Published: July 20, 2008 12:10 am            

A celebration

THE ISSUE:Pharos-Tribune/Kokomo Tribune All-Star Baseball Game.

OUR VIEW:Wednesday’s game was a celebration of some of the best athletes Loganland and Howard County have to offer.

If you like a good baseball game, you might’ve headed out to Lewis Cass High School on Wednesday night.

That was the location for the fourth annual Pharos-Tribune/Kokomo Tribune All-Star Baseball Game.

Players were chosen for the game based on the post-season honor teams selected by the two newspapers.

The Kokomo Tribune’s Howard County All-Stars was made up of athletes from Eastern, Kokomo, Northwestern, Taylor and Western high schools. The Pharos-Tribune’s Loganland All-Stars came from Carroll, Caston, Lewis Cass, Logansport, Pioneer and Winamac.

For many of these athletes, this was their final game in a high school uniform.

For Northwestern senior Eric Metz, the game was a celebration of life. Metz, a two-sport athlete with the Tigers, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

He got off to a fast start in the 2007-08 football season before he was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer. He underwent treatment at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, and his cancer has been in remission for eight months.

Metz, who played on the Northwestern team that made it to the 2005 Class 2A state baseball finals, was able to rejoin the team in late April.

For future all-stars, the two newspapers held a clinic led by Lewis Cass Kings coach Greg Marschand. The clinic was open to boys and girls ages 8-12, and focused on fundamentals, including throwing, fielding and hitting. Participants received a free ticket to the game.

The Loganland All-Stars still are looking for their first win in the series. After Howard County’s 14-4 victory Wednesday, it holds a 3-0-1 record.

The game, of course, is about more than who wins and who loses. It’s a celebration of some of the best athletes Loganland and Howard County have to offer.

For baseball fans, this is an event not to miss.

– Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, and Kokomo Tribune

        

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