Tomales High School will host the third annual Jake Velloza Memorial Baseball Game on Saturday, honoring a former alumni and United States Army soldier who was killed while serving in Iraq in 2009. The occasion, one of the largest events of the year at the high school, consists of two games: the first, at 1 p.m., will pit the school’s current junior varsity club against an over-40 alumni team, while the second match up, at 3:30 p.m., will see the varsity squad take on an under-40 crew consisting of more recent alumni, many of whom were standout ballplayers at Tomales and even minor leaguers. In the event’s first year, both the varsity and J.V. trounced the alumni. Last year, however, was a different story, as both alumni clubs snagged victories from the Tomales teams. The booster club settled on a baseball game as the proper forum to celebrate Mr. Velloza, who was talented baseball player prior to his graduation in 2004. The recipient of two Medals of Honor, Mr. Velloza, who grew up in Inverness, told his parents that he wanted to enlist in the Army after the 9/11 attacks because “he wanted the world to be a better place for when he would raise his own family.” Mike Giammona, the president of the club, helped organize the memorial game. “It always bothered me that the school didn’t honor Jake for the service he gave to his country,” said Mr. Giammona, a parent who graduated from Tomales in 1983. “I felt like he was forgotten.” All proceeds generated from the event—through donations and sponsorship—will go toward a scholarship intended to give seniors who are still thinking about going to college a little push. The only criteria for qualifying, Mr. Giammona said, is to graduate. This year, four scholarships will be awarded at $4,000 each. Aside from honoring Mr. Velloza and raising money for the scholarship, the memorial game is also an opportunity to bring the Tomales community together. “We are a school where generations go through the school,” said principal Adam Jennings, who was instrumental in organizing the event during his first year. “So it’s fun to see [alumni] play against their grandkids.” The Jake Velloza Memorial Baseball Game starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, at the Tomales High School baseball field. The event is free, though donations are encouraged.