The National Classic is a high-school baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 tournament

Tournament

A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...

 that takes place in Fullerton, California

Fullerton, California

Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...

. Started in , it is one of the most prestigious high-school baseball tournaments in the country. The games are played at local high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

s and at California State University Fullerton

California State University, Fullerton

California State University, Fullerton is a public university located in Fullerton, California. It is the largest institution in the CSU System by enrollment, it offers long-distance education and adult-degree programs...

. The tournament invites the top schools from around the country to compete for the National Classic championship

Championship

Championship is a term used in sport to refer to various forms of competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.- Title match system :...

 in front of an audience of professional and college scouts. The tournament is currently sponsored by Diamond Sports. A home run derby

Home Run Derby

The Home Run Derby is an event played prior to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It is a contest among the top home run hitters in Major League Baseball to determine who can hit the most home runs. The event is currently sponsored by State Farm Insurance...

 and a team introduction precedes the games. This tournament provides young stars with recondition and the opportunity to play some of the best teams in the country. Some of the 115 professional players who have participated in the tournament are Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez

Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...

, Dustin Pedroia

Dustin Pedroia

Dustin Luis Pedroia is an American professional baseball second baseman with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Pedroia has won several awards in Major League Baseball, including the 2007 American League Rookie of the Year and the 2008 AL MVP award...

, and Ian Kennedy

Ian Kennedy

Ian Patrick Kennedy is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.He is 6' 0" tall and weighs 190 pounds...

.

See also

• Perfect Game All-American Classic (all-star game for rising seniors) (San Diego, Calif.)
• Baseball awards#U.S. high-school baseball
• College baseball
  College baseball
  College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
  
  
• Australian Schools Championship (baseball)
  Australian Schools Championship (baseball)
  The Australian Schools Championships for baseball, also informally named at all levels 'schoolboys', is an annual secondary school tournament that has been officially running since 1989. It includes an Open and U-15 tournament...
  
  
• Japanese High School Baseball Championship ("Summer Koshien")
• Japanese High School Baseball Invitational Tournament ("Spring Koshien")
• High school baseball in South Korea
  High school baseball in South Korea
  In Korea, high school baseball is played at a very high level by students who train year round. Unlike in Japan or the U.S. where nearly every high school fields a team, there are only about 60-70 Korean high school baseball teams which makes the competition tantamount to an all-star league of...