of two exclusive teams, sponsored by Under Armour. The teams are composed of the most ambitious and highly-ranked players from high schools across the country. The two teams that competed in the All-American Game were the National Team, which Karros played for, and the American Team. These teams represented the National and American leagues of Major league Baseball.

  “I thought there was no way I’d be apart of the All-American team since it’s so hard to get onto. I was very surprised when I was selected,” Karros said. “I felt rewarded for the time I had put into it and liked the honor and recognition that came along with being a player for this team.”

   Each tryout was held in major regions across the country, including the West Coast, the Northeast, the Midwest and Texas. In order to be considered for the team, each player must maintain a GPA of 3.6 or higher on a 4.0 grading scale. The player must also be a state tournament place-winner or have been selected at least once in their high school career as All-State.

   “My week is packed with baseball, so sometimes it’s challenging to balance my classes with all the baseball I play,” Karros said. “I would say the key to balancing both school and baseball is just time management.”

  The All-Americans met during the summer at the Chicago Cubs’ stadium, Wrigley Field. The two teams consisted of roughly 40 players in total who met for a three-day training camp in preparation for their game. The game aired on Major League Baseball (MLB) Network on July 22. Karros was an infielder for the National Team, playing first and third base, and his team won.

  “I’ve been on big league fields before, so I’m kind of familiar with the atmosphere,” Karros said. “But to actually play on the field and have it broadcasted on live TV was surreal. Everything was just so perfect.”

 Karros verbally committed to play baseball for University of California, Los Angeles. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of his father, Eric Karros, who played in the major leagues for 14 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Oakland Athletics, according to Kyle Karros. Eric Karros was also named National League Rookie of the Year in 1992 and received the Silver Slugger Award in 1995. Kyle Karros’ brother, Jared, is also currently playing for the UCLA baseball team as a pitcher. 

   “I want to see how far baseball takes me and what doors it opens up, “ Kyle Karros said. “I am very grateful for the opportunities it has given me,  and I look forward to improving my game and, hopefully, one day playing in the major leagues.”