One Last Hurrah for College Baseball at the 'Blatt

The UCLA Bruins match-up against the TCU Horned Frogs at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium for the 2010 College World Series. Photo by Andrea Ciurej.

University of South Carolina outfielder Whit Merrifield might have hit the game-winning, RBI single that sealed the 2010 NCAA College World Series Championship for the Gamecocks in game two against the UCLA Bruins. But, it certainly wasn't the last hurrah for college baseball at Omaha's diamond on the hill - Rosenblatt Stadium.

Seven of Division I's top hitters would take a walk on Rosenblatt's field for TD Ameritrade's first annual College Home Run Derby on June 7:

• Matt Leads, College of Charleston
• Dan Paolini, Siena College 
• Paul Hoilman, East Tennessee State University
• Matt Gaudet, Louisiana State University 
• Matt Skole, Georgia Tech University 
• Jordan Ribera, Fresno State University 
• Ricky Oropesa, University of Southern California

Joining them were National Baseball Hall-of-Famers Andre Dawson and Mike Schmidt, who served as honorary hitting coaches for the derby. Troy University's Steven Felix was selected to join the sluggers but didn't participate.

Andre Dawson autographed memorabilia for fans at the derby, including one of my baseballs. Photo by Andrea Ciurej.

The players were selected from a pool of the nation's top hitters of 2010. Those who participated faced off in a two-round, elimination-style format. Each player had 10 outs. Anything that stay in the ballpark was considered an out. The three players to hit the most homeruns in the first round moved on to the finals.

ETSU's Hoilman won the derby with 17 homeruns, hitting 12 of those in the second round. Ribera came in second place with four, while Skole finished in third.