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For the first time ever, the Underclass Elite rosters will feature a captain and co-captain.
CEO Jeremy Booth made the announcements on social media while players were still in Houston; Ramsey Chung was named a captain for the event, while Jax Van Valkenburg was revealed to be a co-captain. Full roster information and final details on dates and venue will be released in the coming days.
Chung is coming off a big month with the Future Stars Series; he helped lead the Mississauga Tigers into the playoffs at the 2027 grads National Tournament, and authored the only homer of the entire 2027 grads Underclass Combine, sending a ball well over the left center field fence at San Jacinto College.
The shortstop and RHP has been on the FSS radar for some time now — dating back to a Tigers Scout Day in 2023 — and has worked his way up the ladder, being selected previously to the Fresh 50, Underclass Premier and Underclass Elite.
“There’s no words, at least for me, to describe what Ramsey means to this organization,” Booth said. “The spirit, the hustle, the compete and the resiliency, there’s no one better who embodies that than Ramsey.”
This will mark the first Underclass Elite for Van Valkenburg, who has previously been a standout at the Fresh 50 and Underclass Premier. Another player who’s been on the FSS radar since a Scout Day in 2023, this one with the Sandlot program, JVV stands out both on and off the field.
Lauded for his character away from the diamond, Van Valkenburg is a switch-hitter who has the athleticism to handle multiple positions, usually splitting time behind the plate and a corner infield position at our events.
“He’s a guy that everyone radiates to,” said Robbie Moen, director of scouting and player development. “He’s the vocal guy, he’s the get-in-your-face-if-you-need-it-guy, he’s a pat-you-on-the-back guy. He plays hard. He can play catcher and he’s very good there, but at first base, the guy might be a Gold Glover there some day…wherever you want him, he can play and he switch hits. The great thing about Jax is he’ll do whatever you ask to make the team better.”
Since 2003, he has covered multiple World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for the Future Stars Series that he's held since 2017, Ashmore currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian.
A regular contributor to Baseball America, Ashmore has worked seven Super Bowls, 11 Stanley Cup Finals, the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NBA Playoffs, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,200 games covered in his career.
An avid card collector and sim racer, he lives with his wife, Sarah, their son William, and their beloved dog, Bailey, and cat, Smokey.
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