Feb. 5, 2010

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The 12th-ranked University of Miami baseball team will hold its fourth annual Hurricanes Baseball FanFest on Saturday, Feb. 13 at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. The event, which is free to the public and scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m., is headlined by a home run derby featuring former `Canes Ryan Braun and Yonder Alonso, against current student-athletes Yasmani Grandal and Ryan Perry.

An autograph session with the 2010 Hurricanes will kick off the event at approximately 3:45 p.m., while a season ticket holder batting practice is slated for 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. After a home run challenge involving a lucky fan at about 5:20 p.m., Braun - an All-Star with the Milwaukee Brewers - and Alonso - a top prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization - will battle preseason All-America catcher Grandal and teammate Perry in a four-man home run derby at 5:35 p.m.

The event will culminate with the most anticipated alumni game in program history, as numerous former `Canes are expected to return to play against the 2010 squad. In addition to Braun and Alonso, Cesar Carrillo, Jon Jay, Chris Perez, Carlos Gutierrez and Kyle Bellamy are just a few of the names expected to play in the game which is slated to start at 6:20 p.m.

In addition to the FanFest and alumni game, the weekend will also feature the team's preseason banquet on Friday, Feb. 12 at the Marriott Miami Biscayne Bay on 1633 N. Bayshore Drive in downtown Miami and the team's golf tournament at Deering Bay Yacht & Country Club in Coral Gables on Monday. In addition to participating in the events on Saturday, Braun will also be the guest speaker at the banquet Friday night.

Fans who have yet to purchase season tickets for the 2010 season or season ticket holders who would like to relocate their seats will have an opportunity to do so during a Select-A-Seat event throughout the FanFest. Available seats will be tagged and once seats are selected, fans can checkout at the stadium's box office at the front entrance to the park.

Fans can enjoy several interactive areas throughout the park at Saturday's FanFest, including our slide & t-ball inflatables, pony rides, face painting, balloon art, caricature artist, home run challenge, home run derby and more.

For more information on the FanFest or to order tickets for the 2010 season, call 1-800-GO-CANES or visit www.hurricanesports.com. For more information on the banquet and golf tournament, call 305-284-4171.