You go to a USA Baseball national team identification event. You play your best. You get noticed. You get invited to the chance of a lifetime: An opportunity to represent your country as a player on the USA Baseball national team.
That's the common path for a player.
But what about the coaches for the USA Baseball national teams? A coach cannot go 8-for-19 with three home runs over the course of a weekend tournament. So, what do they do? What is their path? How do you become a coach for USA Baseball?
It is a question we get asked a lot.
The answer: Honestly, there is no "path" for the best coaches in the country to carefully weave through, marking off accomplishments from a cultivated list in order to get closer to their coaching dreams. The answer is more complex than that. There are any number of ways someone with the right heart, attitude and abilities can end up wearing U-S-A across their chest and, hopefully, a gold medal around their neck.
For proof of this, look no further than the 2018 15U World Cup champion coaching staff. Four men with wildly different paths to our coaching ranks found themselves all sharing a medal stand in Panama.
The Alum With Unfinished Business: Assistant Coach Manny Crespo
In 1984, USA Baseball won silver at the Los Angeles Olympic Games and that team was led by a southern California native, Mark McGwire. In 1984, Manny Crespo was five years old. He still remembers the baseball card of a young Mark McGwire sporting a USA-branded hat and jersey that put USA Baseball into the consciousness of young Manny and many others.
Nine years later, a then 14-year-old Manny was invited to try out for Team USA, just like the athletes he watched on the field during the Olympics in L.A., but fate would not favor Manny during his first tryout.
"A couple days into Trials, I caught a line drive off my leg, and that pretty much eliminated me for that year," Manny remembered. "But I got another shot. And in 1997 I made the team."
He was drafted in the 12th round of the 1997 MLB Draft after his senior season at Westminster Christian, but elected to forego his immediate professional opportunity to instead attend the University of Miami.
In the Fall of 1997, Manny was selected to the 18U National Team. He played in five of the six games at the Junior World Championships, where he batted .365 and hit a pair of home runs. But, the team had to settle for a bronze medal.
The following school year, Manny headed to campus to play for the University of Miami where he enjoyed a decorated career where he was Freshman of the Year and a two-time All-American. And in 1999, he achieved another career milestone as the Hurricanes won the College World Series. Manny was named to the All-Tournament Team.
But the College World Series celebration was short-lived, because the next morning Manny was on a plane to join his new teammates on the 1999 Collegiate National Team.
Another year, a new team, similar results for Manny. He batted .320 with a pair of homers over 17 games with Team USA. But with no World Cup that season, a gold medal still eluded him.
1999 would be Manny's last season representing USA Baseball on the field as a player, but, according to Manny, "Once you're a USA guy, you're always a USA guy."
Over the next ten years, life happened to Manny Crespo. After a few minor league seasons, he left the game of baseball and became a teacher. Baseball was no longer a part of his professional life, until 2009 when another Hurricanes baseball alum asked Manny to help out coaching baseball at Gulliver Prep.
That Gulliver Prep head coach was Javy Rodriguez, and Manny joined his staff as an assistant. But Javy had a side gig as well. He had been working on the task force at the USA Baseball National Team Championships for a few years.
By 2014, Manny had been coaching alongside Javy for five years, all the while hearing stories of the talent he had seen while coaching at USA Baseball events. Already familiar with the organization, Manny decided he wanted an opportunity to return USA Baseball, and give back some of the lessons he learned, so he joined Javy to help out at the National Team Championships in 2014.
"I never won gold as a player, so in the back of my mind I think it was always there. I always wanted to come back. And I was happy to give back to an organization that provided so much for me," said Manny.
Back in the fold with USA Baseball, Manny was hooked again.
After helping out at the National Team Championships, Manny made it clear he wanted to help with any event or team that his help was needed. Over the next couple of years, he returned to the National Team Championships and also helped out at the National Team Identification Series (NTIS).
His next step up the ladder came in 2016 when USA Baseball Senior Director of Baseball Operations Ashley Bratcher needed an extra coach at the Women's National Team Trials, preferably one with catching experience.
Manny was the fit.
"Having been a player himself, Manny knew what it took to play for Team USA and the honor associated with getting to wear the uniform," recalled Bratcher "He is as passionate about the experience as anyone. He wanted to help players not just realize their dream of playing for Team USA, but to see them win for their country.
"He didn't care if they were women, 15-year-olds or professional athletes."
"That experience…" Manny said. "I would recommend it to anybody."
Getting on the field and coaching this group of women as they worked to get selected to the USA Baseball Women's National Team put Manny in an even smaller tier of coaches aiming to be a USA Baseball coach. He was on the short list of possible national team coaches and his willingness to coach any age group and any team only increased his odds to put that USA jersey on again and go for the gold medal he just missed out on as a player.
In preparation for the 2017 USA Baseball season, the baseball operations staff was putting together collections of coaches that made sense for each age group. The 14U National Team Development Program prospects looked to be immensely talented, good enough to challenge for a first World Cup title for the 15U National Team the following year.
So, who would be given the reigns to help groom these boys at age 14 towards a possible World Cup showing the following year? Manny Crespo was one of those coaches selected to coach at the 14U NTDP that season.
"Manny is a player's coach, it is as simple as that. He brings an successful baseball background to the field that athletes of any age can relate to. His selection to that coaching staff was a no-brainer," said Bratcher.
Throughout that 2017 14U NTDP, relationships were built with his fellow coaches, trust was established and players' talents flourished. And heading into the 2018 season and the U-15 Baseball World Cup, Manny was ultimately one of four coaches selected to lead the 15U National Team and go to Panama, once again putting him in the grasp of winning a gold medal.
"I was in Panama, the birthplace of my mother, playing against Panama for the World Championship," Manny remembered. "That's when it got surreal."
The 15U National Team in 2018 had a motto: Leave no doubt. And the team did just that. The team outscored their opponents 88-13 over nine games, bringing the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup championship to the United States for the first time in history.
It was the gold medal-dream finally realized for Manny Crespo. A gold medal-dream that he was able to share with his fellow coaches and with a group of kids still beginning their baseball careers.
Manny Crespo's story is the third of a four-part series on "How to Become a USA Baseball Coach." The final story of the series will be released on USABaseball.com and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instgram and Twitter.

You go to a USA Baseball national team identification event. You play your best. You get noticed. You get invited to the chance of a lifetime: An opportunity to represent your country as a player on the USA Baseball national team.
That's the common path for a player.
But what about the coaches for the USA Baseball national teams? A coach cannot go 8-for-19 with three home runs over the course of a weekend tournament. So, what do they do? What is their path? How do you become a coach for USA Baseball?
It is a question we get asked a lot.
The answer: Honestly, there is no "path" for the best coaches in the country to carefully weave through, marking off accomplishments from a cultivated list in order to get closer to their coaching dreams. The answer is more complex than that. There are any number of ways someone with the right heart, attitude and abilities can end up wearing U-S-A across their chest and, hopefully, a gold medal around their neck.
For proof of this, look no further than the 2018 15U World Cup champion coaching staff. Four men with wildly different paths to our coaching ranks found themselves all sharing a medal stand in Panama.
The Scorekeeper: Assistant Coach Troy Gerlach
Troy Gerlach is the head baseball coach at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. Before that, he held the same position at Arcadia High School in Phoenix. Being around the game his entire life, Troy was drawn to USA Baseball and what it represented as the leading youth baseball federation in the country and the world. He needed to be a part of it, and he'd be honored to help in any way possible. Literally.
In 2012, USA Baseball needed a scorekeeper at the National Team Championships in Arizona. For Troy, living and coaching close by, it seemed like an easy fit.
Troy was an astute scorekeeper, keeping track of players that impressed him and putting down hand written notes on a separate sheet of paper. He wanted to have information at the ready in case any scouts came by asking for his input. So he wrote down pop times and velocity numbers that stood out among all these players fighting for the opportunity to play for a national team.
And those scouts did come by, asking Troy if any players caught his eye throughout the day that started at 7:00 a.m. and featured 110-degree heat beating down from the Arizona sun.
"I had this stuff all written down. Guys would look at it and I think just having that info down and knowing that I was putting in that effort, when I told them 'Hey there is this guy over here, he looks pretty good,' I think they trusted that I did know what I was talking about and they would go check him out."
The scouting bug had caught Troy, and he wanted to help in an even more direct way. One day, atop the field tower, Senior Director of Baseball Operations Ashley Bratcher was talking to Troy about what he had seen that week. During the conversation, Troy told Ashley he was honored to do anything USA Baseball wanted him to do, but if there was ever an opportunity to do more, to scout one of the tournaments, he would love a shot.
"Troy expressed to me that he would like to help out with scouting or be on a task force if there was ever an opportunity. So, the last week of the tournament, something happened with one of the guys who was supposed to scout that week and so we had an opening. I asked Troy if he wanted to do it," Bratcher remembered.
For one tournament, Troy had graduated from scorekeeper to scout. A tournament of 14-year-old ball players working to be seen by the right scout, to get invited to that next step, to have a chance to put on a jersey that read U-S-A across the front. And as one of those scouts, Troy had a similar opportunity.
"I think I wrote every single thing down that week. I was in panic mode. I didn't want to screw this up," said Troy.
At these tournaments, each scout on the USA Baseball task force handles one field per day. Watching four games each day, scouting all eight teams at once. At the end of the day, the four members of the task force get together with national team coaches and USA Baseball personnel to discuss their day's worth of findings.
"The other guys said he did a great job and that he was fully committed, so the next year, instead of hiring him as a scorekeeper, we hired him back as a scout," said Bratcher.
A week of scouting turned into a year of scouting, which turned into years of scouting. From National Team Championships to National Team Identification Series (NTIS) to National Team Development Programs (NTDP) to National Team Trials, Troy kept up with the grind and never lost passion for the gig, the players, and the ultimate goal of winning a World Cup.
And then in 2017, Troy was asked to be on the staff for the 14U NTDP. Also working the NTDP that year, Jason Maxwell, who would go on to be named the manager of the 2018 15U National Team.
"The relationships we built in that 14U National Team Development Program year, those relationships played a huge role in winning the World Cup," Maxwell said of the two-year process. And those relationships went from coach to player, player to player, and coach to coach. "When Ashley had asked me to be the manager for the World Cup team, she asked who I wanted to be the coaches, and the three coaches we took came from that National Team Development Program."
Passion. Hard work. Selflessness. Relationships. These things are invaluable to a coach on a journey to becoming a representative of USA Baseball, and all are attainable for anyone that has that dream. Doesn't matter if you are a former big leaguer, or a former scorekeeper.
Troy Gerlach's story is the second of a four-part series on "How to Become a USA Baseball Coach." The remaining two stories of the series will be released on USABaseball.com and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instgram and Twitter.

You go to a USA Baseball national team identification event. You play your best. You get noticed. You get invited to the chance of a lifetime: An opportunity to represent your country as a player on the USA Baseball national team.
That's the common path for a player.
But what about the coaches for the USA Baseball national teams? A coach cannot go 8-for-19 with three home runs over the course of a weekend tournament. So, what do they do? What is their path? How do you become a coach for USA Baseball?
It is a question we get asked a lot.
The answer: Honestly, there is no "path" for the best coaches in the country to carefully weave through, marking off accomplishments from a cultivated list in order to get closer to their coaching dreams. The answer is more complex than that. There are any number of ways someone with the right heart, attitude and abilities can end up wearing U-S-A across their chest and, hopefully, a gold medal around their neck.
For proof of this, look no further than the 2018 15U World Cup champion coaching staff. Four men with wildly different paths to our coaching ranks found themselves all sharing a medal stand in Panama.
The Handshake: Manager Jason Maxwell
Jason Maxwell played professional baseball for 12 years, started a high school program from scratch in Tennessee, and went on to lead Team USA to their first-ever U-15 Baseball World Cup title. But how did Maxwell get his start with USA Baseball? From the way he tells it: A handshake.
"You never know what a handshake will mean down the road." This is a philosophy Jason lives by and instills in his two sons. And it is a philosophy that set Jason on a path to what he calls his 'number one without a doubt' personal achievement in the game of baseball.
The handshake in this instance was with Jan Weisberg. Jan is the head coach of a college program that was recruiting one of Jason's high school players back in 2013. That college program was Birmingham-Southern, which was also the alma mater of Brooks Webb, former Senior Director of Baseball Operations at USA Baseball.
One day, Brooks called his former college manager asking if he knew of any coaches that showed the heart and ability to join the newest crop of USA Baseball coaches.
Jan sent him to Jason Maxwell.
Jason started his USA Baseball coaching career where most coaches do, working as a member of the task force at the National Team Championships and the National Team Identification Series. Hundreds of kids packed into ballparks across the country, all with the same goal as each other, all with the same goal as Jason Maxwell: A chance to represent the United States of America.
His passion for the game and his drive to help these young athletes reach their potential was obvious to everyone around him. Jason was suddenly at any event USA Baseball needed an extra hand.
After three short years, he was named to his first national team staff, and traveled to Japan as an assistant coach with the 2016 15U National Team. The team placed third in the tournament. But Jason left wanting more.
In 2017 Jason was named the field manager for the 14U National Team Development Program (NTDP). A group of young players stacked with talent. Enough to have a chance at history, to be the first team in U.S. history to bring home the U-15 World Cup championship the following year.
Over the next two summers, Jason led that group of young athletes, helped them develop and earned their trust. And in 2018, history was made.
"When you are standing in another country with a gold medal around your neck, and the national anthem starts to play," Jason remembered. "There is nothing like it."
From a handshake, to a phone call, to a gold medal.
Now if this sounds like fate, and something impossible for an everyday coach, that is not the case. Yes, Jason played big league baseball, but Jason was the head coach of a team coming off a 13-16 record when he received that phone call. A moment in which his first instinct was 'Just let it ring. We aren't going to be in the National High School Invitational' when he saw that his caller ID read "USA Baseball." 
But the call was for him. Because his passion, drive and ability were obvious to anyone around him. Obvious to Jan Weisberg, then obvious to Brooks Webb and eventually obvious to new Senior Director of Baseball Operations at USA Baseball, Ashley Bratcher, who served as the program director for the world championship 15U National Team in 2018.
"Jason epitomizes the character, leadership and personal qualities we look for to be a USA Baseball national team coach," said Bratcher. "In every facet of his life, both personal and professional, he does everything the right way and is a perfect representation of our game, our organization and our country.
"Without a doubt, he was truly an obvious and deserving choice to lead a USA Baseball national team and it was an honor to witness his direct impact on our athletes and his fellow coaches on the 2018 squad. It surprised nobody whom has ever had the privilege of working with him that he led our 15U National Team to unprecedented heights, winning its first-ever world championship title."
Every coach makes connections every day. And you never know what a handshake will mean down the road. And you'll never know when the right impression on the right person might lead to glory.
Jason Maxwell's story is the first of a four-part series on "How to Become a USA Baseball Coach." The remaining three stories of the series will be released on USABaseball.com and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instgram and Twitter.

CARY, N.C. - USA Baseball Executive Director and CEO Paul Seiler released a statement following the passing of Mike Gillespie on Wednesday. Gillespie served on a Collegiate National Team staff twice in his legendary baseball career: first as an assistant coach in 1997 and then as the manager in 2000.
"Mike Gillespie was a proven winner on the field as both a player and coach, and USA Baseball is saddened by the news of his passing. We hold his achievements in the game in the highest regard and it is an honor to call him an alumnus of Team USA. We offer our deepest condolences to his wife and children, and to the many athletes who were fortunate to be mentored by him during his Hall of Fame career."
Gillespie was named the Collegiate National Team Manager in 2000 after a successful stint as an assistant coach in 1997. With a roster filled with future Major Leaguers such as Jeff Baker, Ryan Howard, Xavier Nady, Mark Prior and Mark Teixeira, Team USA finished the summer with a 27-3-1 overall record. The stars and stripes won all four of its international friendship series over Mexico, Japan, Korea and Chinese Taipei, and won a gold medal in the XXI Haarlem Baseball Week with an 8-5 victory over Cuba in the finals.
An American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer, Gillespie is one of only two men to win a College World Series title as a coach and a player, joining fellow former Collegiate National Team coach and longtime USA Baseball advisor Jerry Kindall. Gillespie won a title at USC as a player in 1961 and he eventually led the Trojans to a national championship in 1998 as the head coach. He amassed a 1,156-886-2 overall record as a Division I head coach in his 31 seasons at USC and UC Irvine.
Gillespie passed away at the age of 80.

CARY, N.C. - One hundred and sixty-five USA Baseball alumni appear on 2020 Major League Baseball Opening Day rosters, the organization announced on Friday.
Twenty-nine of the 30 MLB Clubs claimed at least one past member of Team USA on their rosters to start the season, with 26 teams featuring four or more. The Cincinnati Reds led the way with 10 alums, followed closely by the Texas Rangers with nine and the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays with eight each.
Of the 165 alumni, 44 have suited up for the red, white and blue multiple times, led by the Chicago Cubs' Albert Almora who has played for Team USA seven times in his baseball career. Additionally, there are 19 members of the championship-winning 2017 World Baseball Classic Team, as well as Jake Arrieta, Dexter Fowler and Stephen Strasburg, who helped lead the U.S. to a bronze medal as part of the 2008 Olympic Team.
In addition to the 165 alumni playing on Opening Day rosters, there are also six USA Baseball alumni managing around the league, including Aaron Boone (New York Yankees), Terry Francona (Cleveland Indians), Joe Girardi (Philadelphia Phillies), Dave Roberts (Los Angeles Dodgers), David Ross (Chicago Cubs) and Scott Servais (Seattle Mariners).
The complete list of USA Baseball alumni in the Major Leagues is updated daily throughout the season and can be found here.
The complete list of USA Baseball alumni, by Major League club, who appeared on 2020 Opening Day rosters is as follows:
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (4)
Jon Jay - 2005 Collegiate
Carson Kelly - 2010 16U; 2011 18U
Robbie Ray - 2009 18U
Luke Weaver - 2013 Collegiate
ATLANTA BRAVES (7)
Travis D'Arnaud - 2011 Professional
Freddie Freeman - 2005 16U; 2006 18U
Mark Melancon - 2005 Collegiate; 2017 Professional (WBC)
A.J. Minter - 2014 Collegiate
Dansby Swanson - 2014 Collegiate
Touki Toussaint - 2011 16U
Kyle Wright - 2016 Collegiate
BALTIMORE ORIOLES (4)
Mychal Givens - 2006 16U; 2007 18U; 2017 Professional (WBC)
Rio Ruiz - 2007, 2008 14U
D.J. Stewart - 2014 Collegiate
Asher Wojciechowski - 2009 Collegiate
BOSTON RED SOX (4)
Matt Barnes - 2010 Collegiate
Jackie Bradley, Jr. - 2010 Collegiate
Jonathan Lucroy - 2013, 2017 Professional (WBC)
Alex Verdugo - 2010 14U
CHICAGO CUBS (7)
Albert Almora - 2007, 2008 14U; 2009, 2010 16U; 2010, 2011 18U; 2015 Professional
Kris Bryant - 2012 Collegiate
Nico Hoerner - 2011 14U; 2012 15U
Craig Kimbrel - 2013 Professional (WBC)
Dillon Maples - 2010 18U
Kyle Ryan - 2009 18U
Kyle Schwarber - 2013 Collegiate
CHICAGO WHITE SOX (8)
Steve Cishek - 2013 Professional (WBC)
Zack Collins - 2011 16U; 2014 Collegiate
Nicky Delmonico - 2008 16U; 2013, 2014 18U
Ross Detwiler - 2006 Collegiate; 2013 Professional (WBC)
Gio Gonzalez - 2013 Professional (WBC)
Yasmani Grandal - 2009 Collegiate
James McCann - 2011 Professional
Carlos Rodon - 2012, 2013 Collegiate
CINCINNATI REDS (10)
Trevor Bauer - 2009 Collegiate
Nick Castellanos - 2009 18U
Kyle Farmer - 2012 Collegiate
Sonny Gray - 2009, 2010 Collegiate
Travis Jankowski - 2015 Professional
Nate Jones - 2017 Professional (WBC)
Michael Lorenzen - 2008 16U; 2010 18U; 2011, 2012 Collegiate
Mike Moustakas - 2006 18U; 2010 Professional
Lucas Sims - 2010 16U
Jesse Winker - 2011 18U
CLEVELAND INDIANS (5)
Christian Arroyo - 2012 18U
Francisco Lindor - 2009 16U; 2010 18U
Tyler Naquin - 2011 Collegiate
Adam Plutko - 2012 Collegiate
Bradley Zimmer - 2013 Collegiate
COLORADO ROCKIES (6)
Nolan Arenado - 2017 Professional (WBC)
Daniel Bard - 2003 18U; 2004 Collegiate
David Dahl - 2011 18U
Garrett Hampson - 2015 Collegiate
Daniel Murphy - 2017 Professional (WBC)
Tony Wolters - 2008 16U; 2009, 2010 18U
DETROIT TIGERS (4)
Kyle Funkhouser - 2014 Collegiate
Grayson Greiner - 2013 Collegiate
Jordy Mercer - 2007 Collegiate; 2011 Professional
Christin Stewart - 2014 Collegiate
HOUSTON ASTROS (5)
Alex Bregman - 2010 16U; 2011 18U; 2013, 2014 Collegiate; 2017 Professional (WBC)
Lance McCullers - 2010 18U
George Springer - 2010 Collegiate
Kyle Tucker - 2012 15U
Justin Verlander - 2003 Collegiate
KANSAS CITY ROYALS (5)
Danny Duffy - 2010 Professional; 2017 Professional (WBC)
Alex Gordon - 2004 Collegiate
Ian Kennedy - 2002 18U; 2004, 2005 Collegiate
Mike Montgomery - 2010 Professional
Brett Phillips - 2015 Professional
LOS ANGELES ANGELS (8)
Jason Castro - 2009 Professional
Max Stassi - 2006, 2007 16U; 2008 18U
Noe Ramirez - 2010 Collegiate
Anthony Rendon - 2010 Collegiate
Matt Thaiss - 2015 Collegiate
Mike Trout - 2010 Professional
Justin Upton - 2004 18U
Taylor Ward - 2014 Collegiate
LOS ANGELES DODGERS (5)
Walker Buehler - 2014 Collegiate
Joe Kelly - 2007 Collegiate
Jake McGee - 2017 Professional (WBC)
AJ Pollock - 2011 Professional
Corey Seager - 2010 16U
MIAMI MARLINS (1)
Ryne Stanek - 2011, 2012 Collegiate
MILWAUKEE BREWERS (8)
Ryan Braun - 2009, 2013 Professional (WBC)
J.P. Feyereisen - 2019 Professional
Josh Hader - 2015 Professional
Keston Hiura - 2016 Collegiate
Corey Knebel - 2011 Collegiate
Justin Smoak - 2007 Collegiate; 2009 Professional
Bobby Wahl - 2012 Collegiate
Christian Yelich - 2017 Professional (WBC)
MINNESOTA TWINS (2)
Homer Bailey - 2002 16U
Tyler Clippard - 2017 Professional (WBC)
NEW YORK METS (4)
Dellin Betances - 2005 18U
Michael Conforto - 2012, 2013 Collegiate
Paul Sewald - 2015 Professional
Michael Wacha - 2011 Collegiate
NEW YORK YANKEES (3)
Gerrit Cole - 2009, 2010 Collegiate
Chris Iannetta - 2009 Professional (WBC)
Giancarlo Stanton - 2013, 2017 Professional (WBC)
OAKLAND ATHLETICS (5)
Matt Chapman - 2013 Collegiate
Robbie Grossman - 2007 18U
Daniel Mengden - 2013 Collegiate
Matt Olson - 2010 16U
JB Wendelken - 2015 Professional
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (8)
Jake Arrieta - 2006 Collegiate; 2008 Professional (Olympic)
Zach Eflin - 2015 Professional
Bryce Harper - 2008 16U; 2009 18U
Adam Haseley - 2010 14U; 2013 18U
Tommy Hunter - 2006 Collegiate
Cole Irvin - 2011 18U
Andrew McCutchen - 2004 18U; 2017 Professional (WBC)
Neil Walker - 2003 18U
PITTSBURGH PIRATES (5)
Adam Frazier - 2012 Collegiate; 2015 Professional
Derek Holland - 2013 Professional (WBC)
Bryan Reynolds - 2014 Collegiate
Cole Tucker - 2013 18U
Trevor Williams - 2012 Collegiate
SAN DIEGO PADRES (6)
Jake Cronenworth - 2019 Professional
Zach Davies - 2007 14U
Trent Grisham - 2014 18U
Eric Hosmer - 2007 18U; 2010 Professional; 2013, 2017 Professional (WBC)
Manny Machado - 2009 18U
Drew Pomeranz - 2009 Collegiate
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (5)
Tyler Anderson - 2010 Collegiate
Brandon Crawford - 2006 Collegiate; 2017 Professional (WBC)
Alex Dickerson - 2010 Collegiate
Kevin Gausman - 2009 18U; 2011 Collegiate
Drew Smyly - 2011 Professional, 2017 Professional (WBC)
SEATTLE MARINERS (5)
J.P. Crawford - 2009 14U
Marco Gonzales - 2012 Collegiate
Tim Lopes - 2010 16U
Justus Sheffield - 2013 18U
Evan White - 2016 Collegiate
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (7)
Jack Flaherty - 2013 18U
Dexter Fowler - 2008 Professional (Olympic)
Paul Goldschmidt - 2017 Professional (WBC)
Andrew Miller - 2017 Professional (WBC)
Lane Thomas - 2013 Collegiate
Matt Wieters - 2005 Collegiate
Kolten Wong - 2009 Collegiate
TEXAS RANGERS (9)
Kolby Allard - 2014 18U
Todd Frazier - 2006 Collegiate; 2010 Professional
Joey Gallo - 2011 18U
Kyle Gibson - 2008 Collegiate
Lance Lynn - 2007 Collegiate
Jeff Mathis - 2005 Professional
Mike Minor - 2007, 2008 Collegiate
Rob Refsnyder - 2007 16U
Jose Trevino - 2012 Collegiate
TORONTO BLUE JAYS (8)
Anthony Alford - 2008 14U
Cavan Biggio - 2012 18U
A.J. Cole - 2007 16U
Randal Grichuk - 2007 16U
Anthony Kay - 2015 Collegiate
Reese McGuire - 2012 18U
Tanner Roark - 2017 Professional (WBC)
Matt Shoemaker - 2011 Professional
WASHINGTON NATIONALS (7)
Sean Doolittle - 2005, 2006 Collegiate
Erick Fedde - 2013 Collegiate
Howie Kendrick - 2005 Professional
Max Scherzer - 2005 Collegiate
Stephen Strasburg - 2008 Collegiate; 2008 Professional (Olympic)
Kurt Suzuki - 2006 Professional
Trea Turner - 2012, 2013 Collegiate

CARY, N.C. - Forty-one USA Baseball alumni were selected through all five rounds of the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft on Wednesday and Thursday night, including 20 of the 37 athletes selected in the first round and 21 more alums taken in the second, third, fourth and fifth rounds, collectively. Twenty selections is the third highest number of alumni drafted in the first round in USA Baseball history (23 in 2007, 21 in 2012).
Two-time Collegiate National Team member Spencer Torkelson became the eighth-consecutive Team USA alum to be taken first overall when the Detroit Tigers selected him with the No. 1 pick. Torkelson was then followed by four of his 2019 Collegiate National Team teammates: Heston Kjerstad (No. 2, Baltimore Orioles), Max Meyer (No. 3, Miami Marlins), Asa Lacy (No. 4, Kansas City Royals) and Austin Martin (No. 5, Toronto Blue Jays), marking the third time in USA Baseball history that alumni have been selected with the first five consecutive picks of the draft (2007, 2010).
The 41 alums that were selected in all five rounds of the 2020 MLB Draft represented four national team programs. Twenty-three players from the Collegiate National Team heard their names called, including eight more members of the 2019 squad, along with 16 athletes from the 18U National Team, seven from the 15U National Team and five from the 12U National Team.
Four-time Team USA alum Pete Crow-Armstrong (No. 19, New York Mets), two-time alum Drew Romo (No. 35, Colorado Rockies) and 2018 alum Jared Kelley (No. 47, Chicago White Sox) were teammates on the 2018 18U National Team that won the program's eighth-consecutive gold medal in international competition at the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships.
Crow-Armstrong was also on the 2014 12U National Team and the 2017 15U National Team with Jackson Miller (No. 65, Cincinnati Reds) and Masyn Winn (No. 54, St. Louis Cardinals), who were both selected in the second round. Petey Halpin (No. 95, Cleveland Indians) was a member of the 2017 15U National Team as well, while J.T. Ginn (No. 52, New York Mets) and Cole Wilcox (No. 80, San Diego Padres) were both part of the 2017 18U National Team that won the program's fourth-consecutive world championship at the 2017 World Baseball Softball Confederation U-18 Baseball World Cup.
In addition to national team alumni, 44 athletes that participated in the inaugural 2019 PDP League and the USA Baseball National Team Development Program (NTDP) were also selected in the 2020 MLB Draft.
In total, 22 players that participated in the PDP League in 2019 were selected in the 2020 MLB Draft, including eight in the first round. 2019 USA Baseball Richard W. "Dick" Case Award winner and 18U National Team alum, Robert Hassell III, was the first to be drafted when the San Diego Padres took him with the No. 8 overall pick. Rounding out the first round PDP League alumni selections were Austin Hendrick (No. 12, Cincinnati Reds), Mick Abel (No. 15, Philadelphia Phillies), Ed Howard IV (No. 16, Chicago Cubs), Jordan Walker (No. 21, St. Louis Cardinals), Carson Tucker (No. 23, Cleveland Indians), Tyler Soderstrom (No. 26, Oakland Athletics) and Romo.
The second round featured six more PDP League players, as well as three participants taken in the third round, three in the fourth round and two in the fifth.
Nine past NTDP participants were also selected in the first round of the 2020 Draft, with Hendrick, Abel, Nick Yorke (No. 17, Boston Red Sox) and Crow-Armstrong taken in the top 20 picks. Tucker, Nick Bitsko (No. 24, Tampa Bay Rays), Austin Wells (No. 28, New York Yankees), Romo and Tanner Burns (No. 36, Cleveland Indians) rounded out the NTDP members drafted in the first round.
Additionally, 13 past NTDP athletes were taken in Rounds 2-5 with six selected in the second, four in the third, one in the fourth and two in the fifth.
The full lists of USA Baseball alumni, PDP League participants and NTDP members selected in the 2020 MLB Draft are as follows:
National Team Alumni
Round-Pick; Name; MLB Team; USA Baseball Team(s)
1-1; Spencer Torkelson; Detroit Tigers; 2018-19 Collegiate National Teams
1-2; Heston Kjerstad; Baltimore Orioles; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-3; Max Meyer; Miami Marlins; 2018-19 Collegiate National Teams
1-4; Asa Lacy; Kansas City Royals; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-5; Austin Martin; Toronto Blue Jays; 2014 15U, 2019 Collegiate National Teams
1-8; Robert Hassell III; San Diego Padres; 2019 18U National Team
1-10; Reid Detmers; Los Angeles Angels; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-12; Austin Hendrick; Cincinnati Reds; 2019 18U National Team
1-13; Patrick Bailey; San Francisco Giants; 2016 18U, 2018-19 Collegiate National Teams
1-14; Justin Foscue; Texas Rangers; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-15; Mick Abel; Philadelphia Phillies; 2019 18U National Team
1-19; Pete Crow-Armstrong; New York Mets; 2014 12U, 2017 15U, 2018-19 18U National Teams
1-20; Garrett Mitchell; Milwaukee Brewers; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-22; Cade Cavalli; Washington Nationals; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-23; Carson Tucker; Cleveland Indians; 2013-14 12U National Teams
1-26; Tyler Soderstrom; Oakland Athletics; 2019 18U National Team
1-32; Nick Loftin; Kansas City Royals; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-35; Drew Romo; Colorado Rockies; 2018-19 18U National Teams
1-36; Tanner Burns; Cleveland Indians; 2018 Collegiate National Team
1-37; Alika Williams; Tampa Bay Rays; 2019 Collegiate National Team
2-41; Ben Hernandez; Kansas City Royals; 2019 18U National Team
2-42; C.J. Van Eyk; Toronto Blue Jays; 2016 18U, 2018 Collegiate National Teams
2-44; Jared Jones; Pittsburgh Pirates; 2016 15U National Team
2-46; Chris McMahon; Colorado Rockies; 2019 Collegiate National Team
2-47; Jared Kelley; Chicago White Sox; 2018 18U National Team
2-51; Burl Carraway; Chicago Cubs; 2019 Collegiate National Team
2-52; J.T. Ginn; New York Mets; 2017 18U National Team
2-54; Masyn Winn; St. Louis Cardinals; 2014 12U, 2017 15U National Teams
2-56; Logan Allen; Cleveland Indians; 2016 18U, 2019 Collegiate National Teams
2-58; Jeff Criswell; Oakland Athletics; 2019 Collegiate National Team
2-62; Daniel Cabrera; Detroit Tigers; 2013 15U, 2018 Collegiate National Teams
2-65; Jackson Miller; Cincinnati Reds; 2014 12U, 2017 15U National Teams
2-70; Alec Burleson; St. Louis Cardinals; 2019 Collegiate National Team
3-80; Cole Wilcox; San Diego Padres; 2017 18U, 2019 Collegiate National Teams
3-85; Kyle Harrison; San Francisco Giants; 2019 18U National Team
3-95; Petey Halpin; Cleveland Indians; 2017 15U National Team
3-96; Hunter Barnhart; Tampa Bay Rays; 2014 12U National Team
3-101; Tyler Brown; Houston Astros; 2019 Collegiate National Team
4-106; Nick Frasso; Toronto Blue Jays; 2019 Collegiate National Team
4-119; A.J. Vukovich; Arizona Diamondbacks; 2019 18U National Team
4-124; Milan Tolentino; Cleveland Indians; 2019 18U National Team
2019 PDP League Participants
Round-Pick; Name; MLB Team
1-8; Robert Hassell III; San Diego Padres
1-12; Austin Hendrick; Cincinnati Reds
1-15; Mick Abel; Philadelphia Phillies
1-16; Ed Howard IV; Chicago Cubs
1-21; Jordan Walker; St. Louis Cardinals
1-23; Carson Tucker; Cleveland Indians
1-26; Tyler Soderstrom; Oakland Athletics
1-35; Drew Romo; Colorado Rockies
2-40; Dax Fulton; Miami Marlins
2-41; Ben Hernandez; Kansas City Royals
2-44; Jared Jones; Pittsburgh Pirates
2-54; Masyn Winn; St. Louis Cardinals
2-65; Jackson Miller; Cincinnati Reds
2-72; Alex Santos; Houston Astros
3-85; Kyle Harrison; San Francisco Giants
3-90; Liam Norris; Arizona Diamondbacks
3-95; Petey Halpin; Cleveland Indians
4-111; Werner Blakely; Los Angeles Angels
4-119; A.J. Vukovich; Arizona Diamondbacks
4-124; Milan Tolentino; Cleveland Indians
5-132; Colt Keith; Detroit Tigers
5-147; Koen Moreno; Chicago Cubs
National Team Development Program Members
Round-Pick; Name; MLB Team; NTDP Team(s)
1-12; Austin Hendrick; Cincinnati Reds; 2018 17U NTDP
1-15; Mick Abel; Philadelphia Phillies; 2018 17U NTDP
1-17; Nick Yorke; Boston Red Sox; 2016 14U NTDP
1-19; Pete Crow-Armstrong; New York Mets; 2016 14U, 2018-19 17U NTDPs
1-23; Carson Tucker; Cleveland Indians; 2018 17U NTDP
1-24; Nick Bitsko; Tampa Bay Rays; 2016 14U, 2018 16U, 2019 17U NTDPs
1-28; Austin Wells; New York Yankees; 2016 17U NTDP
1-35; Drew Romo; Colorado Rockies; 2018 17U NTDP
1-36; Tanner Burns; Cleveland Indians; 2015 17U NTDP
2-40; Dax Fulton; Miami Marlins; 2018 17U NTDP
2-44; Jared Jones; Pittsburgh Pirates; 2015 14U, 2018 17U NTDPs
2-47; Jared Kelley; Chicago White Sox; 2018 17U NTDP
2-54; Masyn Winn; St. Louis Cardinals; 2016 14U, 2018 17U NTDPs
2-55; Cole Henry; Washington Nationals; 2016 17U NTDP
2-65; Jackson Miller; Cincinnati Reds; 2016 14U NTDP
3-90; Liam Norris; Arizona Diamondbacks; 2018 17U NTDP
3-94; Holden Powell; Washington Nationals; 2016 17U NTDP
3-95; Petey Halpin; Cleveland Indians; 2018 16U NTDP
3-96; Hunter Barnhart; Tampa Bay Rays; 2018 16U NTDP
4-102; Gage Workman; Detroit Tigers; 2016 17U NTDP
5-132; Colt Keith; Detroit Tigers; 2018 17U NTDP
5-134; Kyle Hurt; Miami Marlins; 2015 17U NTDP

CARY, N.C. -- Twenty USA Baseball alumni were selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft on Wednesday night, including number one overall pick Spencer Torkelson. USA Baseball has had 524 total athletes drafted in the first round since 1972, and 2020 marks the 18th time in the last 20 years that the first overall pick played for Team USA.
Torkelson (No. 1, Detroit Tigers) became the eighth consecutive USA Baseball alum to be selected number one overall following Adley Rutschman (2019), Casey Mize (2018), Royce Lewis (2017), Mickey Moniak (2016), Dansby Swanson (2015), Brady Aiken (2014) and Mark Appel (2013). The Tigers have selected a member of Team USA with the first overall pick for the second time in three years after also drafting Mize in 2018.
In total, 33 alumni have been selected with the number one overall pick since 1972.
Five consecutive USA Baseball players were taken to begin the Draft for the third time in the organization's history (2007, 2010) with Torkelson, followed by Heston Kjerstad (No. 2, Baltimore Orioles), Max Meyer (No. 3, Miami Marlins), Asa Lacy (No. 4, Kansas City Royals) and Austin Martin (No. 5, Toronto Blue Jays), respectively. All five were teammates on the 2019 Collegiate National Team.
Additionally, 11 of the first 15 selections in the 2020 Draft have donned the red, white and blue in their career. 2019 USA Baseball Richard W. "Dick" Case Award winner and 18U National Team alum, Robert Hassell III, was taken with the eighth overall pick by the San Diego Padres and was followed by Reid Detmers (No. 10, Los Angeles Angels), Austin Hendrick (No. 12, Cincinnati Reds), Patrick Bailey (No. 13, San Francisco Giants), Justin Foscue (No. 14, Texas Rangers) and Mick Abel (No. 15, Philadelphia Phillies).
Four-time national team alum Pete Crow-Armstrong was the next USA Baseball player taken with the 19th pick by the New York Mets and the first round ended with eight more Team USA members being selected: Garrett Mitchell (No. 20, Milwaukee Brewers), Cade Cavalli (No. 22, Washington Nationals), Carson Tucker (No. 23, Cleveland Indians), Tyler Soderstrom (No. 26, Oakland Athletics), Nick Loftin (No. 32, Kansas City Royals), Drew Romo (No. 35, Colorado Rockies), Tanner Burns (No. 36, Cleveland Indians), and Alika Williams (No. 37, Tampa Bay Rays).
Four national team programs were represented in the 2020 Draft, including 13 players from the Collegiate National Team, seven from the 18U National Team, and two from both the 12U and 15U National Teams. In total, the 20 alumni selected in the opening round have won a cumulative five international gold medals and nine silver medals.
The 2020 MLB Draft will continue on Thursday, June 11, at 5 p.m. ET.
The full list of USA Baseball alumni selected in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft is as follows:
Round-Pick; Name; MLB Team; USA Baseball Team(s)
1-1; Spencer Torkelson; Detroit Tigers; 2018-19 Collegiate National Teams
1-2; Heston Kjerstad; Baltimore Orioles; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-3; Max Meyer; Miami Marlins; 2018-19 Collegiate National Teams
1-4; Asa Lacy; Kansas City Royals; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-5; Austin Martin; Toronto Blue Jays; 2014 15U, 2019 Collegiate National Teams
1-8; Robert Hassell III; San Diego Padres, 2019 18U National Team
1-10; Reid Detmers; Los Angeles Angels; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-12; Austin Hendrick; Cincinnati Reds; 2019 18U National Team
1-13; Patrick Bailey; San Francisco Giants; 2016 18U, 2018-19 Collegiate National Teams
1-14; Justin Foscue; Texas Rangers; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-15; Mick Abel; Philadelphia Phillies; 2019 18U National Team
1-19; Pete Crow-Armstrong; New York Mets; 2014 12U, 2017 15U, 2018-19 18U National Teams
1-20; Garrett Mitchell; Milwaukee Brewers; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-22; Cade Cavalli; Washington Nationals; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-23; Carson Tucker; Cleveland Indians; 2013-14 12U National Teams
1-26; Tyler Soderstrom; Oakland Athletics; 2019 18U National Team
1-32; Nick Loftin; Kansas City Royals; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-35; Drew Romo; Colorado Rockies; 2018-19 18U National Teams
1-36; Tanner Burns; Cleveland Indians; 2018 Collegiate National Team
1-37; Alika Williams; Tampa Bay Rays; 2019 Collegiate National Team

We are joined by Mikie Mahtook. Mikie was a member of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in 2010 following his Sophomore season at LSU. He is a Louisiana boy turned LSU Baseball legend who helped lead the Tigers to a College World Series championship his freshman season. A first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays, Mikie has spent time at the big-league level with the Rays and Tigers. He is now a member of the Philadelphia Phillies organization after signing with the club this past offseason. 

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USA Baseball (USAB): Let's first talk about your decision to attend LSU In the first place. After your senior year of high school, you had committed to the LSU Tigers, the hometown team about an hour down the road, and you were drafted by the Florida Marlins, was there any possibility you weren't headed to Baton Rouge?
Mikie Mahtook (MM): A small possibility. My dad and my uncle both played football at LSU, my whole family went to school at LSU, so I was going to LSU football games and baseball games from a young age so that's where I wanted to go, that's the place I wanted to be. My situation was a little tricky as a football player first and then a baseball player second. Football recruiting got heated a little bit earlier than baseball did so for a little while there I thought I was going to play both in college but at the end of the day I made a decision in the middle of my senior football season I just wanted to play baseball in college and LSU came to me and asked me if I wanted to go to school there and play baseball there. I initially committed to LSU as a preferred walk on because they had changed the scholarship rules that year and I had taken so long to make a decision that LSU didn't have any scholarship money left. 
So I committed as a preferred walk-on and then went through my senior baseball season and had a great high school senior season and started shooting up draft boards. I had never once in my life thought about getting drafted out of high school. My goal was to get to the major leagues, but I always thought I was going to go to college and then maybe get drafted and make it to the big leagues. But once I had that opportunity and scouts started talking to me, I had no idea what I was doing. My mom and I talked about it and thought we didn't really want to go so we gave them this really high number that they didn't even bat an eye on, so we thought maybe we should have gone higher. But we weren't really ready to sign so there were a few teams that were really high on me, but at the end of the day I called them and said I wanted to go to school and develop more as a player and I appreciated the interest and then I think the Marlins drafted me just as a courtesy selection that late in the draft. But it was a very cool experience that helped prepare me for when I would get drafted.
USAB: Had you had any conversations with big league scouts prior to that draft? Did you have a sense of where you might be drafted?
MM: Yeah, like I said I'd never really expected to get drafted and then all of a sudden you start getting at-home visits, and you start getting phone calls, and then you start having people come to games more often specifically to watch me. So we didn't really know what we were doing. We talked to some people in our hometown that had been drafted, going to ask them for some advice and what we need to do. And one day I had a conversation with my family where I said look I've never focused solely on baseball in my life it's kind of cool that I'm getting looked at to further my career as a professional, but I think for my development I need to go to LSU and focus strictly on baseball. Put football aside. Once I did that, I still kind of wanted to get drafted high, just to pump the ego just a little bit. But I knew after I told him I wanted to go to school that I probably wasn't going to get drafted as high as I thought.
USAB: You get to LSU your freshman year and you guys put together one of the best seasons in program history. You win SEC Tournament MVP. You get to Omaha, cruise through to the College World Series Final, and you come up with the game-winning hit in extra innings of Game 1 against Texas. What do you remember about that game?
MM: First thing I remember was it was extremely, extremely hot. I remember I had to get an IV in the middle of the game because I couldn't stop cramping. The game was actually on TV the other day and it was the first time I ever rewatched it and they said it was 107 degree heat index so it was steaming. After that I remember in my first three at-bats I struck out. Not good at-bats. My fourth at-bat I put the ball in play but I hit into a double play. So I'm 0-for-4 and I made 5 outs. And I'm thinking this is not how I wanted this to go. Then my fifth at-bat I ended up swinging at a pitch way in the other batters box but somehow found a hole for a base hit. And then I got the game-winning hit in the 11th and it was a surreal moment. Obviously you work all year to get to that point and you hope to have an opportunity to come up with a big hit like that and I was able to battle through a tough game and was able to come through so it was exciting. I think the coolest part about that was the way my teammates reacted after I got the hit.
USAB: Were there any moments that came back to you while you were watching the broadcast? 
MM: I remember watching my swing and seeing that they are spinning me slider after slider after slider. I'm a freshman and I'm still trying to make adjustments. I know at that moment I told myself I have got to figure this out. I have got to put this ball in play. And then I finally put the ball in play and believe it or not after I hit into that double play I was able to exhale, even though it was a double play. Because I didn't hit it terrible, but I didn't hit it great because obviously it was a ground ball to the second baseman but I exhaled and thought alright, got a little of the barrel, I put the ball in the play, we have some action here. I'm okay. I can exhale a little bit. And then the next one I found the hole with a lucky hit. Then my last at-bat I tell myself just find a way to get this thing into the outfield and get the hit. And I was able to do that.
USAB: That was game one. What about the series clinching game? What are your memories of that clinching game and claiming the title?
MM: So we had to come back to win the first game. DJ LeMahieu hit a 2-RBI double in the ninth to tie it and then we won in extra innings. Then in game two we had to face Taylor Jungmann and he threw an absolute gem. I think they beat us 5-1 and we had no shot against him that day. He was just on. So the third game, we walked into the clubhouse and had this weird confidence like we knew we were going to win. So we were loose and having fun. No one was really tight. And then in the first inning Jared Mitchell hit a three-run homer and gave us all the momentum.
They actually came back to tie the game but then I hit a double in the sixth inning to give us a 5-4 lead and then I think we ended up scoring four more runs in that inning to clinch it. But we entered that game with this confidence that we knew we were going to win. Coach Mainieri talked to us before the game and said "If I had told you before the season you had one game to win the World Series would you take it?" And we said yes, obviously. We were in that situation and we knew we were going to win. We had our horses ready to go and we had that confidence and I think we ended up winning 11-4. 
USAB: So what were the next two years at LSU like? You are a Louisiana kid, your parents went to LSU, your dad played football at LSU, you won a College World Series as a freshman. Are you Big Man on Campus at that point?
MM: Coming back to campus was pretty cool. We don't have a Major League Baseball team in Louisiana so LSU is almost like the professional team here. People love baseball in south Louisiana, especially LSU baseball. So people recognize us, people want to talk to us, it was kind of cool because I had never experienced that. It was something we had to learn how to juggle to take these new responsibilities and be mature with them and we were good about it. We had our fun and enjoyed it but we knew there were bigger things we needed to do. And that next year we started out 32-6 and we were number one in the country before we had some injuries and lost some pitching depth and we struggled a little bit. We got it back together at the end of the year but ran into a buzz saw in the regional against UCLA with Trevor Bauer and Gerrit Cole. 
Then my junior season was a bit of a lost season. It was personally my best year statistically, but we were 36-20 and didn't make the postseason. It was a tough pill to swallow but it is what it is. It was tough to go out that way, but definitely some good moments.
USAB: I know you still keep in touch with the LSU baseball program. Partly through the No. 8 you wore during your time there. Since you left it has become tradition that the number is given to a player that symbolizes leadership and dedication to LSU Baseball. Some guys who have worn No. 8 since your time at LSU include Alex Bregman, Jake Fraley, and most recently, two-time USA Baseball alum Daniel Cabrera. How did that tradition come about?
MM: LSU football has a similar tradition with No. 18. It started with Matt Mauk and it is an honor to get No. 18. The players vote on it and it is not necessarily the most talented player on the field but more about the character and how much they loved LSU. The person you want to play at LSU. I thought it was a really cool idea so I left after my junior season and Mason Katz was still on the team so I called him and said I wanted to do something like football and asked what he thought about it. I told him I knew No. 5 was his number but I asked him if he would want to wear No. 8 and he said absolutely. So he wore it for two years and I think he hit 17 homers his senior season and he passed it down and we wanted to give it to someone who could lead the team but also have passion and energy for LSU and to represent the number well. I think the few people who have worn it have represented it the way we wanted it represented.
USAB: So you passed it down first and chose who you passed it to. Has it remained that kind of fraternity between guys who have worn the No. 8 jersey?
MM: Antoine Duplantis passed it to Daniel Cabrera and Antoine just broke the LSU hits record a few years ago. Antoine is from my hometown and I actually used to hit in the cage with Antoine and his little brother who is now an olympian. So I have known those guys most of my life. 
I stay connected with the guys, I live in Baton Rouge so I work out at the facility all the time so I talk to those guys about any questions they may have. But most of these guys are pretty set. They know what's going on and have an idea of what they want to do and where they want to be and what they want to become. That is part of wearing the number is taking that responsibility and leading the team. Cabrera, before the season got cancelled, was having a great year and doing just that. 
At the end of a year if they can't figure out who should get the number next year, they will call some of the older guys that had the jersey for their input. It has turned out to be a pretty cool thing.
USAB: That is a really cool tradition. Obviously the number still means a lot to you, and it took four or five years into your pro career to get the number back. Did that mean a lot to you to finally get number 8 with the Detroit Tigers last year? 
MM: I tried to get it even in the minor leagues. I tried to get it in High-A, but someone was there, an older player who already had it, so I couldn't get it there. Then I tried in Double-A, but couldn't get it again. Then I got to Triple-A and the number 8 was retired because of Crash Davis with the Durham Bulls. So I can't get the number anywhere and it is frustrating. 
Then I get to the big leagues and I'm a rookie so I'm not going to ask for a specific number, because you can't do that as a rookie. So then I just decided to embrace wearing No. 27 which is the number they gave me. And then I got traded to Detroit and Justin Upton was wearing No. 8 at the time. And then Justin got traded so in the offseason I asked our clubbie what he thought of me wearing No. 8 now that Justin got traded and he said yes so I was fired up. I actually just got that jersey framed. I only have No. 8 jerseys framed in my house so that is pretty cool.
USAB: Let's get to your time with the Collegiate National Team in 2010. It was a loaded roster, with Gerrit Cole, Sonny Gray, George Springer, Jackie Bradley Jr., Brad Miller and plenty of others. Do you still have relationships with guys from that team?
MM: We keep in touch. Obviously life happens, guys get married and have kids so it's not as much as when we were 20, we don't have as much free time. But whenever we do see each other the conversations are easy, you always have that bond. I'm actually now doing these daily zoom calls with amateur athletes and bringing on other athletes and George Springer came on and did one the other week. And these are relationships you build when you are 20 so they last a long time and it is really a cool thing. 
I think that is one of the coolest things about playing for Team USA is that I got to play with these guys that you don't necessarily get to play with ever again. I think the only person I played with again after Team USA was Brad Miller. Brad Miller and I are really really good friends. So you may not get to play with them all again so you have to embrace it when you're together and it was a really cool experience. 
USAB: What were your favorite memories of that 2010 Collegiate National Team? Anything in particular stick out either on or off the field? 
MM: We had a lot of fun together. We got to go to Tokyo and I had never been to that part of the world so flying together and getting to hang out with each other in Tokyo was really cool. One thing I remember is that we were at the tournament in Tokyo and we were playing Japan, the host team, and the place is packed. All with their fans because we are obviously nowhere near home. So the first inning Springer hits a grand slam. We were going nuts, it was crazy, and we ended up winning the game 4-1 and it was the only runs we scored. But that entire game was so intense and you got to see how much their fans really loved baseball and that was really cool.
We ended up playing Cuba in the finals and it was a hard fought game but they ended up walking us off in extra innings. And that Cuba team was stacked. They had Cespedes and Jose Abreu and those guys. But those two games are what I remember most about that year.
USAB: After playing on that team with so many other talented players, what did you learn and how did you grow as a player after that experience? 
MM: I grew a lot. Like you said that was the first time I played on a team with that much competition outside of college and it was awesome. The outfield was Jackie Bradley Jr. in center, George Springer in left and I was in right. So you get to play in the outfield with guys that are going to be first rounders, guys that are going to be in the big leagues.
And then in the Trials you get to face pitchers who didn't even make the team who are now big leaguers. Pitchers that are aces in the big leagues that were on our team. We had to face those guys at Trials. And just to see how those guys approached the game and competed on the field was really great to be a part of. 
USAB: So a lot of us are in this holding pattern waiting for baseball to resume. Tell me, what is life like right now?
MM: Being back here in Baton Rouge I actually have some nice facilities I can take advantage of. I have a batting cage I can use so I hit every day. The neighborhood I live in, there are still three or four guys that still play professionally so we kind of have our own little mini spring training in the neighborhood. Kevin Gausman lives right around the corner from me and we will go to an empty lot or the edge of a golf course and long toss. He actually bought a portable pitchers mound so he'll set it up in his backyard and throw bullpens. 
Other than that it is like being a kid again. A lot of home workouts. Just trying to find out whatever you can do around the house to stay in shape. It has been tough but it has been kind of fun too. Fun trying to figure out how and where we are going to get these workouts done.
USAB: Anything outside of baseball?
MM: I mentioned earlier that I started this project with a mentor of mine it is called the Champions Rise Challenge. Professional athletes aren't the only athletes affected by this COVID-19 pandemic. More so than us it is these amateur athletes who lost their season and maybe lost their opportunity to get recruited. And not having the resources a professional athlete has can be kind of scary. So we decided to have these daily zoom calls, it is free to sign up, and we are trying to get as many athletes, nutritionists, coaches, all influencing these younger kids. Coming on to donate their time to these athletes. 
We are also encouraging parents to come on because when you're young you look for someone to lean on you want someone to help direct you. So if these parents are doing the same things the kids are doing, they are able to help them grow and get through this tough time. It has been awesome. The feedback has been great. We have a week and a half left but we are so excited about it we are looking at ways to maybe continue it even further than that. 
USAB: Lastly, let's talk about your foundation, The Mikie Mahtook Foundation. It can be found @MahtookCares on Twitter and @MahtookFoundation on Instagram. Tell us about the foundation.
MM: I started this foundation in 2014 to honor my dad. He was Mikie Mahtook Sr. He passed away unexpectedly when I was four years old due to cardiomyopathy. The foundation promotes and educates about the prevention of heart disease. We have recently moved into the testing sector. We are in the process of partnering with another organization that is able to test for free. We want to be able to detect heart disease so these kids and their parents can get diagnosed and get treatment. 
I was four years old when my father passed away and I had twin sisters that were two. So all of a sudden my mother was a young single mother of three and that kind of thing can rock a family. So if I can help just one family prevent a loss like that, then we are doing something right. It has been great, we have a lot of plans for the future, and we have some ambitious goals for it. In the next two or three years, it is going to be a household name.
Give Mikie a "follow" on Instagram and Twitter at @MikieMahtook8!

CARY, N.C. - USA Baseball announced today a modified schedule of events for its 2020 summer season due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Created in adherence to the regulations set forth by the appropriate federal, state and local governments, the updated schedule is tentatively set to begin with the 14U Cup from July 24-26 at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.
All of these events continue to be subject to cancellation or postponement based on the future state of the evolving coronavirus situation. The organization will monitor the guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), as well as consult its Medical/Safety Advisory Committee in order to evaluate the status of its upcoming tournaments.
All further decisions will be made in as timely a manner as possible with respect to the safety and well-being of all the participating athletes, coaches and fans. If these tournaments run as scheduled, teams and fans will be required to follow a series of return to play guidelines developed by USA Baseball. These guidelines will be shared with all participants within an appropriate timeframe leading up to the event.
"As the national governing body for baseball in the United States, we feel it is in the best interest of the thousands of baseball athletes in our country to postpone our return to the field due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," said USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler. "We share in the longing for baseball's return, but we believe it is prudent to continue assessing the situation and finalizing a course of action that prioritizes the overall health and safety of our participants and their families in light of the continued transmission of this disease.
"This schedule was structured in an effort to secure as many opportunities as possible for athletes who hope to one day play for Team USA. We will remain steadfast in our commitment to this charge; however, we will continue to evaluate the situation on a daily basis and monitor the guidelines set forth by the CDC and the USOPC in case additional modifications need to be made."
The following events have been tentatively rescheduled on the 2020 calendar:
• 17U National Team Championships North Carolina (July 27-30)
• 14U and 15U National Team Championships Arizona (July 27-30)
• 16U and 17U National Team Championships Arizona (July 31-August 3)
• 15U National Team Championships North Carolina (August 4-9)
• 10U Futures Invitational (August 6-9)
• 16U National Team Championships North Carolina (August 11-16)
• 11U, 12U, 13U and 14U NTIS Champions Cup (August 19-23)
• 15U and 16U NTIS Champions Cup (August 26-30)
The following events and national team programming have been cancelled:
• 11U Futures Invitational
• 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP)
• 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP)
• National Team Championships Florida
The 14U Cup (July 24-26) and 11U/13U Futures Series Irvine (August 28-30) are set to take place as originally scheduled.
Additionally, USA Baseball continues to work closely with the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) with respect to the international baseball calendar. To date, the WBSC has postponed the Americas Baseball Olympic Qualifier, U-15 Baseball World Cup and the Women's Baseball World Cup until further notice. The U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier has also been postponed but will not take place this year.
"USA Baseball fully supports the WBSC and its decision to indefinitely postpone the events on the baseball calendar in an effort to protect our national team athletes at this time," continued Seiler. "When the time comes for Team USA to return to the field, we will be ready to continue our longstanding tradition of excellence on the international stage."
Corresponding to the status of the international baseball calendar, USA Baseball has cancelled all 12U National Team programming events for 2020, meanwhile any future events planned for the 15U National Team, 18U National Team, Collegiate National Team and Women's National Team this year will be announced as necessary.
The Medical/Safety Advisory Committee has published a free Athlete Preparation Plan that provides a series of at-home exercises aimed to prepare young athletes for their return to the diamond following a prolonged disruption from on-field activity. To access this plan and to read its recommendations for baseball players during the COVID-19 pandemic, click here.
Further information on USA Baseball updates relating to COVID-19 can be found here. For up-to-the-minute updates on the organization and its events, follow @USABaseball on social media.

We are joined by 2017 Collegiate National Team alum Travis Swaggerty. Travis ranked second on the team in hits (21) and on-base percentage (.449) and third in stolen bases (6) and batting average (.328) along the way to a 15-5 record. He also earned batting champion honors in the Chinese Taipei series in route to a four-game sweep, as well in the five-game series victory against Cuba.
Travis spent three years at the University of South Alabama where he racked up 27 home runs and numerous top player rankings throughout his career, including being named to the 2018 All-Sun Belt First Team. Afterwards, he was taken 10th overall, second-highest in South Al history, in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates where he is currently a member of the Bradenton Marauders.

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USA Baseball (USAB): When did you realize that playing baseball professionally was more than just a dream and was an actual obtainable goal?
Travis Swaggerty (TS):That's a good question, I would probably say after my freshman year college. You know in high school I was a good player but I was going to South Alabama, not a huge school but still some big names coming out of there. My Freshman fall I still had an "I hope I make it" kind of mindset versus "I'm going to make it". I actually had a really good freshman year and came off that. I got the whole summer off and once I came back to school my sophomore year I was in the best shape of my life. I was feeling good, balls starting to fly little bit and I was like "hey man, I can do this," so I kind of put my nose to the grindstone after that and here I am.
USAB: At any part in that process did you really believe, "I'm not just a draft pick but like a top 10 pick?
TS:That actually never became realistic until it happened. Honestly, I guess the goal when I got to college like maybe top ten rounds would be awesome. You know what that was a pretty reachable goal I thought. I think once I got to Team USA, honestly. I went out there and I still didn't feel like I fit in because there was a bunch of big school guys. I was really one of the few smaller school guys so I was like man I really have to prove myself. Once I made the team and started playing I start playing pretty well and I was like man I can hang these guys. Right then I knew I had a good shot but I didn't really understand until it happened.
USAB:You are a product of the University of South Alabama believing in yourself is a big thing. Who comes to mind in terms of people helping you believe that along the way?
TS:A lot of people. I think South Alabama was perfect for me because we kind of have that blue-collar aspect being a smaller school so a couple of my teammates and coaches really kept me level-headed where I needed to be. Some of the names that come to mind one is Brendan Donovan (Cardinals) and Dylan Hardy (Red Sox) and those two guys are actually going to be in my so we're really close. Those guys have a similar work ethic to me and we surrounded ourselves with each other but I think we kind of fed off each other and now we're all playing professionally so I think that that's no surprise.
USAB:Let's go back to draft day, were you expecting your name to be called and what was it like?
TS:I was at the draft. I had no idea. I had my dad, my cousin, my best friend and mine now fiancé by me. You know must people who sit at home get a call but I was sitting in my chair in the corner. I had my phone in my pocket but I couldn't check it, there's cameras on you so I didn't have any calls or anything. So as soon as commissioner Manfred went up and called my name it was a huge shock.
USAB:What was the first thing on your mind and what were your emotions to hear the commissioner himself mention your name as the next draft pick?
TS:I honestly had no thoughts all I could do was cry. It had finally happened for me, the dream you know. I had nothing going through my mind but like thank goodness, I'm so blessed I made it and now the real work has to begin.
USAB:What have you found is the biggest difference between how you expected entering minor league baseball to be and reality?
TS:I feel like I expected what happened but it really its the everyday grind you know in college you get Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday sometimes Wednesday but you get a lot of practice days some off time but pro ball you don't get any. You get some leisure time spent in the morning before the game and most of the time people want to sleep because you're so tired because you play every day. That and the bus trips every week. I wasn't expecting to travel like that. I thought it would be a little bit easier; it is not. You play a night game on the road on Wednesday, you get on the bus and you drive back home 8 hours, you wake up the next morning and you've got to get up and eat and go back to the park. So it's just nonstop.
USAB:Do you think that playing at a school like South Alabama helped prime you better than other guys that are in the minors?
TS:I don't necessarily think so. I mean we never got to really fly anywhere except one trip a year. I don't think that really prepared me any more than the work ethic piece. I think because it was a blue-collar school we thought we had to work a little harder to be able to compete with everybody else, so I think taking that attitude was a huge advantage for me.
USAB: You performed really well with the Collegiate National Team in the summer of 2017. What did you learn from that experience?
TS:I think I learned how to handle the Scouts a little better. You know before that I really didn;t have a lot of eyes on me and every day you look in the stands and there are scouts from every single team. You have to be able to perform with eyes on you and I think that primed me to be able to just play and focus on the game and not worry about who's in the stands.
USAB: What do you remember about the build-up to it? Was it an unexpected call when you got the invite to training camp with the CNT?
TS:Our head coach Mark Calvi knows someone with Team USA and he got my name out there and Eric Campbell came and watched when we played at Appalachian State in North Carolina. I didn't have a very good weekend but I was having a good year and he told me that because I was the first guy out of the dugout to congratulate the guys for doing something well and just being a good teammate, he said I was the type of guy that he wanted. I was very fortunate that even though I didn't play well I just kept my head down and tried to be a good teammate and at the end of the day that's all that matters.
USAB: What was the mentality heading in and getting to know a lot of bigger school guys?
TS:I got to be around guys like Madrigal and Vaughn and Steele Walker and Shumake and a lot of those guys I got close with. They all approach the game a little bit different way so I got to see what their routine was in the cage and what they liked to do off the tee and I took some of that with me. We fed off each other a lot. You know I thought at the beginning I would try to do a little too much because I was small school guy but it actually turned out to be the opposite I tried to do less and because I tried to do less I got to slow the game down and a little bit and was actually able to have success.
USAB: When you're on a USA Baseball roster, you only get a few months to be around your teammates. How do you bond with those guys in such a short period time and what was your experience like?
TS:It was very easy because we're all going through the same thing, you know. There's some growing pains like learning to get with a new team but everybody's there for the same reason so I think we gelled pretty quickly. Along with staying in the hotel together with was huge. We had as much comradery as possible. We'd go out to eat every day and just try to do something to get to know people. We'd play cards in the anything we could do to get acclimated and it happened pretty quickly. I thought we became friends within the first couple of days before games even started so it was probably the easiest acclamation I ever had.
USAB: Among the handful of guys that you mention is former Golden Spikes Award winner and two-times Collegiate National Team guy, Andrew Vaughn. What's your relationship like with him?
TS:I have a funny story about Vaughny. The first night I was asleep because he flew in really late and apparently, he woke me up and I introduced myself. I woke up next morning and had no recollection so I had to reintroduce myself again. He made fun of me pretty good for that. And then on the second night I was FaceTiming my now fiancé and he starts laughing because he said that she had a really thick southern accent, which she does. And he says, "I need to get me a southern belle like that." So, I told my fiancé and now he's with her best friend who is her maid of honor actually. So, we got them together and sparks flew and now here we are. A California boy with a Mississippi girl, that's right.
USAB: You made the decision to leave South Alabama after your junior year when you were drafted. How did you know it was the right time?
TS:It was relatively easy based on being picked 10th overall so I didn't really have any issue with that. It was really getting into pro ball and being the first-round pick. I feel like at the time I put a lot of pressure on myself trying to show why I was the first-round pick, even though people were telling me not to worry about that. That was tough for me. You were talking about on the water in Alabama and then I had to go up to West Virginia in the mountains and I had never been in the mountains so it was a bit of a culture shock but it wasn't too bad. I was really just playing my game that was all I had to do. I actually ended up having a pretty good summer so it worked out.
USAB: What was the best advice you received beforehand about the differences between college and pro ball?
TS:You get more information. I think the best advice was to do more studying. I think you don't really get a lot of information in college. For us at least at [South Alabama] before games our hitting coach would come up to us round us up in a circle and say, "this is what the pitcher's got, go out there and play." It's not that simple anymore. Now we have video you can watch, there's scouting reports and so much information. Basically, I was told to learn how to study, learn how to break down the data and it'll work in your favor so I think that was the best.
USAB: Do you find yourself diving into analytics on a year-to-year basis and digging into your performance and evaluating yourself that way?
TS:Not necessarily. I think for me I can feel how my body feels and what my body's telling me. So, hitting wise I can feel when something doesn't feel right versus watching. I video myself if something doesn't feel right. I'm sure every hitter is aware of where they hit the ball well and where they don't. I don't really need to see that. Mainly to look into the data I look at the pitcher I'm facing that way I can actually derive a plan. Before I get into the cage I have to have a plan against that guy. I would say I use the data more for pitchers than myself.
USAB: What's it been like as you are currently waiting things out and waiting for the season to begin?
TS:It's strange. I will say that it's strange because we don't really have a timeline really yet. I'm sure we'll get one soon but it's hard to know what to prepare for. Do you go hit in the cage five or six times a week or how much do you throw like we don't know, so that's just uncharted waters for everybody so I don't feel like I'm at a disadvantage. The part that does stink a little bit is not having a gym to go to so you're just using equipment around the house and just make shifting anything just to get something in. I hit a lot, probably 5-6 times a week. We have a high school around here that still has its doors open for us. You know you're supposed to take advantage of any crisis that we go through and I think I've spent a lot more time with the family and it's a good thing. At least with no baseball I get to be around the family so it's good. It's been going well.
USAB: When you were drafted you said your two favorite hobbies were cooking and playing PlayStation golf, is that still true?
TS: I still cook a little bit stay sharp, but I'm back on Call of Duty now, that takes up more of my time anyway. For the most part I try to spend as much time with the family and dogs as possible. I try to cook something every day to stay sharp and keep my weight up. I will say the last time I tried to cook deer sausage I burned it. So, I've been making sure I don't burn it anymore, I've been babying it so I'm getting better at it so I don't make any more mistakes. I'm eating good around here.
 
Give Travis a "follow" on Instagram @tswag_21 and Twitter @TSwaggerty_21!

DURHAM, N.C. - USA Baseball announced the recipients of its annual organizational awards on Tuesday, recognizing the top athletes, coaches and performances from its 2019 USA Baseball national teams. 18U National Team member Robert Hassell was named the Richard W. "Dick" Case Award winner, becoming the fourth 18U team alumnus to earn athlete of the year honors. The award is given annually to USA Baseball's top player in honor of the organization's founding Executive Director and CEO.
Women's National Team Manager Veronica Alvarez was named the Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year, becoming the first woman to earn the award in USA Baseball's history. The organization also recognized the Women's National Team as its Team of the Year and infielder Alex Hugo was named the Sportswoman of the Year after she earned MVP honors at the COPABE Women's Pan-American Championships.
Alec Burleson's late-game heroics against Japan in Game 2 of the 43rd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series garnered the International Performance of the Year honors, meanwhile Collegiate National Team Bullpen Coach Xan Barksdale was named the organization's first-ever Service Provider of the Year.
Rounding out the USA Baseball 2019 award winners is 15U National Team Manager Troy Cameron, who was named the Developmental Coach of the Year, as well as Volunteer Coach of the Year Andy Pettitte and the inaugural Coach Educator of the Year Darren Fenster.
"USA Baseball is pleased to recognize these outstanding individuals and their successes from our 2019 national teams," said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball's Executive Director/CEO. "Not only did each and every award winner excel in the field of play or as a coach, they all served as outstanding ambassadors on behalf of the United States. It was an honor to have them represent our organization and the game of baseball with class on the international stage."
USA Baseball finished the year winning gold medals at the COPABE Women's Pan-American Championships and the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier. The Collegiate National Team also won two of its three international friendship series against Chinese Taipei, Cuba and Japan in 2019.
The complete list of the 2019 USA Baseball organizational award winners is as follows:

Richard W. "Dick" Case Award: Robert Hassell, 18U National Team
Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year: Veronica Alvarez, Women's National Team
Team of the Year: Women's National Team
Sportswoman of the Year: Alex Hugo, Women's National Team
International Performance of the Year: Alec Burleson, Collegiate National Team
Service Provider of the Year: Xan Barksdale, Collegiate National Team
Developmental Coach of the Year: Troy Cameron, 15U National Team
Volunteer Coach of the Year: Andy Pettitte, Prospect Development Pipeline League
Coach Educator of the Year: Darren Fenster, Sport Development Blog
Hassell was awarded the Richard W. "Dick" Case Award following a summer where he was named to the All-World Team at the 2019 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in South Korea. He led the 18U National Team in 10 offensive categories in 2019, including batting average (.514), hits (18), doubles (5), home runs (2), RBIs (14), total bases (31), slugging percentage (.886) and on-base percentage (.548), among others. Hassell was a mainstay in the U.S. lineup, starting all nine games of the World Cup in the outfield, and helped lead the red, white and blue to a silver medal. He was also recognized by the WBSC as its International Baseball Player of the Year.
Just the second female manager in USA Baseball history, Alvarez became the first woman to be named the Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year. Under her leadership, the Women's National Team finished the COPABE Women's Pan-American Championships with a perfect 7-0 record and a gold medal. The U.S. outscored its opponents 124-20 in the tournament, held a cumulative .500 batting average and hit a record 11 home runs. Their dominating performance also earned the Women's National Team the USA Baseball Team of the Year award.
Two-time Women's National Team alum Hugo was named the 2019 Sportswoman of the Year. She earned tournament MVP honors at the COPABE Women's Pan-American Championships after leading Team USA in six offensive categories en route to a gold medal. In the tournament, she hit .652 (15-for-23) with five doubles and four home runs, tallied 18 RBIs, scored 20 runs, stole six bases, and amassed an astounding 1.391 slugging percentage in seven games.
ECU's Burleson earned the 2019 International Performance of the Year award after hitting his first-career walk-off home run in the 43rd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series. With the score tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 2 in Imabari City, Japan, Burleson lifted a 2-0 fastball over the right field fence to give the visiting U.S. a 3-2 walk-off win. His home run was the first one hit of the series and the victory tied the best-of-five-game series at one apiece for the red, white and blue.
The Collegiate National Team's Barksdale was a vital part of the team in 2019 after serving as a bullpen catcher and coach for the national team, and his efforts were rewarded with the first-ever USA Baseball Service Provider of the Year award. Barksdale provided unparalleled service to the athletes by offering creative and engaging training, bullpen and catching sessions that not only allowed the national team to prepare and excel on the field, but also promoted and protected their overall long-term athletic development.
Cameron earned the Developmental Coach of the Year award in 2019 after he led Team USA to its fourth consecutive U-15 Baseball World Cup Qualifier gold medal for the red, white and blue (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019), and the third straight international title for the 15U National Team. The U.S. finished the tournament with an 8-1 record and outscored its opponents 66-33 under his leadership.
Five-time World Series champion and three-time MLB All-Star Pettitte was named the 2019 Volunteer Coach of the Year by USA Baseball after working on the coaching staff for the inaugural joint MLB and USA Baseball Prospect Development Pipeline League. Every day, he used his experience to help players create comprehensive processes for their pitching routines and schedules, and assisted in developing pitch philosophies while fine-tuning pitcher deliveries and mechanics. Pettitte also incorporated advanced, progressive methods to the participants that resulted in significant developmental growth in an abbreviated timeframe.
Lastly, Fenster was named the first Coach Educator of the Year in USA Baseball history due to his continued contribution to the USA Baseball Sport Development department. While simultaneously serving as the Minor League Outfield and Baserunning Coordinator for the Boston Red Sox, Fenster draws upon his professional baseball career as a player and coach to provide unique and insightful educational content for the for the Sport Development Blog. Titled FUNdamental Skills Friday, his contributions assist coaches, parents and leagues in developing young players and improving their experience within the game of baseball.
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) annually honors one Sportsman, Sportswoman and Team of the Year based on nominations from its national governing bodies, as well as Olympic, Developmental and Volunteer Coach of the Year awards. USA Baseball's award winners serve as the organization's nominees in their respective categories with the USOC.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
USA	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	4	1
JPN	1	0	0	3	0	0	2	0	X	6	9	2

Win: Morishita (2-1) Loss: Nikhazy (0-1)

Box Score | Play-by-Play | USA Final Stats

  TOKYO - Japan ace Masato Morishita threw five scoreless innings to lead Japan to a 6-1 win at Meiji Jingu Stadium in Game 5 of the 43rd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series and clinch the series 3-2. Japan won the series for the 16th straight time on its home soil over the last 40 years.  
"We lost to a really good team and a great baseball country," said Collegiate National Team manager Dan McDonnell (Louisville). "But we came here expecting to win. So it hurts."
Morishita started for the third time in the series and allowed only one hit in the five scoreless innings to claim MVP honors. The right-hander started Game 1, Game 3, and Game 5, allowing only two runs in 15 innings for a 1.20 ERA and .151 batting average against. Morishita threw 195 pitches in the series. 
Japan gave Team USA a big blow in the fourth inning, scoring three times with two outs to take a 4-0 lead. Takashi Umino had a two-out, two-RBI double and Kazuya Maruyama tripled on the next pitch to bring him home. 
"Obviously, that wasn't the way we wanted the series to go," said Alika Williams. "I had the time of a lifetime over here but we came here to do something and we didn't do it."
Williams led Team USA with a .313 batting average and five hits in the series. 
The Collegiate National Team completed its season with an 8-6 record, including series wins over Cuba and Chinese Taipei. 
"We live in a great country," said McDonnell. "It was an honor to coach the 24 best players in our country."
Key Moments
• Japan scored one in the first inning on a pair of singles, including an RBI from Tatsuru Yanagimachi.
• Japan gave Team USA a big blow in the fourth, scoring three times with two outs. Takashi Umino had a two-out, two-RBI double and Kazuya Maruyama tripled on the next pitch to bring him home. 
• Spencer Torkelson (Arizona State) got the Collegiate National Team on the board in the sixth with a line-drive RBI single to left field. 
• Koki Ugusa singled up the middle for an RBI and Shugo Maki lifted a sac fly in the seventh to give Japan a 6-1 lead. 
Notable Information 
• Tonight was the 14th winner-take-all final game in the history of the event. The Collegiate National Team is 7-7 against Japan in winner-take-all games.
• The Collegiate National Team is 4-7 all-time at Jingu Stadium. 
• Japan threw a shutout in Game 1 behind an excellent outing from ace Masato Morishita. 
• Alec Burleson (East Carolina) hit a walk-off homer to lead off the bottom of the ninth in Game 2 and tie the series 1-1.
• Three Team USA pitchers combined on a one-hitter as the Collegiate National Team shutout Japan to win Game 3. 
• Japan homered in four straight innings to rout Team USA in Game 4 and tie the series. 
• Masato Morishita threw five scoreless innings to earn series MVP honors and lead Japan to a 6-1 win in Game 5. 
• All-Star series: USA leads, 24-19
• Series in Japan: Japan leads, 18-3
• Japan has won 16 straight series in Japan dating back 40 years.
• All-Star series games: Collegiate National Team leads, 133-107-2
• Overall games: Collegiate National Team leads, 156-126-2
• The last five series (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) have all finished 3-2. Japan won in 2013, 2016, and 2019 in Japan, while the Collegiate National Team won in 2017 and 2018 in the United States.
• Team USA snapped a two-series winning streak against Japan (2017, 2018).
On Deck 
• The Collegiate National Team flies back to the United States on Tuesday. Team USA finished the summer with a record of 8-6, including series wins over Chinese Taipei and Cuba.
Social
• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
JPN	0	0	4	2	1	1	0	1	0	9	12	0
USA	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	2

Win: Hayakawa (1-0) Loss: L. Allen (0-1)

Box Score | Play-by-Play | USA Overall Stats

  KORIYAMA, JAPAN - Japan homered in four straight innings Saturday to beat the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, 9-1, at Kaiseizan Stadium. Japan tied the series 2-2 and forced Sunday's deciding Game 5 at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo. 
"We are excited about Game 5 tomorrow night," said manager Dan McDonnell (Louisville). "I was a part of this series 10 years ago and we lost in Game 5. If you would've told me I could come back and get another Game 5, I would've said sign me up."
Yuya Gunji hit two of Japan's home runs, solo shots in the fourth and sixth innings. Takashi Umino started the scoring with a two-run homer in the third inning and Shugo Maki hit a solo shot in the fifth. 
The Collegiate National Team could not get anything started at the plate against Japan starter Takashi Hayakawa, who scattered three hits over four innings in his second start of the series. Team USA scored its only run on a double play ball in the eighth. 
Alika Williams led Team USA with two hits. Japan issued six walks and allowed six hits but the Collegiate National Team hit into three double plays. 
The Collegiate National Team and Japan bus to Tokyo tomorrow morning for Game 5 of the series Sunday at Meiji Jingu Stadium, the home of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows professional baseball team.
Key Moments
• Japan's Takashi Umino hit a two-run homer over the left field wall as part of a four-run third inning.
• Japan's Yuya Gunji hit a solo homer to lead off the fourth inning and Japan added another run in the inning to increase its lead to 6-0.
• Shugo Maki hit a solo homer to straight away center field in the fifth inning. 
• Gunji hit his second homer of the day as rain began to fall int he sixth inning. 
Notable Information
• The eight-run differential snapped a streak of 14 straight games in the series decided by three runs or fewer.
• The Collegiate National Team played at Kaiseizan Stadium for the first time ever.
• All-Star series: USA leads, 24-18
• Series in Japan: Japan leads, 17-3
• Team USA has lost 15 straight series in Japan dating back 40 years.
• Team USA lost its last series in Japan, 3-2, including a 5-4 loss in 10 innings in the deciding Game 5 on July 17, 2016 at Kusanagi Stadium in Shizuoka.
• All-Star series games: Collegiate National Team leads, 133-106-2
• Overall games: Collegiate National Team leads, 156-125-2
• The last four series (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018) have all finished 3-2. Japan won in 2013 and 2016 in Japan, while the Collegiate National Team won in 2017 and 2018 in the United States.
• Team USA has won two straight series vs. Japan, a 3-2 win in 2017 throughout the Northeast United States and a 3-2 win in 2018 in North Carolina and Georgia. 
• The longest series winning streak in the series is five by Team USA from 1973-77.
On Deck
• July 21 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Tokyo, Japan; Meiji Jingu Stadium)
Social
• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
USA	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	7	1
JPN	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0

Win: Detmers (2-0) Loss: Morishita (1-1) Save: Abbott (1)

Box Score | Play-by-Play | Team USA Stats

  IWAKUNI, JAPAN - Three USA Baseball Collegiate National Team pitchers combined on a one-hitter to lead Team USA to a 2-0 win over Japan in Game 3 of the 43rd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series at Kizuna Stadium. Reid Detmers (Louisville) started and threw the first five innings, Cole Wilcox (Georgia) went 2 2/3 innings in relief, and Andrew Abbott (Virginia) earned the saved by throwing the final 1 1/3 innings.
"Reid Detmers gave us a great start, then Cole (Wilcox) and (Andrew) Abbott were really good," said manager Dan McDonnell (Louisville). "We were dominant on the mound."
Detmers struck out four, while allowing only hit, in the first five innings to set the tone for Team USA. Wilcox followed with three strikeouts and Andrew Abbott got out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth before pitching a 1-2-3 ninth.
Japan's only hit came in the first inning from No. 3 hitter Tatsuru Yanagimachi. 
Heston Kjerstad (Arkansas) hit an inside-the-park homer in the fourth inning and Alika Williams (Arizona State) lined a two-out RBI single in the fifth to provide enough offense for Team USA. Kjerstad's homer hit high off the left field wall and the Japan outfielders could not corral it in time as Kjerstad easily ran home for a stand-up inside-the-park homer.
Many Americans were in the stands, including families stationed at the United States Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni located nearby. 
"We really appreciate the Americans who came out today," said McDonnell. "Especially knowing they are over here sacrificing so that we can live in a great country."
Team USA is now one win away from clinching the USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series in Japan for the first time in 40 years. Japan has won 15 straight series against the Collegiate National Team on its home fields. 
The Collegiate National Team and Japan fly to Tokyo this afternoon and buses to Koriyama, Japan, for Game 4 of the series Saturday at Kaiseizan Stadium.
Key Moments
• Heston Kjerstad (Arkansas) hit an inside the park homer fourth on a fly ball off the wall in left field. It got away from the left fielder and Kjerstad easily scored on a stand-up inside-the-park homer.
• Luke Waddell (Georgia Tech) doubled with two outs in the fifth and Alika Williams (Arizona State) drove him in with a line drive single to right field to make it 2-0.
• Andrew Abbott (Virginia) induced a fly out to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning.
Notable Information
• The Collegiate National Team played at Kizuna Stadium for the first time ever.
• All-Star series: USA leads, 24-18
• Series in Japan: Japan leads, 17-3
• Team USA has lost 15 straight series in Japan dating back 40 years.
• Team USA lost its last series in Japan, 3-2, including a 5-4 loss in 10 innings in the deciding Game 5 on July 17, 2016 at Kusanagi Stadium in Shizuoka.
• All-Star series games: Collegiate National Team leads, 133-105-2
• Overall games: Collegiate National Team leads, 156-124-2
• The last four series (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018) have all finished 3-2. Japan won in 2013 and 2016 in Japan, while the Collegiate National Team won in 2017 and 2018 in the United States.
• Team USA has won two straight series vs. Japan, a 3-2 win in 2017 throughout the Northeast United States and a 3-2 win in 2018 in North Carolina and Georgia. 
• The longest series winning streak in the series is five by Team USA from 1973-77.
On Deck
• July 20 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Koriyama, Japan; Kaiseizan Stadium)
• July 21 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Tokyo, Japan; Meiji Jingu Stadium)
Social
• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.

GAME	Collegiate National Team at Japan
TIME	Thursday, 8 p.m. ET (Friday, 9 a.m. local)
LOCATION	Iwakuni, Japan (Kizuna Stadium)

USA: LHP Detmers JPN: TBA

Live Stats | USA Team Stats

IWAKUNI, JAPAN - The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team's Thursday game against Japan at Kizuna Stadium was postponed due to rain. The teams will be back at Kizuna Stadium on Friday at 9 a.m. local time (8 p.m. ET Thursday) for Game 3 of the five-game series. 
The teams are booked to fly to Tokyo later in the afternoon Friday, thus no new inning will start after 11:30 a.m. (10:30 p.m. ET Thursday). The series is scheduled to continue Saturday in Koriyama, Japan and Sunday in Tokyo with Monday serving as a rain date. 
Notable Information
• The Collegiate National Team is scheduled to play at Kizuna Stadium for the first time ever.
• All-Star series: USA leads, 24-18
• Series in Japan: Japan leads, 17-3
• Team USA has lost 15 straight series in Japan dating back 40 years.
• Team USA lost its last series in Japan, 3-2, including a 5-4 loss in 10 innings in the deciding Game 5 on July 17, 2016 at Kusanagi Stadium in Shizuoka.
• All-Star series games: Collegiate National Team leads, 132-105-2
• Overall games: Collegiate National Team leads, 155-124-2
• The last four series (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018) have all finished 3-2. Japan won in 2013 and 2016 in Japan, while the Collegiate National Team won in 2017 and 2018 in the United States.
• Team USA has won two straight series vs. Japan, a 3-2 win in 2017 throughout the Northeast United States and a 3-2 win in 2018 in North Carolina and Georgia. 
• The longest series winning streak in the series is five by Team USA from 1973-77.
On Deck
• July 18 vs. Japan (8 p.m. ET; Iwakuni, Japan; Kizuna Stadium)
• July 20 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Koriyama, Japan; Kaiseizan Stadium)
• July 21 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Tokyo, Japan; Meiji Jingu Stadium)
Social
• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
JPN	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	5	3
USA	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	3	7	0

Win: Abbott (2-1) Loss: Itoh (0-1)

Box Score | Play-by-Play | Series Stats

  IMABARI CITY, JAPAN - Alec Burleson (ECU) hit a walk-off homer Wednesday to lead off the bottom of the ninth and send the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team to a dramatic 3-2 win over Japan at Imabari Municipal Baseball Stadium. It was the first walk-off homer of Burleson's baseball career.
"I hit it and I knew it had the distance," said Burleson. "I was just hoping it would stay fair."
The ball stayed fair and easily cleared the right field wall for the first homer of the series. Team USA tied the best-of-five series, 1-1. 
The Collegiate National Team (7-4) got into position to win the game with an eighth-inning RBI single by Heston Kjerstad (Arkansas) to tie the game 2-2. Japan's pitching had put up six straight zeros before Kjerstad's RBI then Burleson's heroics.
Team USA had another strong night on the mound, which started with four shutout innings from Asa Lacy (Texas A&M). Lacy scattered three hits while striking out five, as Team USA combined to strike out 14 in the game.
"We pitched really well," said manager Dan McDonnell (Louisville). "We had another good outing and we showed toughness."
Andrew Abbott (Virginia) earned the win after throwing a shutout top half of the ninth. He got a big swinging strikeout to end the inning and strand the potential go-ahead run on second base. Burl Carraway (DBU) threw a 1-2-3 eighth and Chris McMahon (Miami) allowed two runs on one hit in three innings of work. 
Team USA and Japan make the trip to Kizuna Stadium in Iwakuni, Japan, for Game 3 of the series Thursday. 
Key Moments
• Team USA scored in the first inning when Spencer Torkelson (Arizona State) drove home Nick Loftin (Baylor) with a sac fly.
• Japan scored twice in the fifth after a leadoff walk. Ryosuke Kodama tripled in the first run on a two-out, two-strike pitch, then scored on a wild pitch. 
• Heston Kjerstad (Arkansas) singled on a line drive over the first baseman's head for an RBI to tie the game 2-2 in the eighth.
• Alec Burleson (ECU) won it in the ninth with the walk-off homer on an up-and-in 2-0 fastball.
Notable Information
• The Collegiate National Team played at Imabari Municipal Baseball Stadium for the first time ever.
• All-Star series: USA leads, 24-18
• Series in Japan: Japan leads, 17-3
• Team USA has lost 15 straight series in Japan dating back 40 years.
• Team USA lost its last series in Japan, 3-2, including a 5-4 loss in 10 innings in the deciding Game 5 on July 17, 2016 at Kusanagi Stadium in Shizuoka.
• All-Star series games: Collegiate National Team leads, 132-105-2
• Overall games: Collegiate National Team leads, 155-124-2
• The last four series (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018) have all finished 3-2. Japan won in 2013 and 2016 in Japan, while the Collegiate National Team won in 2017 and 2018 in the United States.
• Team USA has won two straight series vs. Japan, a 3-2 win in 2017 throughout the Northeast United States and a 3-2 win in 2018 in North Carolina and Georgia. 
• The longest series winning streak in the series is five by Team USA from 1973-77 .
On Deck
• July 18 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Iwakuni, Japan; Kizuna Stadium)
• July 20 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Kooriyama, Japan; Kaiseizan Stadium)
• July 21 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Tokyo, Japan; Meiji Jingu Stadium)
Social
• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.

Sayonara. Game over. @alecburleson9 #ForGlory??

?? 3, ?? 2 | FINAL pic.twitter.com/2plFTACsFJ
- USA Baseball CNT (@USABaseballCNT) July 17, 2019

GAME	Collegiate National Team at Japan
TIME	5 a.m. ET
LOCATION	Imabari City, Japan (Imabari Municipal Stadium)

USA: LHP Lacy JPN: TBA

Live Stats | USA Team Stats

IMABARI CITY, JAPAN - The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team continues the 43rd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series on Wednesday with Game 2 of the five-game series. Japan took Game 1 with a 3-0 shutout Tuesday in Matsuyama, Japan. 
Notable Information
• All-Star series: USA leads, 24-18
• Series in Japan: Japan leads, 17-3
• Team USA has lost 15 straight series in Japan dating back 40 years.
• Team USA lost its last series in Japan, 3-2, including a 5-4 loss in 10 innings in the deciding Game 5 on July 17, 2016 at Kusanagi Stadium in Shizuoka.
• All-Star series games: Collegiate National Team leads, 131-105-2
• Overall games: Collegiate National Team leads, 154-124-2
• The last four series (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018) have all finished 3-2. Japan won in 2013 and 2016 in Japan, while the Collegiate National Team won in 2017 and 2018 in the United States.
• Team USA has won two straight series vs. Japan, a 3-2 win in 2017 throughout the Northeast United States and a 3-2 win in 2018 in North Carolina and Georgia. 
• The longest series winning streak in the series is five by Team USA from 1973-77 .
On Deck
• July 17 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Imabari City, Japan; Imabari Municipal Baseball Stadium)
• July 18 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Iwakuni, Japan; Kizuna Stadium)
• July 20 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Kooriyama, Japan; Kaiseizan Stadium)
• July 21 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Tokyo, Japan; Meiji Jingu Stadium)
Social
• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
USA	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	2
JPN	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	6	1

Win: Morishita (1-0) Loss: Meyer (1-2) Save: Itoh (1-0)

Box Score | Play-by-Play | Team USA Stats

  MATSUYAMA, JAPAN - The 43rd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series started Tuesday night with Japan shutting out the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, 3-0, at Botchan Stadium. Japan opened a 1-0 lead in the five-game series. 
"(Japan) did a great job on the mound," said manager Dan McDonnell (Louisville). "They pitched to both sides of the plate and kept our hitters off balanced. Credit to their pitching staff."
The Collegiate National Team (6-4) was shut out for the first time this summer. Team USA had four hits and struck out 18 times, including nine punchouts by Japan ace Masato Morishita over five innings. 
"We'll play better tomorrow night," said McDonnell. 
Key Moments
• Japan started the scoring in the first inning with an RBI single by No. 3-hole hitter Shugo Maki.
• USA starter Max Meyer (Minnesota) made an error on a bunt in the third inning to plate Japan's second run.
• Heston Kjerstad (Arkansas) tripled to start the seventh inning, but was stranded after three straight strikeouts. 
• Japan's Takashi Umino singled through the left side with two outs in the seventh inning to make it 3-0.
Notable Information
• Overall series: USA leads, 24-18
• Series in Japan: Japan leads, 17-3
• Team USA has lost 15 straight series in Japan dating back 40 years.
• Team USA lost its last series in Japan, 3-2, including a 5-4 loss in 10 innings in the deciding Game 5 on July 17, 2016 at Kusanagi Stadium in Shizuoka.
• All-Star series games: Collegiate National Team leads, 131-105-2
• Overall games: Collegiate National Team leads, 154-124-2
• The last four series (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018) have all finished 3-2. Japan won in 2013 and 2016 in Japan, while the Collegiate National Team won in 2017 and 2018 in the United States.
• Team USA has won two straight series vs. Japan, a 3-2 win in 2017 throughout the Northeast United States and a 3-2 win in 2018 in North Carolina and Georgia. 
• The longest series winning streak in the series is five by Team USA from 1973-77 .
On Deck
• July 17 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Imabari City, Japan; Imabari Municipal Baseball Stadium)
• July 18 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Iwakuni, Japan; Kizuna Stadium)
• July 20 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Kooriyama, Japan; Kaiseizan Stadium)
• July 21 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Tokyo, Japan; Meiji Jingu Stadium)
Social
• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.

GAME	Collegiate National Team at Japan
TIME	Tuesday, 5 a.m. ET
LOCATION	Matsuyama, Japan (Botchan Stadium)

USA: RHP Meyer (1-1) JPN: TBA

Live Stats | USA Team Stats | Japan Team Info

MATSUYAMA, JAPAN - The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team arrived Sunday to Japan for the 43rd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series. Team USA holds a 24-18 advantage in the series, although Japan has won 17 of 20 series in its home country and 15 straight series in Japan over the last 40 years. 
Team USA has won six of its first nine games in 2019, including series wins over Cuba (4-1) and Chinese Taipei (2-1). The team practiced Saturday in Taiwan, traveled Sunday to Japan and plans to practice Monday in preparation for its biggest series of the summer. 
The Collegiate National Team has had a balanced start, hitting .331 as a team for 6.8 runs per game with a 2.68 team ERA and .991 fielding percentage. Heston Kjerstad leads the hitters with a .542/.556/.792 slash line and nine pitchers have an ERA under 2.00.
All five games will be televised nationally in Japan. It is unknown whether a video feed will be available in the United States. Team USA will provide updates via @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and live stats via links on the Collegiate National Team's schedule page.
Notable Information
• Overall series: USA leads, 24-18
• Series in Japan: Japan leads, 17-3
• Team USA has lost 15 straight series in Japan dating back 40 years.
• Team USA lost its last series in Japan, 3-2, including a 5-4 loss in 10 innings in the deciding Game 5 on July 17, 2016 at Kusanagi Stadium
• All-Star series games: Collegiate National Team leads, 131-104-2
• Overall games: Collegiate National Team leads, 154-123-2
• The last four series (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018) have all finished 3-2. Japan won in 2013 and 2016 in Japan, while the Collegiate National Team won in 2017 and 2018 in the United States.
• Team USA has won two straight series vs. Japan, a 3-2 win in 2017 throughout the Northeast United States and a 3-2 win in 2018 in North Carolina and Georgia. 
• The longest series winning streak in the series is five by Team USA from 1973-77 .
On Deck
• July 16 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Matsuyama, Japan; Botchan Stadium)
• July 17 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Imabari City, Japan; Imabari Municipal Baseball Stadium)
• July 18 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Iwakuni, Japan; Kizuna Stadium)
• July 20 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Kooriyama, Japan; Kaiseizan Stadium)
• July 21 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Tokyo, Japan; Meiji Jingu Stadium)
Social
• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.