GARY, IN 1-18-2011 – The Gary SouthShore RailCats Ambassador Tanner Townsend will join fellow Tenth Anniversary Team Finalist and 2010 teammate Mike Rohde at the third-annual RailCats Fan Fest, Saturday, February 5 at the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza in Merrillville.

Discount presale tickets for Fan Fest are on sale now at $15 for adults and $10 for 2010 season ticket holders and kids (age 12 and under). Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.railcatsbaseball.com, calling 219.882.2255 or visiting the RailCats offices at U. S. Steel Yard during regular business hours.

Ticket prices will go up on the day of the event, so buy now to get the best available price!

A ticket to Fan Fest not only includes an all-day pass to hours of baseball fun and excitement in the midst of the coldest month of the year, it also includes great bonus gifts! The first 1,000 fans through the Radisson doors on February 20 will collect a free Fan Fest poster and program along with a ticket to Opening Day, Friday, May 20 at U. S. Steel Yard.  In addition, the first 500 adults and first 300 kids through the door will also receive a commemorative t-shirt.

Townsend, the only RailCats player to receive the Northern League Player of the Year Award, has been a staple of the Greg Tagert led RailCats squads. Over his five year career with the ‘Cats, the Kentucky native helped bring two Northern League Championships home to Gary. A .282 hitter with the RailCats, Townsend is in the top five in RailCats history in seemingly every offensive stat category including the RailCats single season record with a sparkling .371 batting average. An All-Sun Belt Conference pick at Western Kentucky University, Townsend joined the San Diego Padres organization as an undrafted free agent before joining Tagert in the independent ranks.

Rohde, the first RailCat to win Northern League Rookie of the Year honors, has been the consummate RailCat on and off the field over the last three seasons. A former All-Big Ten star at the University of Illinois, Rohde hit .319 in a sensational 2008 season, landing the left-hand swinging star his rookie of the year award and helping anchor the best offense in RailCats history.  The Wisconsin native hasn’t slowed down since then either, with his .293 lifetime average second behind only Mike Massaro in team history and his 57 doubles and 126 RBI also ranking among the career leaders.  Rohde’s been a tough guy to take out of the lineup, too, playing in 270 of a possible 292 regular season games in his three seasons and helping the ‘Cats to three straight playoff berths.

Townsend and Rohde join Tony Cogan and Travis Kerber as confirmed guests at the 2011 Fan Fest. All will be available for autographs, answering your questions and helping out at baseball clinics throughout the day. For more information on Fan Fest, visit www.railcatsbaseball.com or call 219.882.2255.

The Radisson Hotel is located at the intersection of I-65 and US-30 in Merrillville and is adjacent to the Star Plaza Theater, The Region’s foremost indoor entertainment venue.  For more information on the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza, visit www.radisson.com/merrillvillein.