Collins Finishes Fifth in Home Run Derby
OMAHA, Neb. – Miami All-American slugger Zack Collins was selected among the top power hitters nationwide to compete in the sixth annual TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby on July 2 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
The event will be held at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha and will be broadcast live on ESPN.
Following a prolific first season with the Hurricanes that resulted in 2014 Baseball America National Freshman of the Year honors, Collins enjoyed another stellar season for Miami in 2015.
Collins, who earned the first All-America honors of his career (Rawlings) this past spring, was named a first-team All-ACC selection after hitting .302 with 15 home runs and 70 RBI. The Pembroke Pines, Fla., native, who slugged .587 for the year, added 14 doubles and five triples in another dominant season at the plate while splitting time at catcher and designated hitter.
Collins is the first representative from Miami in the six-year history of the event.
“We are proud to bring the TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby to life for the sixth straight year,” said Katrina Booker, managing director of communications and public affairs for TD Ameritrade. “We look forward to a night of inspiration – for the athletes competing for the ultimate honor, the organizations that do so much to enhance the quality of life in our communities, and especially the fans and families gathering to take part in this annual Independence Day tradition. Thanks to our continued partnership with the Omaha World-Herald we will once again enjoy baseball and fireworks under the ballpark lights.”
Joining Collins in the 2015 College Home Run Derby to date are:
· Eric Gutierrez, Texas Tech University (2014 runner-up): Gutierrez, who broke the College Home Run Derby record a year ago with 52 home runs, earned All-Big 12 first team honors this season after hitting .315 with four home runs, 14 doubles and a team-leading 46 RBI and earned the ABCA Rawlings Gold Glove as top defensive first baseman in college baseball.
· Will Craig, Wake Forest University: A consensus All-American, Craig put together one of the best offensive seasons in program history. The sophomore hit .382 with 13 homers and 58 RBIs, starting all 53 games for the Demon Deacons. The ACC Player of the Year led the nation in RBIs, home runs, slugging percentage and total bases at different parts of the season.
· Colton Shaver, Brigham Young University: Shaver was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America team by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and to the West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team. He finished 2015 as the NCAA’s third-leading freshman home run hitter, leading the Cougars with 13 homers. He had multi-homer games five times this year.
· Jeff Campbell, University of North Dakota: Campbell recently finished an impressive collegiate career in which he slugged 32 career round-trippers – third-most in school history – including a Western Athletic Conference-leading 11 homers this season. He hit .365 with 48 RBI in his final campaign and was a First Team All-WAC selection in 2015.
Rules of Play
The College Home Run Derby includes three rounds of play: Round 1 featuring all contestants, Round 2 featuring the hitters with the top four scores after Round 1, and Round 3 featuring the top two sluggers after Round 2.
In each round, contestants will attempt to hit as many home runs as they can before logging 10 outs, or hits that do not result in a home run. Balls reaching the warning track will not count as an out, giving players another opportunity at bat. Additionally, following the tenth and final out of each at bat, contestants will have an opportunity to hit a home run with the “Bonus Ball.” If successful, the special ball will tack two additional home runs onto the contestant’s total score.
Individual tickets for the 2015 TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby & Omaha World-Herald Fireworks are $8 for children (ages 3-12), $12 for adults, or a ‘Family Four-Pack’ for $36. Tickets may be purchased in-person from the CenturyLink CenterOmaha box office, by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000, or online at Ticketmaster.com. Service fees will apply to those tickets purchased over the phone or online, but not to those purchased in-person. For groups of 20 or more, visit www.collegehomerunderby.com.
