Lake Elsinore Storm to host Home Run Derby on USS Midway

The USS Midway Museum has hosted its share of events in recent years, including a nationally broadcast basketball matchup between the San Diego State Aztecs and the Syracuse Orange in 2012. But this summer it will be home to an unprecedented event: A home run derby. The Lake Elsinore Storm are hosting the Midway Classic on June 20, when the biggest bats of the California and Carolina Leagues will face off as they launch leather-clad bombs into the San Diego Bay.

The Padres' high-A affiliate is hosting the California/Carolina League All-Star Game on June 21, and this event will serve as the prelude to their matchup. Details on exactly how home runs will be counted are sparse, but the club has released some information on the location of home plate and ball retrieval.

Home plate for the competing hitters will be located approximately 250 feet from the bow of the ship, and the hitters are expected to hit an estimated total of 150 balls into San Diego Bay.

The balls landing in the bay will be retrieved by volunteers on jet skis, standup paddleboards and kayaks who are stationed in the landing zone. The volunteers include teens who are benefactors of Outdoor Outreach, a local non-profit that provides water-based recreation opportunities to youth in underserved neighborhoods in the San Diego and South Bay areas.

For those interested in attending, VIP tickets are on sale via the Storm right now, with general admission tickets available at a later date.