GARY, Ind. — The Gary SouthShore RailCats Second Annual Fan Fest is less than 48 hours away, and as the countdown presses on the ‘Cats have even more reasons to make sure you’ve got a ticket to see the biggest winter baseball event in Northwest Indiana.

Discount presale tickets to the Fan Fest are on sale only through 3 p.m. Friday, with prices going up $5 at the Radisson Hotel door Saturday morning.  Presale prices are $20 for adults and $10 for 2010 season ticket holders and kids (age 12 and under), and include an all-day pass to Fan Fest, a  ticket to Opening Day, Thursday, May 20 at 7 p.m. at U. S. Steel Yard and a commemorative Fan Fest program and poster (first 1,000 fans only).  The first 500 adults will also snare a Fan Fest t-shirt and the first 500 kids pick up a logo baseball.

In recent days, the RailCats have announced the complete lineup of guests including former major league standouts Wallace Johnson and Tommy John.  Current and former RailCats stars in attendance will include Willie Glen, Tanner Townsend, Jay Pecci, Steve Haake and Tony Cogan as part of a group of 16 players, coaches and administrators who’ve served the team since its inception in 2002.

The RailCats will also hold a special broadcasting contest – the RailCats Radio Challenge – at Fan Fest, with two dozen fans given the opportunity to call a three minute segment of RailCats baseball.  One winner will earn a fantasy radio experience that includes three innings of play-by-play at a game this summer and a shift co-hosting a sports talk show on 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore, the RailCats flagship station.

But there’s still more planned for RailCats fans to get excited about in the hours leading to Saturday’s Fan Fest:

• A special edition of Inside RailCats Baseball, the team’s official television show, will air tonight, Thursday, February 18 at 6:30 p.m. on Lakeshore Public Television.  The show will feature interviews with RailCats Owner/CEO Pat Salvi and Manager Greg Tagert, along with an in-depth Fan Fest preview and a look at life in the offseason at The Steel Yard.  Lakeshore Public Television is available on channels 17 & 21 on Comcast throughout Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, and on channel 56 on DirecTV and Dish Network.
  
  
• The ‘Cats 2010 roster has begun to take shape, but the team will make two major signings during the Fan Fest Closing Ceremonies at 3 p.m.  Last year, the RailCats re-signed Pecci and Eric McNamee at Fan Fest, and this season the moves are even bigger.  So fans are encouraged to stick around until the Closing Ceremonies for two moves that are sure to make waves.
  
  
• The RailCats will host silent auctions during Saturday’s Fan Fest, with five great prize packages available.  Auction items include a Chicago Blackhawks pack (with game tickets and signed memorabilia), a Chicago Bulls package (with game tickets), a Notre Dame Football pack (with tickets to the September 4 game vs. Purdue) and two RailCats-themed packages that include things like the chance to sit in the ‘Cats dugout during a game and the chance to taking batting practice off Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins.
  
  
• Attention youth baseball and softball players: any kids wearing their team’s baseball or softball jersey to Fan Fest Saturday can get a $5 Ticket at the door.  Only kids tickets are available at the discount price, and only to those wearing a youth baseball/softball jersey (no RailCats jerseys allowed!)

For complete Fan Fest information – including a schedule of events – and to order presale tickets today, call the RailCats at 219.882.2255 or log on to the team’s official website at www.railcatsbaseball.com.  Doors will open at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Radisson Hotel in Merrillville, with Fan Fest scheduled to wrap up at 3:30 p.m.