The 2015 Senior All-Star Baseball Classic MVPs -- (l-r) Tekwaan Whyte, Stephenson (East) and Brent Burgess, Chamblee (West). Who will step up this year?

The 2015 Senior All-Star Baseball Classic MVPs — (l-r) Tekwaan Whyte, Stephenson (East) and Brent Burgess, Chamblee (West). Who will step up this year?

The 14th Annual DCSD Senior All-Star Baseball Classic is set for 7:00 pm Tuesday (May 31) at the Georgia State University Baseball Complex next to Godfrey Stadium following the Junior All-Star Baseball Classic.

The East Seniors lead the three-year East vs. West series 2-1 following an 8-5 victory in last year’s matchup. The previous 10 meetings were North vs. South with the North holding a 9-6 advantage.

Southwest DeKalb’s Tyrus Taylor (138-122-3) heads up the East staff with help from Stephenson’s Marco Jackson (88-90).

Three pitchers on the East squad are undefeated in Redan’s Walter Jordan (3-0, 4.20 ERA, 22 K’s, 5 walks, 20 innings), Stephenson’s Brian Strong (2-0, 2.95 ERA, 18 K’s, 11 walks, 19 innings) and Miller Grove’s Kaine Smith (2-0, 2.55 ERA, 20 K’s, 7 walks, 11 innings).

Tucker’s Julian Sewell won six games (6-3) with 34 K’s and 17 walks in 41 1/3 innings on the mound for the Tigers and Taylor depended on Tyler Sylvester (3-4, 4.35 ERA, 53 K’s, 31 walks, 37 innings) throughout the Panthers run to the playoffs.

Sylvester (.470, 34 RBI, 19 SB) is also one of four players on the East squad hitting over .400 for the season joining fellow Southwest DeKalb teammate Chaz Wittingham (.417, 34 RBI, 5 homers, 21 SB), Miller Grove’s Smith (.486, 27 SB) and Martin Luther King’s Darius England (.449, 25 RBI).

Another player to set the table for the East is Southwest DeKalb’s Zykee Freeman (.389, 15 RBI) who has 38 stolen bases on the season.

First year Lakeside head coach Donnie Hayes (21-9) and Druid Hills’ Peter Bartlewski (53-50) are working together to help the West even up the series.

The 18-man squad has eight players hitting over .400 on the season led by Cedar Grove’s Travon Hardnett (.518, 26 RBI) and pair of St. Pius X Golden Lions in pitcher/outfielder Garrett Gooden (.467, 27 RBI, 7 homers) and first baseman Chris McNulty (.459, 32 RBI).

Druid Hills infielder Jack Bartlewski (.429, 24 RBI, 12 SB) leads the next tier of .400 hitters along with Columbia second baseman Jamari Johnson (.425, 26 RBI, 17SB), McNair outfielder Shaquille Hickson (.415, 20 RBI, 44 SB), Chamblee infielder Justin Johnson (.409, 25 RBI) and Druid Hills utility man Curtis Jamerson (.408, 14 RBI).

Gooden helped lead the Golden Lions deep into the Class 4A state playoffs with his bat and his arm finishing with an 8-3 mark on the mound and sterling 1.47 ERA to go with 94 K’s and 27 walks in 62 innings.

Lakeside’s Cole Chisholm is another pitcher the West could look to as he finished 5-3 on the season with a 2.68 ERA and 26 K’s in 52 1/3 innings on the mound.

The game is a nine inning affair and admission is $7 to the general public.