Morgan Academy senior selected to Under Armour all-star team

Published 9:11 pm Monday, July 9, 2018

Morgan Academy’s Gunnar Henderson was selected to join the top high school baseball prospects in the country at the Under Armour All-America Game at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Friday, July 20.

A Baseball Factory scout committee selects the players to invite for an American vs. National team match-up each year. The players will go through a formal MLB workout, compete in a home run derby and of course go head-to-head in front of several of the games’ best players and coaches.

Since the All-America Game began in 2008, more than 300 players who participated have been selected in the MLB Amateur Draft.

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This year, Perfect Game’s top 10 ranked players in the class of 2019 will be on the field with Henderson, including Bobby Witt Jr. (SS), Riley Greene (OF), CJ Abrams (SS), Jerrion Ealy (OF), Daniel Espino (RHP), Rece Hinds (OF), Hunter Barco (LHP), Brennan Malone (RHP), Jud Fabian (OF) and Matthew Allan (RHP).

Henderson got the call this past week while he was in the WWBA tournament in Atlanta, Georgia playing for his travel team TPL (The Prospect Lab).

“It was a great honor just to be considered as one of the top players in the country, and go compete on one of the highest stages,” Henderson said. “All the glory goes to God for blessing me with this ability, and I’m just very excited to go play on a major league field.”

It will be his first trip to Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, and he’s excited to meet and compete with the other top players. Henderson will be on the American team roster.

“I look forward to playing the game and meeting some new players. Make some new friends that I’ll hopefully see in the future,” he said. “It’ll be fun just meeting new people and playing in a very good game.”

Henderson will spend most of his time at shortstop, but may also get some work at third base. He’ll get his opportunity at the plate as well to show off his skill set against some of the top pitchers in the country.

“I like to see myself competing against the best pitchers,” he said. “They’re going to be throwing their best stuff, and I just need to pick out good pitches and hit. I think my defense will hold up pretty well, just need to be a little more disciplined at the plate. I feel like if I do that, then I’ll have a good shot at being one of the top in the country.”

Henderson is going into his senior year at Morgan Academy and is still committed to playing at Auburn University.

Having one of the top players in the state of Alabama was a welcome bonus for former Morgan Academy head baseball coach Seth Currie.

“He’s definitely a five-tool guy. He can hit, throw, run and he hits for power,” Currie said. “He’s a very special player. The selection is a tremendous honor and a true testament of his work ethic and his ability. For Morgan Academy, it was a pleasure to watch him play. He’s the perfect person to go represent not only our school, but the city of Selma and the Southeast.”