HOUSTON, TX - Tickets for the 17th annual Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic, which will be held from March 3-5, 2017, will go on sale on Monday at 9 a.m. CT. The three-day, six-team, nine-game tournament, which is held at Minute Maid Park every spring, will feature six premier programs from the Big 12 and SEC conferences.
The 2017 field could be the strongest lineup in tournament history, as it featured five teams that finished ranked in the top 25 in the USA Today Coaches final 2016 poll. The 2017 Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic will include TCU (#3), Texas Tech (#6), Texas A&M (#9), LSU (#12), Ole Miss (#18) and Baylor.
The 2017 field is composed of five teams that hosted 2016 NCAA Regionals, in fact four of the teams advanced to Super Regionals in TCU, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and LSU. Additionally, TCU and Texas Tech both advanced to the College World Series.
Historically, the College Classic has hosted the No. 1 team in preseason polls six times in tournament history and has hosted two eventual College World Series Champions. Several current Major League players have played in the Classic, including Alex Bregman, David Price, Michael Bourn, Gerrit Cole, Mike Leake and Anthony Rendon, to name a few.
Tomorrow, adult and youth daily tickets and three-day tournament passes will be made available for purchase online at www.Astros.com/CollegeClassic. Fans can purchase premium tickets or group tickets, for groups of 20 or more, by calling 713-259-8030. Daily tickets purchased in advance are available for $19 for adults and $14 for youth (ages 14 and under). Three-day tournament passes can be purchased for $42 for adults and $24 for youth. Select parking in the Astros controlled lots will be sold for $20 (Diamond Lot) and $10 (Lot A).
For interest in hosting a special event at the ballpark over the weekend, please call 713-259-8800. Student tickets will also be available for the tournament, but will only be sold once the box office opens in January.
This year marks the second straight year that the tournament will carry the name the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic, which was set forth by a multi-year naming rights agreement between the Astros Foundation and Shriners Hospitals for Children®. The Astros Foundation will continue to operate the tournament and will donate $1 from the sale of each ticket directly to Shriners Hospitals as well as provide other fundraising and awareness opportunities.
"This event provides us with a wonderful platform to share our story of having changed the lives of more than 1.3 million children," said Chris Smith, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Shriners Hospitals for Children. "We are grateful for the Astros Foundation and some of the country's premier collegiate baseball programs for joining us in our mission of providing world class care to children, regardless of their families' ability to pay."
The tournament's television schedule will be announced at a later date.
For more information about the tournament, please visit Astros.com/CollegeClassic.
About the Houston Astros Foundation
The Astros Foundation (TAF) is the official 501(c)(3) team charity of the Houston Astros. TAF seeks to harness the passion of baseball fans to support youth baseball and softball programs serving at risk children and teens. Our cornerstone initiatives include the Community Leaders program, the Astros Urban Youth Academy and the Astros RBI Program (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities).
About Shriners Hospitals for Children
Shriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. Our 22 locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, provide advanced care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate regardless of the families' ability to pay. Shriners Hospitals for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. Learn more at ShrinersHospitalsforChildren.org. 

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