The Battle Creek area will be well represented at the annual East-West All-Star Baseball Classic with five players and two coaches from area teams earning spots.

The 35th annual Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association East-West All-Star Baseball Classic is scheduled for July 6 at Comerica Park in Detroit. Tickets for the game can be purchased at Comerica Park the day of the game for $10.

Lakeview senior Nick Jones rounds third base against Gull Lake on Thursday.

This year’s game will have the area’s largest contingent in recent memory invited to the game, including on the coaching staff with Homer’s Scott Salow named as head coach and Gull Lake’s Bill Blakely also named as an assistant coach.

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Area players making the team include Lakeview’s Nick Jones, Marshall’s Drew DeVine, Homer’s Brock Ridgeway as well as Drew Blakely and Caleb Scoles, both of Gull Lake.

Nick Jones

Lakeview’s Jones is coming off a season in which he was named as a first-team All-State player as a junior and signed to play college baseball at Eastern Michigan. Jones, an infielder, is among the leaders in the area in batting average at .440 with 21 RBIs.

“This is well deserved. He’s going to leave Lakeview with the career hits record, he was a Dream Team, first-team All-State kid last year and we expect the same this year. He is just a phenomenal kid and has had a phenomenal career,” said Lakeview coach Jeff Sovern.

Marshall’s DeVine is one of the top shortstops in the area, batting .366, and has signed to play in college at Western Michigan University.

Drew DeVine

“It is a great honor for Drew to represent his family, our team, our high school, and our community as the first player from Marshall to be selected for the Michigan High School All-Star game. This is a testament to Drew’s hard work and passion for the the game of baseball,” Marshall coach Tom Sharpley said.

Gull Lake’s Drew Blakely is hitting .472 for the Blue Devils and has signed to play at the University of Virginia next year. The Blue Devils’ Scoles will play at the University of Toledo next year as a pitcher and has a sparkling 0.76 ERA as a senior.

Gull Lake’s Drew Blakely will be playing at University of Virginia next year.

“I am so proud of these two for being selected.  It is a great honor to represent our program, school and community.  They are teammates in high school and in summer for the Midwest Athletics, a team that I also coach.  Ten players on the All-Star teams are from their summer team and it will be a memorable experience for these players to bring a finale to their high school careers,” Bill Blakely said.

Gull Lake’s Caleb Scoles will be playing at University of Toledo next year.

Homer’s Ridgeway, a four-year starter for the Trojans, is hitting .424 this season and has committed to play at the next level at Central Michigan.

Brock Ridgeway

“I am so proud of Brock and his continued commitment to our baseball program and our school.  Brock has worked extremely hard to put himself in a position to play with some of the state’s top players this summer at Comerica Park.  I am looking forward to coaching him in his last high school game.  What a special moment,” Salow said.

Contact Bill Broderick (269) 966-0678 or  bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com . Follow him on Twitter @billbroderick