Over 700 baseball players may have tried out for it, but only 160 made it, and Evan Richardson, a rising senior at Luverne High School, was one of them.

Richardson was chosen to play in the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Weekend, which was held July 2-5 at Troy University.

Four teams from north Alabama and four teams from south Alabama competed during the All-Star games, according to Luverne coach Andre Parks.

“College coaches and scouts use these games as a scouting tool for recruiting,” Parks said. “I may coach for 50 years and never get another player to be in this.”

Richardson played shortstop for the Columbia Blue Team.

The event started with a banquet for the players, coaches, parents, and scouts at Troy University on July 2 before the action began on Friday.

“They brought in former Major Leaguers who worked with the players individually,” Parks said.

This included Lou Thornton and Mark Fuller, who worked with the pitchers and the hitters. The players also participated in other activities in addition to the games, such as an “Enrichment Session” where each team was addressed by Thornton and Fuller on what it means to be a student-athlete on the collegiate level, and on the pursuit of a major league career. Fuller also spoke on the college student-athlete’s time management with “balancing baseball and the books.”

Parks said the pros even held sessions with the parents, talking with them about the challenges their children would face in college.

“This was a great opportunity for Evan, and I’m really proud of him,” Parks said.

Evan is the son of Britt and Jolynn Richardson.