Program Ads and Sponsors
Las Cruces
Optimist Club
43nd Annual
Bob Ogas “North vs South”
All-Star Baseball Classic
Game Days June 8 – 9, 2018
2018 Program Advertisement Cost
2” x 2”-----------$40.00
2” x 4”-----------$60.00
2” x 6”-----------$80.00
1/3 page---------$100.00
½ PAGE----------$150.00
Full page--------$300.00
Corporate-------$100.00
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Optimist Club of Las Cruces
P.O. Box 16406
Las Cruces, NM 88004-6406
*** NOTE: Corporate sponsors receive 50 game tickets for friends and employees. What a deal! ***
Schedule of Events
Thursday, June 7
~noon players arrive in Las Cruces
Afternoon practice at Field of Dreams
4 PM setup concessions and picnic for players/coaches
6 PM cookout for players/coaches
Friday, June 8
Breakfast Hampton Inn
Lunch McDonald's
Dinner Golden Corral
5 PM Photos at Field of Dreams
7 PM Game #1
Saturday, June 9
8:30 Banquet--Las Cruces Convention Center
~ 10:30 am check out of hotel
Noon Games #2 and #3
~ 3:00 Approximate start time for game 3
**Note: Members and certain volunteers will be at field before game time to setup for fans, etc. The gates will open to the public for games about an hour before game start times.
Please remember we, the Optimist Club Las Cruces, sponsor these games and it is all volunteer support of this wonderful community effort. We, in no manner present ourselves as professional organizers. We do our best for these players, families, and community.
Fun Series Win-Loss History
The series has been won 23 times by the North and 20 times by the South. The North-South division is determined by the High School Coaches Association. The teams are no longer chosen based on a geographic divide.
Many of the ballplayers have gone on to distinction in College play. Some have gone on to play professionally.
Year Winner
1976 North
1977 South
1978 North
1979 North
1980 South
1981 North
1982 North
1983 South
1984 North
1985 South
1986 North
Year Winner
1987 South
1988 North
1989 North
1990 South
1991 North
1992 South
1993 North
1994 South
1995 South
1996 North
1997 North
Year Winner
1998 North
1999 North
2000 North
2001 South
2002 South
2003 South
2004 North
2005 South
2006 South
2007 North
2008 South
Year Winner
2009 North
2010 North
2011 South
2012 North
2013 South
2014 South
2015 South
2016 North
2017 South
2018 North
Background on Series and Optimist Club
This year will see the “43rd Annual Bob Ogas North South All Star Baseball Classic.” The series features top high school baseball players from around the State. The series provides New Mexico athletes with one final venue to showcase their talents before junior college, university and professional scouts.
The North-South All-Star Series was born after three years of discussions between Bob Ogas, then a coach at Mayfield High School, and Al Sutton, a coach at Highland High School in Albuquerque. During this time they obtained needed endorsement for the idea from the New Mexico High School Coaches Association (NMHSCA) and the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA). They even had a radio station out of Hobbs that offered to sponsor the event. But the NMHCA and NMAA required a not-for-profit sponsor.
So the Optimist Club of Las Cruces stepped up to the plate and offered to sponsor the event without soliciting any money from either the NMHSCA or the NMAA. The Optimists even agreed to donate surplus funds to the Sam Stratton Scholarship Fund. The Optimists continue to donate $300 each year to this Fund.
In 2013, the Coaches Association voted to rename the series in tribut to the founder, Bob Ogas. Since that time the series has been called the “Bob Ogas North South All Star Baseball Classic.” This is a fitting tribute to the vision and dedication Bob has shown in leading this event for 43 years.
The North-South All-Star Series started out simply and has grown through the years. 2018 represents the 43rd year of the contest. In the early days, Club member put up the All-Stars in their homes during the Series. Eventually arrangements were made to house the players in the dormitories on the NMSU campus and most recently at the Hampton Inn.
The New Mexico Baseball Coaches Association selects the All-Stars through a series of committees. The final selection is made on Thursday night of the State Baseball Tournament. The coaches of the selected All-Stars are notified on Friday and Saturday of the tournament. The All-Stars have one week to accept or decline the invitation to participate in the All-Star series.
The Optimist Club of Las Cruces has been serving the youth of this community since 1961. Optimist Club uses proceeds from the event for worthwhile projects that encourage and support youth.
What do Optimists really stand for? Simply, “Friend of Youth”. As with most service organizations, Optimist Clubs are made up of dedicated men and women interested in serving their communities. The Optimist emphasis falls toward the future of these communities - the youth within them. Optimists are committed to programs that educate youth about substance abuse, appreciation of the law, development of personal leadership skills and other services & opportunities that will shape the formative years of their lives. A primary goal is to make a positive impact on the lives of today’s youth, thereby making a positive impact on tomorrow’s world. The Las Cruces Optimist Club performs a wide variety of services for the youth of this community.
