This week’s release of the Shelby County Reporter All-County baseball and softball teams comes on the heels of all-star announcements by several different organizations.

And Shelby County remains well-represented in nearly all lists of the state’s top talent.

Briarwood Christian coach Lee Hall spent the holiday weekend coaching the Birmingham-Metro squad in the 62nd Alabama Lions East-West All-Star Baseball Classic.

Several Shelby County ballplayers made key contributions throughout the weekend.

Pelham second baseman Bert Smith helped lift the Metro team to a win over the South All-Stars during the Classic’s opening game.

Thompson’s Austin Lucas and Spain Park’s Alex Jones pitched for the Metro team.

Both Kevin Cope of Briarwood Christian and Daniel Benjamin of Spain Park made the roster as catchers.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association recently released North-South rosters for baseball and softball games to be played at the Alabama All-Star Sports Week in Huntsville.

Briarwood Christian outfielder Grant Luke and Thompson catcher Chris Myles made the baseball roster for the North All-Stars.

Luke and Myles will represent Shelby County during a doubleheader Monday, July 11 at Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville.

Katie Harris of Oak Mountain will join the outfield of the South All-Stars in the softball doubleheader Wednesday, July 13 at the Metro Kiwanis Sportsplex.

Thompson’s Haley Houston joins Harris on the South squad while Oak Mountain coach Danny DuBose will help lead the North team.

It looks like Hoover will have some competition for one of the area’s biggest sports attractions.

It seems the city of Memphis has shown interest in bringing the SEC baseball tournament to AutoZone Park and will likely bid for the 2007 tourney.

Some 199,580 fans packed the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, which is just beyond the county line, during last week’s tournament.

The event drew the third largest overall attendance in the tournament’s history.

SEC baseball has no doubt pumped revenue into the local economy, but it has also been a great form of recreation for local baseball fans.

Hopefully Hoover will do everything possible to keep the tournament close by.

Shelby County athletes take up four of the 36 football roster spots for the 18th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Classic this Saturday.

Spain Park’s Tyler Grisham and Pelham’s Montez Billings will play wide receiver in the game as they hope to extend Alabama’s six-game winning streak.

Landen Vickery of Thompson will play offensive line and Michael Adams will line up at defensive end for the Alabama squad.

The game will be held at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Ashley Vansant is the sports editor at the Shelby County Reporter. He can be reached at mailto:ashley.vansant@shelbycountyreporter.com