FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – Some baseball and softball stars will be in Summit City this weekend as officials at Parkview Field prepare for the big Home Run Derby X.

“We’ve been preparing since February when they called me and said we might want to come to Fort Wayne,” says TinCaps President Mike Nutter.

And after months of work, the big day is finally here. “Everyone is here! Major League Baseball brought a group of over 100 people with them, they started moving in on Monday night and will be with us all week,” says Nutter.

Nutter says they welcome guests from all over. He says: “The main team that runs the whole thing is based in Major League Baseball’s London office. We have people from San Francisco, lots from New York and Miami.”

Even though these visitors come from different places, they have one thing in common. Nutter explains, “Everyone says, ‘What a great little town!’ I tell everyone all the time, we’re the second biggest city in the state and the food and atmosphere is amazing, they love it. They keep saying everyone is so friendly.”

These aren’t the only special guests. MLB greats like Jake Arrieta and Nick Swisher, as well as softball stars like Jocelyn Alo and Alex Hugo are just a few names you can expect to see.

Parkview Field is the only non-Triple-A stadium on this year’s schedule. Nutter says, “The other three are big Triple-A cities, Nashville, Albuquerque, Raleigh-Durham. So for us, it’s really great that we get it.”

And he says he and his team are thrilled to be a part of it. Nutter says, “We’re on the map with the big guys and girls across the country, and that’s an honor for us.”

All rights reserved.