Pike Liberal Arts shortstop Hunter Jones and head coach Allen Ponder have been selected to participate in the AISA All-Star Junior All-Star game at Patterson Field in Montgomery.

“I am very excited for Hunter,” said Patriots head coach Allen Ponder. “It is very exciting for our program to have an all-star. For me personally I have had the opportunity to coach an all-star game before.

The Patriots finished the 2016 season with a 28-15 record and advanced to the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated by Bessemer Academy.

“It’s a great experience for us, but especially for him,” Allen said. “It is always good for you program to have all-stars for a few different reasons, but I am excited for him.”

Jones finished the campaign hitting around .340 with one homerun and 18 RBIs. As a junior Jones was looked at as one of the leaders and would do anything to help the team achieve a win.

“Hunter is just a tough player,” Ponder said. “He is a very good player. He is one of the players we needed to count on to help us win. If he played well, we had a good shot. If he didn’t play well it would have been difficult for us to win. He stepped up for us all year long. He did a great job in the field and got big hits when we needed him. He deserves this.”

For Ponder June’s all-star game will his third. He helped coach when he was at Lee Scott as well as Lakeside.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Ponder said. “It’s also a challenge. In an all-star game you are trying to get everyone in the game. That is kind of difficult, but its a lot of fun to be able to interact with other coaches and kids from other teams.”

The game will give guys like Jones the opportunity to put their talents on display and have fun rather than playing for a win or for stats.

“They get to do things they may not be able to do in a real game,” Ponder said. “Your not going to see any bunting. These kids are going to go out there and showcase everyone of their talents.”

The AISA Junior All-Star game will be held on June 6 at Patterson Field in Montgomery.