GARY, Ind. — Forty-three teams from Northwest Indiana and the surrounding areas will play 22 games during the eighth annual High School Challenge presented by Saint Anthony Sports Medicine Institute this spring at the home of the Gary SouthShore RailCats, U. S. Steel Yard, it was announced today at the event’s annual Media Day.

Over 100 players, coaches and administrators joined media members and the RailCats front office staff Thursday afternoon in the suite level of U. S. Steel Yard to set the stage for the ever-growing event with a catered lunch, ballpark tours and several keynote addresses.  The 2010 High School Challenge begins play on Friday, April 9, and for the second straight season games will be held primarily on Fridays and Saturdays.

Highlights for the 2010 High School Challenge include the first ever Porter County Conference Day (April 17) and Duneland Athletic Conference Day (April 24), with those leagues coming together for a Saturday filled with important intra-conference clashes and a celebration of those league’s athletic and academic achievers.  Other key matchups include the defending 3A Indiana State Champion Andrean 59ers taking on Illinois power Marian Catholic, Wednesday, April 21 and annual rivalry games Hammond Clark vs. Portage (April 16), Whiting vs. Griffith (April 23) and TF North vs. TF South (April 30).

The 2009 High School Challenge attracted an all-time record 7,342 fans to U. S. Steel Yard, and tickets can be purchased for the 2010 Challenge through participating schools for $3.  Gameday tickets will also be available at The Steel Yard Box Office, but the price will go up to $5/ticket.  Select games will also broadcast on a variety of media entities throughout Northwest Indiana, and brief game recaps along with a complete scoreboard will be available at www.railcatsbaseball.com.

The RailCats have hosted the High School Challenge each year since the ballpark opened, and in fact the first game ever played at U. S. Steel Yard was a high school game in 2003.  To request High School Challenge credentials or broadcast positions, contact Andy Viano at 219.882.2255 or aviano@railcatsbaseball.com.

Saint Anthony Sports Medicine Institute in Crown Point is proud to be the presenting sponsor of this year’s High School Challenge.  SMI is part of the Saint Anthony Medical Center, located in Crown Point, and helps athletes maximize their performance, treat injuries and help prevent new injuries from occurring.  The Medical Director of the Sports Medicine Institute is Dr. Keith Pitchford, D.O., who is also the RailCats team physician.  For more information on Saint Anthony SMI, call 219.662.5266 or visit www.stanthonymedicalcenter.com/.

The RailCats open the 2010 Northern League season Thursday, May 20 at 7 p.m. against the Kansas City T-Bones inside U. S. Steel Yard.  For ticket information, a complete 100-game schedule, updated promotions and more, contact the RailCats at 219.882.2255 or visit www.railcatsbaseball.com.