Participants announced for 2008 Midwest Home Run Derby

The Great Lakes Loons have announced the participants and rules for Monday’s 2008 All-Star Home Run Derby at Dow Diamond.

The participants are Ian Gac and Jonathan Green of the Clinton Lumberkings, Brandon Waring, Dayton Dragons, Felix Carrasco of the Fort Wayne Wizards, Chris Carlson of the West Michigan Whitecaps, Corey Brown of the Kane County Cougars, Sean Coughlin of the South Bend Silverhawks, and Andrew Lambo and Kenley Jensen of the Great Lakes Loons.

Loons sluggers Lambo and Jensen will be joined by Bullock Creek star Kyle O’Boyle who will also be participating after hitting three home runs to capture the Hometown Hitter Championship Saturday at Dow Diamond.

O’Boyle, a junior at Bullock Creek, belted all three of his home runs to left field, including a shot that traveled out of Dow Diamond on the fly. During an evening where a stiff wind blew out to left field, the right-handed slugger launched two additional longballs, coupled with a pair of warning track one-point shots and a two-point shot for hitting a ball off the wall to give the Lancer 16 total points in the competition.

The junior edged Garber High School’s Randon Henika, who finished in second place with 12 points and narrowly missed a last-pitch home run that would have tied the competition on a long fly ball to left that went foul.

During the Home Run Derby, each player is allowed 10 outs in each round to hit as many home runs as possible. The five players with the most home runs in the opening round advance to the semi-finals. The two players with the most home runs in the semi-final round advance to the championship round. The player with the most home runs in the final round is declared the Home Run Derby champion.