Academy Notebook: Texas Rangers Youth Academy athletes take part in All-Star Weekend Opening Ceremonies in Atlanta

Texas Rangers Youth Academy participates in Opening Ceremonies for All-Star Commissioner’s Cup and Jennie Finch Classic presented by ARM & HAMMER

To kick off Major League Baseball’s 2025 All-Star Week in Atlanta, MLB and the Atlanta Braves hosted Opening Ceremonies for All-Star Commissioner’s Cup and Jennie Finch Classic presented by ARM & HAMMER on Thursday night.

Last night’s festivities marked the start of MLB’s annual flagship youth baseball tournament and softball tournament for players aged 17-and-under, which began this morning. These events feature MLB Youth Academies and Nike RBI teams from around the country and Puerto Rico competing in a series of games from July 11-14.

Click here to view the schedules and rosters.

Several Texas Rangers Youth Academy athletes were on hand for the celebration Thursday night at The Lovett School in Atlanta, one of three area venues, along with North Atlanta High School and Georgia Tech’s Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium, which will host tournament games this weekend.

The Rangers All-Star Commissioner’s Cup baseball team is scheduled to play at least four games over the next three days before potentially advancing to the championship on Monday, while the Jennie Finch Classic softball squad will play three games across Friday and Saturday before the quarterfinals and semifinals rounds take place Sunday.

This morning in the Commissioner’s Cup opener, the Rangers lost to the host-team Braves by a score of 7-3. Vincent Hood reached base a team-high three times on a pair of singles and a walk, while Christian Lux plated two of the team’s three runs on a two-run single in the fifth inning. On the mound, Raul Lomas struck out five batters across four innings in relief of starter Kyle Moore (L, 2.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R-ER, 2 BB, 5 SO).

On the softball side, the Rangers are scheduled to open Jennie Finch Classic play at 2:45 p.m. CT this afternoon at North Atlanta High School against the Washington Nationals Youth Academy.

QUICK HITS

Amira Forbit and Arthur Darensburg represent Rangers Youth Academy in Nike All-Star Weekend events

• What it is: Texas Rangers Youth Academy athletes Amira Forbit and Arthur Darensburg participated in the Nike Softball Home Run Derby and Baseball Speed Race events in Atlanta last night as part of the All-Star Commissioner’s Cup and Jennie Finch Classic presented by ARM & HAMMER Opening Ceremonies. After competing in their respective events, both athletes were gifted baseball and softball gear courtesy of Nike.
• Speed Kills: The 16-year-old Darensburg became the first-ever Nike Speed Race champion, posting a home-to-home time of 13.82 seconds in the inaugural iteration of the event to beat out nine other participants.

IN THE NEWS: Commissioner's Cup kicks off with race around bases, softball HR derby

Two Texas Rangers Youth Academy athletes selected to roam outfield during T-Mobile Home Run Derby

• What it is: Emiliano Maldonado and Savannah Vargas, a pair of athletes from the Texas Rangers Youth Academy’s All-Star Commissioner’s Cup and Jennie Finch Classic rosters, were selected to shag fly balls in the outfield during the T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Truist Park in Atlanta on Monday, July 14.
• Prize Pair: Maldonado is a rising junior at Justin F. Kimball High School in Dallas who has been selected to the Rangers Commissioner’s Cup roster each of the last two years. Vargas, who just completed her first year at Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, has competed in the Jennie Finch Classic in two straight summers.
• Where To Watch: Tune into ESPN at 7 p.m. CT on Monday, July 14, to watch Emiliano and Savannah chase fly balls off the bats of some of Major League Baseball’s top sluggers.

Education and Buckner International programming

The Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy goes beyond baseball and softball programming to benefit our community. With help from our partner Bucker International, the Academy hosts free education and enrichment courses for athletes and their families throughout the year. Register here for all Youth Academy classes.