Sports Editor

Dothan will be the site of the Eighth Annual Wiregrass Homerun Derby on Feb. 9, 2002.

The derby will be held at Westgate Park and hosted by Dothan’s American Legion Post 12 Baseball team.

Over 50 high schools will participate and featured guests of this year’s derby include Major League Baseball players Andruw Jones and Wes Helms of the Atlanta Braves, Mike Mordecai of the Montreal Expos, and former Dothan High, Auburn University, and current Toronto Blue Jays star Gabe Gross.

Past Major League players that have participated in the Wiregrass High School Homerun Derby include: Chipper Jones (Atlanta), Ryan Klesko (Atlanta), Mordecai, Dwight Smith (Atlanta), Tony Graffanino (Atlanta), Herbert Perry (Chicago White Sox), and Bubba Trammell (San Diego).

A Houston County High School player has won the derby the last three years in a row. Last year Adam Tucker took first place honors as he did also in 2000. Jonathan Adams won it in 1999.

Troy State baseball player Drew Miller won the derby in 1998 when he played for G. W. Long. David Hussey of Enterprise was the winner in 1997 and Shawn McCorkel was a back-to-back winner for Northview High School in 1995-96.

Tickets will be available the day of the event at the Northcutt Field gate. There will be an autograph signing from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. A Major League hitting exhibition will start at 4:30 p.m., followed by the homerun derby finals.