"Hit the Pros 2003 is the only online sports game that allows fans to experience what it's like to hit against the best pitchers in the league minutes after the actual pitch is thrown. It's the ideal tie-in to our baseball broadcasts," said Ross Levinsohn, senior vice president and general manager of FOXSports.com. "With the addition of weekly and grand prize tournaments and the partnership with CaP CURE, Hit the Pros 2003 builds on the success of Hit the Pros 2001 & 2002 and takes online sports games to an entirely new level."

"We're excited to team with FOXSports.com for the third year of Hit the Pros with a new version that pushes the envelope of online sports games even further by taking advantage of our Web Driver platform to deliver the highest quality graphics and game play available in a Web-based online sports game," said Dave Madden, executive vice president of sales and marketing, WildTangent. "Hit the Pros 2003 offers a totally unique experience for baseball fans giving FOXSports a valuable franchise with an audience that will grow year after year."

Just as in the 2002 version, Hit the Pros 2003 gives online players the opportunity to bat against actual pitches thrown during real games throughout the season by big league pitchers including Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling. The actual pitch telemetry data is captured at the ballpark and then fed directly into Hit the Pros 2003 -- giving fans an awesome array of real pitches to hit against. New in 2003 are grand prize tournaments where fans can win a trip to Los Angeles to bat against Cy Young Award winner Dennis Eckersley and weekly global tournaments with prizes including various autographed baseballs and McFarlane's Sports Picks figurines. Other new features include enhanced graphics, bonus scoring modes, improved game physics and a brand new website. Proceeds from the sale of Hit the Pros 2003 will benefit CaP CURE.

Cameras strategically positioned around Major League stadiums capture pitch data live, and the telemetry data, captured by QuesTec, Inc., is compiled and translated for the online game. The pitch information is updated immediately so that online players can challenge pitchers who played that same day, as quickly as 30 minutes after the actual game concludes. This same technology has been used to demonstrate pitch location during FOXSports telecasts of Major League games, giving Hit the Pros 2003 the flavor of FOXSports baseball and the look and feel of real telecasts.

With Hit the Pros 2003 fans can:

Hit against actual pitches thrown by major leaguers and recorded by in-game cameras in all Major League ballparks.
Pick their hitters and pitchers from among real major league players including Randy Johnson, Ichiro Suzuki, Barry Bonds and many more thanks to an agreement between FOXSports.com and the Major League Baseball Players Association.
Use the batter's current real-life statistics. Streaks and slumps will help determine how they will perform in the online game. This allows players to build in strategy to outsmart and outplay competitors using statistics and performance.
Choose from among the detailed high definition graphic replicas of all 30 Major League ballparks.
Test their skills against other players from around the world in global tournaments. Grand Prize tournament players can win a trip to Los Angeles to hit against Cy Young Award Winning pitcher Dennis Eckersley in Los Angeles or a chance to appear on FOXSports' Best Damn Sports Show Period hosted by Tom Arnold. Daily tournament prizes include the popular McFarlane's Sports Picks figurines and various autographed baseballs.
Send email challenges to friends or challenge other Hit the Pros 2003 players.

Hit the Pros 2003 is available now for $19.95 for the entire baseball season at www.hitthepros.com and www.foxsports.com.