Hugo, Halstead, Piancastelli Join Major League Baseball’s “Home Run Derby X” Tour

Former college softball stars Alex Hugo, Paige Halstead, and Erika Piancastelli will take part in a newly-announced international event put on by Major League Baseball.

Hugo, Halstead, and Piancastelli are among the participants in MLB’s “Home Run Derby X” tour that will include bracket-style competition events held in London, Seoul, and Mexico City later this year.

As college softball players, Hugo finished her stellar career as a Georgia Bulldog, while Halstead was the starting catcher at UCLA and Piancastelli enjoyed a stellar career at McNeese State. Hugo went on to play professionally for the Akron Racers, while Halstead and Piancastelli have both played for Athletes Unlimited. Piancastelli also led the Italian national team in last year’s Tokyo Olympics.

The Home Run Derby X event is headlined by four former MLB sluggers, each of which will headline a team that “represents” one of the four most storied MLB franchises – the Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs, and Dodgers. Each team will include a former MLB star, a softball or women’s baseball star, a player from the region’s local development system, and a fourth member described as an “influential content creator”.

For the Home Run Derby X events, both the batter’s box and the pitcher’s mound will be elevated on a stage and podium, respectively. Hitters will see a maximum of 35 pitches in a round – they can swing at 25 and take up to 10 pitches. In addition to hitting home runs as in a stereotypical Home Run Derby, there’s also a skills-challenge aspect of the X events; the hitters can earn points for hitting targets within the field of play and in specific places over the fence. Teams not batting will also have the opportunity to record outs on balls hit to the outfield, with the defensive element also earning points.

Hugo will play for the Cubs in the Home Run Derby X events, joining the team led by former Cubs catcher Geovany Soto. Halstead will hit for the Red Sox, a team led by former slugger Jonny Gomes, and Piancastelli is on the Yankees team that is led by former MLB star Nick Swisher.

Home Run Derby X events will be held in London on July 9th; Seoul, South Korea on September 17th; and in Mexico City on October 15th.