"Top 20" in the Dugout with Carrie Underwood

GAC host Nan Kelley with Craig Morgan and Carrie Underwood after the 19th Annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge on June 10, 2009. Photo credit: GAC Staff

June 12, 2009 — Many of country music’s biggest stars — including Carrie Underwood, Josh Turner, Joe Nichols and Darius Rucker — took part in Wednesday’s City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game, and a bevy of singer-athletes will join host Nan Kelley on this weekend’s edition of GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown.

Click here to see photos from the game!.

The game — played at Greer Stadium, home of the AAA Nashville Sounds — was held in the evening this year, nicely avoiding the heat and rash of sunburns that accompanied last year’s match. Chuck Wicks, Julianne Hough, Luke Bryan, Jason Michael Carroll and Keith Anderson all took the field during the event, which adds to the artist-fan intimacy that’s at the backbone of the annual CMA Music Festival.

"That’s really the biggest difference I’ve seen in coming into country is the fans — fans and people just in general," Darius told the national radio show GAC Nights: Live From Nashville, comparing his solo career to his work with Hootie + The Blowfish. "Like in radio, they expect to be your friend. If you’re a nice person, they want to be your friend, and you know, I see people when I’m on the road or even when at home, people, they want to come up and say ‘Hey.’ It’s no big deal, and it’s really cool ‘cause just to be accepted in the country community coming from the rock and pop world, and to be accepted the way I have been is unbelievable."

Top 20 Country Countdown counts down the week's top country videos from No. 20 to No. 1 as voted by viewers on each week on GACTV.com. A new countdown premieres every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on GAC and airs again Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET; Sundays at 1 p.m. ET; and Mondays at 10 a.m. ET. Viewers can vote for their favorite videos, as well as purchase Top 20 artists' albums and ringtones at GACTV.com.

THIS WEEK’S CHART:

1. Kellie Pickler "Best Days Of Your Life"
2. Taylor Swift "You Belong With Me"
3. Reba McEntire "Strange"
4. Billy Currington "People Are Crazy"
5. Lady Antebellum "I Run To You"
6. Carrie Underwood "I Told You So"
7. Keith Urban "Kiss A Girl"
8. Alan Jackson "Sissy’s Song"
9. Miley Cyrus "The Climb"
10. Jason Aldean "She’s Country"
11. Kenny Chesney "Out Last Night"
12. Rascal Flatts "Here Comes Goodbye"
13. Dierks Bentley "Sideways"
14. Gloriana "Wild At Heart"
15. Rodney Atkins "It’s America"
16. Trace Adkins "Marry For Money"
17. Taylor Swift "White Horse"
18. Darius Rucker "It Won’t Be Like This For Long"
19. Billy Ray Cyrus "Back To Tennessee"
20. Zac Brown Band "Whatever It Is"