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OMAHA, Neb. - Virginia Tech rising redshirt-junior Tyler Horan, along with seven of the nation’s other power hitters, will compete in the third annual TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby, presented by Miller High Life and hosted at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha on Tuesday, July 3 at 8:30 p.m. CBS will televise the event nationwide on Saturday, July 7 at 2 p.m. and it will air again on CBS in August.

Horan hit 15 home runs during the 2012 season, which was second in the conference at the end of the regular season, and third after postseason play, and his seven home runs hit in ACC-only action was tied for third. Nationally, Horan finished 17th in home runs per game (0.28), but was fifth among underclassmen and third among sophomores, while he was 22nd in overall home runs, seventh among underclassmen and fourth among sophomores.

With his invitation to the event, it will mark the second straight year that a Virginia Tech Hokie has competed in this prestigious event, as rising redshirt-senior Andrew Rash competed in the 2011 Home Run Derby and finished in a tie for fifth.

“I feel honored to have been recognized as one of the top power hitters in the nation and given the chance to represent Virginia Tech and our baseball team at the TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha for the College Home Run Derby,” Horan said. “It means a lot to be able to keep this small tradition, following Andrew Rash from last year, of Virginia Tech representatives in the Home Run Derby. He represented the school well last year and I expect to do the same. This is a unique, once in a lifetime experience that I will remember forever.”

The field is packed with home-run hitters, which includes the 2011 TD Ameritrade Home Run Derby champion from the College of Charleston, redshirt-sophomore Daniel Aldrich, who hit 11 long balls this year. The ACC is well represented as sophomore Daniel Palka of Georgia Tech (12) and Virginia freshman Derek Fisher (7) have also received invites. South Carolina’ junior LB Dantzler (10), Tennessee Teach sophomore Zach Stephens (18), LSU junior Mason Katz (13) and Fresno State sophomore Aaron Judge (4) round out the eight sluggers in the field.

The Derby will also feature former Major League Baseball and National Football League legend Bo Jackson, who will serve as the honorary hitting coach for the participants.

The event is taking place before the Omaha World-Herald’s 28th annual fireworks display, which includes some of the largest displays in Omaha and throughout the Midwest during the Independence Day holiday.

For more information on the event, please visit www.collegehomerunderby.com and to see some of the rules changes for the derby, please visit http://tinyurl.com/cng9ma2.

For updates on Virginia Tech baseball, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Baseball).