Eight players from the Northwoods League will participate in the 2010 Home Run Derby this Tuesday the 20th. The 2010 Home Run Derby will begin at 6:05 PM and is sponsored by the Leader Telegram and Bothun Automotive. The participant field will consist of four players from the North Division and four from the South Division.
Headlining the 2010 Home Run Derby class is last year’s champion Harold Riggins (NC State) of the Madison Mallards. Riggins is currently tied for the league lead in homeruns with two other Home Run Derby participants, Duluth Huskies teammates Cody Asche (Nebraska) and Mark Threlkeld (Louisiana Tech).
Asche and Thelkeld are joined by North Division participants Richie Jimenez (Nevada-Las Vegas) and Tanner Nivins (Stony Brook). Jimenez, a Rochester Honker, currently has five homeruns on the 2010 season while Nivins, a Thunder Bay Border Cat, also has five round trippers.
Joining league leader Harold Riggins from the South Division are Kyle Gaedele (Valparaiso), Steve McGuiggan (Illinois-Chicago) and Scott Schebler (Wichita State). Kyle Gaedele, of the Madison Mallards, has six homeruns this season and hit four in five days in early July to keep him near the league leaders. Steve McGuiggan, of the Eau Clare Express, started of the season hot by hitting four homeruns in his first six games of the season and currently has six homeruns. Green Bay Bullfrog Scott Schebler led the league in homeruns for the majority of the first half, but current leaders Asche, Threlkeld and Riggins came on strong. Schebler has six homeruns on the season and all were before July 4th.
Watch the Home Run Derby on www.nwltickets.com on July 20th at 6:05 PM. The Home Run Derby will be followed by the 2010 All-Star game which starts at 7:35 PM at Carson Park in Eau Claire and includes All-Star performers from both the North and South divisions of the Northwoods League. The South team will be coached by Eau Claire Express Field Manager Dale Varsho, and the North team will be coached by Ryan Ruiz of the Rochester Honkers. A fireworks show will follow the game.
