Home 2009 Season Coverage2009 Top Players USA Baseball adds 14 names to National (Collegiate) Team Trials Roster

USA Baseball adds 14 names to National (Collegiate) Team Trials Roster

by Brian Foley
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FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
USA Baseball Logo(DURHAM, N.C.) – USA Baseball announced Tuesday its second round of invitations for the 2008 National Team Trials held June 11-23 throughout the northeast and southeast United States. This 14-member list is comprised of nine sophomores and five freshmen, joining the 12-member initial invitee list announced earlier this month. In all, 32 players will be invited to the National Team Trials with 22 of those players being selected for the National Team roster which will be announced on June 24.

“This second wave of accepted invitations to the 2008 National Team Trials only further illustrates the high level of talent that will join USA Baseball this summer,” National Team General Manager Eric Campbell said. “We once again thank both the athletes and their universities for their commitment.”

Included in the list are 2007 National Team members Ryan Berry (RHP, Rice) and Tommy Medica (C/RF, Santa Clara). Berry has solidified Rice’s Friday-night starters spot this season with a 7-4 record and a 3.10 ERA. The first-team All-CUSA pick leads the conference in ERA and strikeouts (80). Medica posted a .342 batting average this season with six home runs, 44 RBI, 15 doubles and 29 walks against only 17 strikeouts in 55 games.

Other sophomores on the list are Dustin Ackley (LF/1B, North Carolina), Ryan Jackson (SS, Miami-FL), Ryan Ortiz (C/1B, Oregon State), Josh Phegley (C/1B, Indiana), Kyle Seager (IF, North Carolina), Stephen Strasburg (RHP, San Diego State), and Kendal Volz (RHP, Baylor).

The five freshmen invitees are Derek Dietrich (SS/RHP, Georgia Tech), Drew Pomeranz (LHP, Mississippi), Brooks Raley (LHP/OF, Texas A&M), Kevin Rhoderick (RHP, Oregon State), and Chance Ruffin (RHP, Texas).

Ackley, Davis (first-wave invitee) and Strasburg are semifinalists for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the nation’s top amateur player, and Strasburg is among the 10 semifinalists for the 2008 Clemens Award, given to the nation’s top collegiate pitcher. Strasburg (4th) and Volz (19th) both rank among the national leaders in strikeouts per nine innings. Seager ranks fourth nationally with 26 doubles.

USA Baseball’s 2008 National Team schedule includes a six-game friendship series against Chinese Taipei and a month-long trip to Europe where the team will compete in the Haarlem Baseball Week in the Netherlands and the IV FISU World Collegiate Baseball Championship in the Czech Republic.

Listed below is the 2008 National Team Trials Roster to date:

Name

Pos.

B/T

Cl.

School

Hometown

Dustin Ackley

LF/1B

L/R

So.

North Carolina

Walnut Grove, N.C.

Ryan Berry

RHP

R/R

So.

Rice

Humble, Texas

Christian Colon

INF

R/R

Fr.

Cal State Fullerton

Corora, Calif.

Kentrail Davis

OF

L/R

Fr.

Tennessee

Theodore, Ala.

Derek Dietrich

SS/RHP

L/R

Fr.

Georgia Tech

Parma, Ohio

Josh Fellhauer

OF

L/L

So.

Cal State Fullerton

Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

Kyle Gibson

RHP

R/R

So.

Missouri

Greenfield, Ind.

AJ Griffin

RHP

R/R

So.

San Diego

El Cajon, Calif.

Ryan Jackson

SS

R/R

So.

Miami-FL

Miami Springs, Fla.

Mike Leake

RHP/UTL

R/R

So.

Arizona State

Fallbrook, Calif.

Tommy Medica

C/RF

R/R

So.

Santa Clara

San Jose, Calif.

Mike Minor

LHP

L/L

So.

Vanderbilt

Chapel Hill, Tenn.

Bryan Morgado

LHP

L/L

R-Fr.

Tennessee

Miami, Fla.

Hunter Morris

1B

L/R

Fr.

Auburn

Huntsville, Ala.

Andrew Oliver

LHP

L/L

So.

Oklahoma State

Vermillion, Okla.

Ryan Ortiz

C/1B

R/R

So.

Oregon State

San Diego, Calif.

Josh Phegley

C/1B

R/R

So.

Indiana

Terre Haute, Ind.

Drew Pomeranz

LHP

L/L

Fr.

Mississippi

Collierville, Tenn.

Brooks Raley

LHP/OF

L/L

Fr.

Texas A&M

Uvalde, Texas

Kevin Rhoderick

RHP

R/R

Fr.

Oregon State

Scottsdale, Ariz.

Chance Ruffin

RHP

R/R

Fr.

Texas

Austin, Texas

Kyle Seager

IF

L/R

So.

North Carolina

Kannapolis, N.C.

Aaron Senne

OF

L/L

So.

Missouri

Rochester, Minn.

Jason Stoffel

RHP

R/R

So.

Arizona

Agoura, Calif.

Stephen Strasburg

RHP

R/R

So.

San Diego State

San Diego, Calif.

Kendal Volz

RHP

R/R

So.

Baylor

Bulverde, Texas

(Bold = USA Baseball National Team alumnus; Italics = second round invitation)

The 2008 USA Baseball National Team will be led by Oral Roberts University head coach Rob Walton, who served as an assistant coach for the 2005 National Team. Walton is joined on the 2008 staff by pitching coach Jerry Meyers (head coach, Old Dominion University), assistant coach Nino Giarratano (head coach, University of San Francisco), and assistant coach Ritch Price (head coach, University of Kansas).

USA Baseball is the National Governing Body of amateur baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The organization selects and trains the United States Olympic Baseball Team (and all other USA Baseball Professional Teams); the USA Baseball National Team (collegiate); the USA Baseball 18U, 16U and 14U National Teams; and the USA Baseball Women’s National Team, all of which participate in various international competitions each year. For more information on USA Baseball please visit usabaseball.com.

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