Moore and San Gabriel Valley leagues set for aual Kiwanis All-Star baseball game

There’s one last chance for the 2016 baseball stars of the Moore and San Gabriel Valley leagues to put their talents on display as the all-league honorees will face off in the aual Kiwanis All-Star Game.

The event has been going on since the 1980s, with the Moore League versus SGVL format being implemented in 2000. This year’s installment, which is nine iings and the first in a revised format that does not limit the rosters to seniors, is set for Friday at 6 p.m. at Downey High.

North Long Beach Kiwanis, a member of the global community service program, has partnered with the leagues to put on the game and will be the recipient of all proceeds ($3 tickets for adults, $1 for students, $2 programs). This year the event will be held in memoriam of George Whitmore, a supporter of the Kiwanis since the 1980s, when the Moore League would take on the Sunset League.

“We’re trying to make the game bigger, get more interest in the game,” said event director Marc Prager, who was Long Beach Jordan coach from 2000-13. “There are plans to go even further than this. Next year hopefully it’ll just be bigger and better.

“It’s kind of a combination,” he added. “It’s a looser (compared to regular and postseason games) environment but its very competitive. They really want to win. They get to play one more game with their friends. Maybe some of them wouldn’t get to play in an all-star game if we didn’t have this event. We’re looking for a fun competitive game. I enjoy doing this event. It’s fun.”

After helping guide the Rams to a league title, Millikan coach Ron Keester will head the Moore League squad, consisting of: Jack Williford (Wilson, senior), Spencer Steer (Millikan, senior), Michael Killeen (Millikan, senior), Matt Fields (Lakewood, senior), Max Williford (Wilson, junior), AJ Renteria (Poly, junior), Adam Knight (Millikan, senior), Jose Medrano (Jordan, senior), Diego Alarcon (Millikan, junior), Trent Anderson (Lakewood, junior), David Rivera (Lakewood, junior), Chris Murphy (Poly, freshman), Salvador Rosales (Cabrillo, senior), Logan Misajon (Millikan, senior), Jacob Beett (Wilson, senior), Mike Mauai (Poly, sophomore), Riley Dent (Wilson, senior), Christian Valdez (Lakewood, senior), Aaron Greenfield (Millikan, senior) and Jacob McKenzie (Jordan, senior).

“I think it does two things,” Keester said. “It gives our guys the opportunity to put on the uniform one last time and it allows them to play with the other schools that they’ve played against all year and come together. It’s my first year coaching [the all-star game] and it’s a great way to cap off the year.”

All 20 players from the Moore League have committed to playing in the game according to Keester. Killeen is the only question mark after suffering an injury during Millikan’s final game of the season and Keester says he is 50/50.

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In the other dugout, Gerardo Perez of SGVL champion Gahr will be at the helm of a team featuring co-MVP Michael Perez (Gahr, sophomore) and Pitcher of the Year Josh Haley (Gahr, junior).

The rest of the SGVL roster is made up of: Adrian Valtierra (Downey, junior), Andy Hurtado (Downey, junior), Rafeeq Rahim (Downey, senior), Angel Oseguera (Downey, senior), Victor Salazar (Gahr, senior), Humberto Castaneda (Paramount, senior) Luis Lara (Paramount, senior), Daniel Heandez (Paramount, senior), David Olguin (Paramount), Eric Ramirez (Paramount, senior), Day Vasquez (Lynwood, sophomore), Eric Menjivar (Warren, senior), Dominic Bravo (Warren, senior), Kevin Altamirano (Warren, junior) and Andrew Torillo (Dominguez, sophomore).

Co-MVP Jesus Salazar, Jeremy Sifuentes and Christian Corral of Gahr were on the roster but will be unavailable due to Grad Night.

“I imagine we will pitch well and play defense and hope to be opportunistic on the offensive end,” Gerardo Perez said.