A Rising Star Takes the Field
Alfie Thompson, a rising junior at Lakeside High School, has been chosen to represent the 16U South Region in the USA Baseball National Team Identification Series, a showcase that brings together the nation’s most promising young talent.
The competition will unfold in Cary, North Carolina, from August 11 through August 16, giving Thompson a chance to measure his abilities against some of the best peers in the country.
A versatile athlete, Thompson pitches, catches, and switches-hands at the plate, a skill set that has already earned him recognition as a two‑year letterman and a Rookie of the Year award as a freshman.
His baseball pedigree runs deep; last summer he wore the Hot Springs uniform in the Babe Ruth World Series, where he was named Player of the Game twice and earned a spot on the All‑World Series Team.
Beyond the diamond, Thompson recently completed the Leadership Hot Springs Youth Program and volunteers regularly with the Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance’s Arts & the Park initiative and the Ouachita Children, Youth and Family Services’ Gran Fondo for Families.
Rich Thompson, Alfie’s father, expressed pride in his son’s accomplishment, noting that the selection not only reflects his son’s hard work but also provides a pathway toward collegiate and professional baseball.
USA Baseball’s involvement, alongside community partners such as the Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance, underscores the collaborative effort to nurture talent and give back to the regions that produce it.