Jackets' Skole to compete in College Home Run Derby

OMAHA, NEBRASKA -- Georgia Tech sophomore Matt Skole is one of eight collegiate baseball sluggers who will compete in the inaugural TD AMERITRADE College Home Run Derby at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium on Wednesday.

CBS will air the event nationwide on Sunday, July 11 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT.

The collegiate home run hitting competition will feature eight of the nation's premier power hitters facing off in an elimination-style format. Competitors were selected from a pool of eligible players that have ranked among the nation's home run leaders during the 2010 college baseball season.

Fresno State's Jordan Ribera and Siena's Dan Paolini top the list of sluggers who will compete in the inaugural Wednesday at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium. Ribera led the nation with 27 regular-season home runs, and Paolini hit 26. Joining them will be LSU's Matt Gaudet, and Troy University's Steven Felix.

Skole belted 20 home runs during the 2010 season, becoming just the 12th player in Georgia Tech history to hit 20 home runs in a season. The Tech third baseman helped the Yellow Jackets to a school-record 122 round-trippers, and was named to the All-ACC First Team after hitting .335 with 63 RBI.

His 20 home runs ranked in the top-25 in the nation, and tied for the third-most in the ACC. In just two seasons on the Flats, Skole has amassed 37 home runs -- tying for the 11th most on the school's all-time list.

Georgia Tech assistant coach Bryan Prince will serve as Skole's pitcher.

"This is a bittersweet year for college baseball as we say good-bye to Rosenblatt Stadium," said Fred Tomczyk, president and chief executive officer of TD AMERITRADE. "As a long-time member of the Omaha corporate community, we want to give Omaha families and college baseball fans one more chance to enjoy the sport from inside this historic landmark and hopefully start a new annual tradition that we can look forward to for years to come at TD AMERITRADE Park Omaha."

The rest of the eight-man field hasn't been announced.

Hall-of-Famers Mike Schmidt and Andre Dawson will serve as honorary hitting coaches for derby participants.