Lake Elsinore Announces Midway Classic

The Lake Elsinore Storm, hosts of this year’s California-Carolina League all-star game, announced on Monday the debut of the Midway Classic. The event takes the traditional all-star home run derby and moves it on to the deck of the USS Midway, a decommissioned  aircraft carrier docked in San Diego as part of the USS Midway Museum.

Four players from each league will take 15 swings per round, with the winner advancing to the second round. Ties will be broken with five additional swings. Home plate will be stationed approximately 250 feet from the ship’s bow and a total, of up to 150 balls will be hit off the deck of the Midway and into the bay off San Diego.

There, the balls will be fished out by a team of volunteers–some of whom will be from local charity Outdoor Outreach–on jet skis, paddleboards, and stand-up paddles.

After four intraleague rounds and two intraleague semifinals, the two league champions will face one another in the finals.

The South Atlantic League held a similar event in 2012, when the first round of its home run derby was held on the deck of the USS Yorktown. The final round was held the next day at the Riverdogs’ home of Joseph P. Riley Park.

The event will be held on Monday, June 20, a day prior to the all-star game at The Diamond in Lake Elsinore.