Waterloo, Iowa – The Northwoods League has announced that Waterloo Bucks first baseman Patrick Ferguson will be a participant in the 2019 Northwoods League All-Star Game Home Run Derby presented by Coca-Cola Atlantic Bottling Company & BodyArmor.  Ferguson, a junior from Kent State University, will take part in the Derby, which will start at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, July 16 at Cost Cutters Field at Riverfront Stadium.  The Derby will take place prior to that evening’s NWL All-Star Game presented by Experience Waterloo and the Cedar Valley Sports Commission.

Originally from North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, Ferguson is hitting .298 with a team leading 27 RBI.  His six home runs leads Waterloo and is tied for second in the Great Plains Division.  Ferguson leads the Great Plains in walks with 35 and was announced as an All-Star last week.

Eighteen participants, who were announced by the NWL earlier today, from both the Great Lakes and Great Plains Divisions have been chosen for the event which will feature a nine-inning competition between the two sides.

The format for the Home Run Derby is below:

1. There will be 9 innings with each player having one half inning.
2. Away team (Great Lakes) player bats first in the top of the inning, and home team player next (Great Lakes) in the bottom half of the inning.
3. Each player will have one half inning at bat that will consist of 6 outs.
4. The player with the most home runs at the end of the 9 innings, will be the Home Run Derby Winner.
5. The team (Great Lakes or Great Plains) with the most home runs will be announced as the winner of the team competition.

The Bucks begin a six-game road trip tonight, playing the La Crosse Loggers at 6:35 pm.  The Bucks return home for the All-Star Game on July 16, where four players will represent Waterloo, playing for the Great Plains Division.

The Bucks will host the 2019 Northwoods League All-Star Game presented by Experience Waterloo and the Cedar Valley Sports Commission on Tuesday, July 16 and tickets are currently on sale.  The ballpark welcomed a new state of the art video board in 2016 thanks to a matching grant from the Black Hawk County Gaming Association.  Team ownership has invested more than $300,000 in improvements since the end of the 2014 season including painted bleachers, public Wi-Fi, sound system, group outing areas, kids zone inflatables, and concessions equipment.  Fans are encouraged to stay in touch with the Bucks by utilizing their website at www.waterloobucks.com or utilizing the Northwoods League Mobile App.

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The Waterloo Bucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 25-year old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, over 200 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (MIA).  All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.waterloobucks.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Bucks as your favorite team.