He’s a Golden Spikes Award Finalist, Unanimous First Team All-American, American Baseball Coaches Association Position Player of the Year, College World Series Runner-Up, and now, a Team USA alumnus.

Jac Caglianone has taken the world of college baseball by storm over the past year, and established himself as one of the most talented two-way players in the game.

The University of Florida left-handed pitcher and first baseman is a force on the mound and at the plate with his 6’5” frame and powerful swing, leading the NCAA with 33 home runs and posting a 1.122 OPS and 4.34 ERA during his second year as a Gator.

Caglianone’s sophomore campaign was capped off by a trip to the Men’s College World Series finals in Omaha, Nebraska, where Florida ultimately fell to Louisiana State University in the championship series which came down to a decisive game three.

“It’s really the stuff that you dream about,” Caglianone said. “Our biggest goal that year was to make it to Omaha and win a ring. We came up just short, but it was a great experience nonetheless.”

At the College World Series, Caglianone was recognized as a Golden Spikes Award finalist – an honor recognizing the top amateur baseball player in the country who exhibits outstanding performances on the field and exemplary sportsmanship off the field.

“You have to put the team's goals first before you enjoy personal success, but being honored for the most prestigious award in college baseball was pretty awesome.”

It was in Omaha that the Tampa, Florida, native received the news that he had been selected as a member of the 2023 Collegiate National Team, a team composed of the top non-draft eligible players in the country. Despite his newfound notoriety, the selection for the CNT was the first time Caglianone had been named to a Team USA roster. 

“It meant everything. I’ve always wanted to represent my country and play with a great group of guys. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. I’m really excited to be a part of this and enjoy my time out here.”

Reaching the Men’s College World Series finals meant that following the final matchup of the three-game series against LSU, Caglianone spent one night in his hometown of Tampa before heading to the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, to compete in international competition against Chinese Taipei in the 20th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series and Japan in the 44th Collegiate All-Star Championship Series.

As he was taking the field and representing the United States for the first time, Caglianone was also getting to know his teammates on the Collegiate National Team, many of whom he played against during the college season.

“Honestly, it’s been surprising how well everybody seemed to click. You’re playing with guys that you played against during the season, so you don’t know if there’d be any animosity, but everybody’s been getting along great and I’ve made some new friends. It’s been awesome.”

Aside from his size and talent, the thing that struck Team USA third base coach and University of Southern California Head Coach Andy Stankiewicz about Caglianone is his character off the field and his exceptional understanding of the game of baseball.

“What I have enjoyed with Jac is getting to know him,” Stankiewicz said. “ He’s down to earth.  He’s a great worker. He's really got a high baseball IQ. He understands the game. He wants to be a good defender as well as a good hitter. He’s very smart on the bases. I'm really impressed with the person as much as I am with the skill set. What a bright future he has.”

As evidenced by Caglianone’s three home runs and eight RBIs in the series against Chinese Taipei and Japan, the sophomore standout continued his trend of powerful plate performances with Team USA.

“He hit a home run dead center last week on one of the pro fields. He’s got raw power that a lot of people don’t have. He’s not just a big guy.”

When asked about life in the spotlight after the conclusion of the college season, Caglianone simply responded that he wants to be a positive influence on the next generation.

“I really just want to be an inspiration for younger kids,” Caglianone said. “Anything is attainable if you work for it, you just have to work hard and put the time in. You’re going to have to make some sacrifices, but it’s all worth it. Just enjoy the game and be present in the moment. It goes too quickly for you to worry about all the failures.”

From the College World Series to the Collegiate National Team, Caglianone’s future is bright. It’s clear that he will continue to shine in whatever environment he is in, whether that be facing the best in college baseball or donning the red, white, and blue in international competition.

Box Score | PxP | Cumulative Stats

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Japan rode another strong pitching performance and a pair of three-run rallies to a 6-2 victory over the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, claiming the 44^th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series, three games to two, Wednesday evening at Joseph Riley Jr. Park.

Haruki Hosono limited Team USA to a pair of runs (one earned) on three hits over 5 2/3 innings, before four pitchers combined on 3 1/3 innings of one-hit, scoreless relief to close out Japan’s second consecutive win in the series.

After Team USA failed to put its leadoff man on base in eight of nine innings in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss in game four of the series, Japan nearly duplicated the feat Wednesday, retiring the first hitter in seven straight innings to start the decisive contest.

Team USA engineered a first-inning rally, scoring a two-out run on a Hosono wild pitch.

But Japan answered with three runs in the second, as two of Team USA’s three errors in the contest came home to roost. Ryuta Hirose doubled home one run, before a fielder’s choice grounder and a throwing error plated two more for a 3-1 Japan lead.

The U.S. sliced the deficit in half with a sixth-inning tally after engineering a two-out threat and capitalizing on a fielding error. But Japan put the game on ice with a three-spot in the eighth, beating out three infield hits and scoring two additional unearned runs.

KEY MOMENTS

• The U.S. plated the game’s first run in the bottom of the first, getting a one-out walk to JJ Wetherholt (West Virginia) and a Kaelen Culpepper (Kansas State) single to set the stage; with two out, Hosono uncorked a pitch that skipped to the backstop, allowing Wetherholt to trot home.
• Japan answered in the top of the second, after an infield hit by Misho Nishikawa and a U.S. fielding error started the inning; Hirose doubled home the tying run, before Yuya Shinto’s bouncer to third brought in the go-ahead run, plus another after a U.S. throwing error.
• Hosono locked into a groove from that point, retiring 10 straight U.S. hitters at one point and 15 of 16 overall after Team USA’s first-inning threat.
• After Hosono sat down the first two U.S. hitters in the sixth, Wetherholt singled, before back-to-back walks loaded the bases; Jac Caglianone’s (Florida) chopper eluded the third baseman, allowing Wetherholt to cross the plate to cut the margin to 3-2.
• The U.S. was able to stay within striking distance thanks to the work of its bullpen, as Michael Massey (Wake Forest) and Ryan Johnson (Dallas Baptist) combined to retire 18 straight batters.
• But Japan snapped that string on Daiuske Nakashima’s leadoff single in the eighth that opened the door to the decisive three-run rally; Ippei Amai and Nishikawa added infield hits, before a two-out error and a Seiya Watanabe RBI double extended the lead to four runs.

NOTEWORTHY

• Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia) went hitless for the first time during the CNT campaign, stopping a nine-game hit streak; the shortstop finished the CNT tour with a .463 batting average and team-best 19 hits.
• Culpepper registered a 2-for-3 performance to lead Team USA; he also finished with a club-best .471 (16-for-34) batting mark for the 10-game campaign.
• Massey retired all nine batters he faced, striking out two over his 3.0 perfect frames.
• Johnson also retired nine straight, finishing his night after allowing one run on one infield single with four punchouts over 3.1 innings.
• After limiting the U.S. to three hits in game four, Japan held Team USA to four hits in the finale.

ON DECK

With the completion of the USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series, Team USA concluded its CNT campaign with a 7-3 overall mark that included a five-game sweep of Chinese Taipei in the International Friendship Series.

Box Score | PxP | Cumulative Stats

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Japan’s Kaito Shimomura held the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team hitless for five innings, before three relievers closed out a 4-3 victory Tuesday evening at Joseph Riley Jr. Park, leveling the 44th Collegiate All-Star Championship Series at two games apiece.

Shimomura retired 12 straight U.S. batters en route to posting five scoreless frames. The right-hander allowed just two first-inning baserunners and a two-out walk in the fifth.

After Team USA responded with three runs in the sixth, Japan answered with three of its own in the home half to reclaim the lead for good. From there, Sho Kusaka struck out three over an inning-and-two-thirds, before Haruki Hosona and Hayato Tsunehiro combined to retire the final four U.S. hitters of the game in succession.

The U.S. did all of its offensive damage in the sixth, riding a Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia) double and a JJ Wetherholt(West Virginia) two-run homer to a one-run lead. Kaelen Culpepper (Kansas State) added a two-out solo shot to extend the lead to 3-1.

But Japan scored the final three runs of the night, using RBI singles from Rui Muneyama and Ryuta Hirose to reclaim the lead in the home half of the sixth.

KEY MOMENTS

• Shimomura faced his biggest threat in the opening frame after hitting a pair of U.S. batters; but the right-hander recorded the first of his four strikeouts and induced a comebacker for the final out of the inning.
• Team USA starter Trey Yesavage (East Carolina) nearly equaled Shimomura, retiring 10 of the first 11 batters of the game in order.
• Seiya Watanabe was the lone Japan hitter to reach in the first three innings, clubbing a one-out home run to left in the bottom of the second for the lone run of the first five frames.
• After Shimomura’s exit after the fifth, O’Ferrall and Wetherholt put the U.S. on the board in a blink; O’Ferrall lined a double to left on a two-strike offering, before Wetherholt launched an 0-1 pitch over the wall in left-center.
• Culpepper added to the lead with his team-leading third home run of the CNT campaign to stretch the U.S. advantage to two runs.
• Ippei Amai started Japan’s decisive sixth-inning rally with a leadoff double to left, before Muneyama’s one-out single brought him home to slice the deficit in half.
• Misho Nishikawa added a third hit, before Watanabe’s ground ball to the right side tied the game and Hirose’s two-out, RBI single plated the go-ahead run.
• Kusaka fanned three of the first four batters he faced before walking Wetherholt in the eighth; Hosono induced an inning-ending ground ball to second to preserve the narrow lead.
• Tsunehiro closed out the victory by fanning two of the three U.S. hitters to come to the plate in a 1-2-3 ninth.

NOTEWORTHY

• O’Ferrall extended his CNT hit streak to nine-straight games, finishing 1-for-4.
• Wetherholt reched base in three of his four trips to the plate, going 1-for-2 with two RBIs.
• Yesavage allowed just one hit—the Watanabe homer in the second—and struck out three over his 4.0 innings.
• Jay Woolfork (Virginia) worked around a leadoff error—just the third U.S. error defensive miscue in its nine contests—in his lone inning of work, a scoreless fifth.
• Tyson Neighbors (Kansas State) worked a perfect eighth for Team USA, coaxed a trio of ground balls to keep the deficit at one run.

ON DECK

• Team USA will conclude its 2023 CNT season with the fifth and deciding game of the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Wednesday (July 12) at 6:30 p.m. ET at Joseph Riley Jr. Park.
• Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team’s series with Japan can be found HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2023 Collegiate National Team.

CARY, N.C. – Nineteen USA Baseball alumni were selected in the first round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Sunday night, including first overall pick Paul Skenes. USA Baseball has now had 569 total athletes drafted in the first round since 1972, and 2023 marks the 20th time in the last 23 years that the first overall pick played for Team USA.

Skenes (No. 1, Pittsburgh Pirates) is the 37th USA Baseball national team alumnus to be selected first overall and the second consecutive player to do so, joining last year’s top pick, Jackson Holliday. Other first overall picks who have donned the red, white, and blue include 2023 MLB All-Stars Gerrit Cole (2011), Dansby Swanson (2015), and Adley Rutschman (2019). Pittsburgh has now selected a USA Baseball alum four of the five times it has owned the first pick of the Draft (Jeff King [1986], Kris Benson [1996], Bryan Bullington [2002], and Cole [2011].

The next seven picks following Skenes were also USA Baseball alumni, marking the most consecutive alumni selections to open an MLB Draft since 2007 (nine). Four-time Team USA alum and 2023 Golden Spikes Award winner Dylan Crews went second overall to the Washington Nationals, followed by Max Clark (No. 3, Detroit Tigers). Wyatt Langford was the Texas Rangers’ pick at No. 4, and Walker Jenkins went to the Minnesota Twins at fifth overall.

A pair of 2022 Collegiate National Team members went with the next two picks, as Jacob Wilson went sixth to the Oakland Athletics and the Cincinnati Reds took Rhett Lowder with the seventh pick. Two-time Team USA alum Blake Mitchell capped the eight-consecutive pick streak, going eighth overall to the Kansas City Royals.

Four Team USA alumni were then taken off the board consecutively beginning with the 14th pick, which saw two-time Collegiate National Team alum Kyle Teel get selected by the Boston Red Sox. Jacob Gonzalez was the next pick at 15th overall to the Chicago White Sox, followed by Bryce Eldridge going 16th to the San Francisco Giants. The Baltimore Orioles chose Enrique Bradfield Jr. at No. 17 and Brayden Taylor went 19th to the Tampa Bay Rays, making it four 2022 Collegiate National Team teammates drafted in a six-pick span.

Colt Emerson was the Seattle Mariners’ pick at No. 22 before five more USA Baseball alumni were selected in the Draft’s first round: Ralphy Velazquez (No. 23, Cleveland Guardians), Hurston Waldrep (No. 24, Atlanta Braves), Aidan Miller (No. 27, Philadelphia Phillies), Kendall George (No. 36, Los Angeles Dodgers), and Kevin McGonigle (No. 37, Detroit Tigers).

Four of USA Baseball’s national team programs were represented in Sunday night’s opening round. The Collegiate National Team had 10 representatives, the 18U National Team featured nine players, four athletes were previously members of the 12U squad, and the 15U National Team had two players chosen.

Additionally, 11 participants of the USA Baseball National Team Development Program (NTDP) were selected in the first round, including five players who participated in the 2021 event. Twenty-one players chosen in the first round played in MLB/USA Baseball’s Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League, with 18 of those players competing at the event in 2022.

The full list of USA Baseball alumni selected in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft is as follows:

Round-Pick; Name; MLB Team; USA Baseball National Team(s)

• 1-1; Paul Skenes; Pittsburgh Pirates; 2014 12U, 2021 & 2022 Collegiate
• 1-2; Dylan Crews; Washington Nationals; 2017 15U, 2018 18U, 2021 & 2022 Collegiate
• 1-3; Max Clark; Detroit Tigers; 2022 18U
• 1-4; Wyatt Langford; Texas Rangers; 2022 Collegiate
• 1-5; Walker Jenkins; Minnesota Twins; 2021 18U
• 1-6; Jacob Wilson; Oakland Athletics; 2022 Collegiate
• 1-7; Rhett Lowder; Cincinnati Reds; 2022 Collegiate
• 1-8; Blake Mitchell; Kansas City Royals; 2021 & 2022 18U
• 1-14; Kyle Teel; Boston Red Sox; 2021 & 2022 Collegiate
• 1-15; Jacob Gonzalez; Chicago White Sox; 2022 Collegiate
• 1-16; Bryce Eldridge; San Francisco Giants; 2022 18U
• 1-17; Enrique Bradfield Jr.; Baltimore Orioles; 2022 Collegiate
• 1-19; Brayden Taylor; Tampa Bay Rays; 2022 Collegiate
• 1-22; Colt Emerson; Seattle Mariners; 2017 12U, 2022 18U
• 1-23; Ralphy Velazquez; Cleveland Guardians; 2016 & 2017 12U
• 1-24; Hurston Waldrep; Atlanta Braves; 2022 Collegiate
• 1-27; Aidan Miller; Philadelphia Phillies; 2016 12U, 2019 15U, 2022 18U
• 1-36; Kendall George; Los Angeles Dodgers; 2022 18U
• 1-37; Kevin McGonigle; Detroit Tigers; 2022 18U

Box Score | PxP | Cumulative Stats

CARY, N.C. – Powered by Luke Holman’s 10 strikeouts, three USA Baseball Collegiate National Team pitchers combined on a four-hit, 5-0 shutout of Japan Sunday evening at Coleman Field, handing the U.S. a two-games-to-one advantage in the 44th Collegiate All-Star Championship Series.

Holman notched his second victory of the CNT campaign, holding Japan in check throughout the first five innings, before Ben Abeldt (TCU) and Brandon Neely (Florida) combined to lock down the victory with four innings of two-hit relief.

Kaelen Culpepper (Kansas State) paced the U.S. offense with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate, while Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia) came through with two hits, including a critical two-run triple in the seventh that turned a one-run Team USA lead into a 3-0 cushion.

With the victory, Team USA needs one victory in its final two contests with Japan to clinch the series win.

KEY MOMENTS

• Holman and Japan starter Hayato Tsunehiro dominated the early innings, allowing a total of three hits between them while facing just two over the minimum through three scoreless frames.
• Holman allowed back-to-back, one-out baserunners in the second, but kept Japan off the board with the first two of four consecutive strikeouts; the right-hander also worked around a leadoff double by Rui Muneyama in the top of the fourth, retiring three straight batters to extinguish the threat.
• Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M) put the U.S. on the board in the fourth by beating out a fielder’s choice RBI grounder, after Charlie Condon (Georgia) walked and Culpepper lined his second single of the game to left to set up the scoring opportunity.
• Holman finished with a flourish, striking out the side in the fifth to end his outing, before Abeldt worked around a pair of hits and a walk in the sixth, getting a lift from catcher Ryan Stafford (Cal Poly), who picked a runner off second to help derail the rally.
• The U.S. generated a three-run rally in the seventh to gain some breathing room, as four straight batters reached safely after Kenichi Murata retired the first two U.S. hitters of the inning; Braden Montgomery (Stanford) started the rally with a base hit to right-center, before a walk to Stafford brought O’Ferrall to the plate.
• O’Ferrall lined a 1-1 offering into the gap in right-center to chase home both baserunners; JJ Wetherholt (West Virginia) followed with a base hit to score O’Ferrall with the fourth Team USA run of the night.
• Culpepper’s third single of the game sparked an eighth-inning threat; Seaver King (Wake Forest) lofted a sacrifice fly to left to make it a 5-0 game after Culpepper swiped second and moved to third on LaViolette’s base hit to right.

NOTEWORTHY

• O’Ferrall finished 2-for-4, marking his sixth multi-hit performance in eight CNT games.
• Holman allowed just three baserunners—a single and a walk in the second, followed by a double in the fourth—while recording the top strikeout total by a Team USA pitcher in the club's eight games to date.
• Holman hiked his CNT strikeout total to a club-high 15, which is seven more K’s than any other pitcher on the staff has posted.
• Holman, Abeldt and Neely combined to fan 12 Japan hitters, marking the second-consecutive game the U.S. has registered a double-digit strikeout total and the fifth such total in its eight games.
• Like O’Ferrall, Culpepper extended his CNT hit streak to eight straight games with his third three-hit performance of the campaign.
• Tonight’s game represents the fifth contest in which the U.S. has surrendered five hits or less; Team USA has yet to allow more than eight hits in a game.

ON DECK

• The scene will shift for the final two contests of the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), with game four slated for 6:30 p.m. ET, Tuesday (July 11) at Joseph Riley Jr. Park in Charleston, S.C.
• Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team’s series with Japan can be found HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2023 Collegiate National Team.

Box Score | PxP | Cumulative Stats

CARY, N.C. – Powered by a five-run, fourth-inning rally and another strong performance from its pitching staff, the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team evened the 44thCollegiate All-Star Championship Series with an 8-5 victory over Japan Saturday night at Coleman Field.

One day after being held to its lowest run total of the CNT campaign, Team USA scored eight times over a two-inning span, highlighted byRodney Green Jr.’s(Cal) two-out grand slam that punctuated the decisive fourth-inning outburst.

The U.S. also benefited from a strong mound effort to avenge its game one setback to Japan, as three pitchers joined forces to allow just one run on three hits over the first eight frames.Drew Beam(Tennessee) permitted a single run over the first four frames, beforeFran Oschell III(Duke) andHagen Smith(Arkansas) combined to log 4.0 hitless innings of relief.

KEY MOMENTS

• Charlie Condon (Georgia) sparked the game’s key rally with a one-out solo shot that handed the U.S. a 1-0 lead in the fourth.
• Jac Caglianone *(Florida) contributed a hit in each of the U.S.’s two scoring rallies, including a base hit following Condon’s homer to ignite the offense; *Kaelen Culpepper (Kansas State) added a hit, and Seaver King (Wake Forest) beat out an infield single to load the bases with two out.
• Green then worked a full count against Sho Kusaka before launching a no-doubter over the right-field wall to extend the U.S. advantage to 5-0.
• Japan loaded the bases in the bottom half of the fourth, before Kuyto Ueda’s sac fly plated a run to snap Beam’s shutout bid.
• Team USA struck for three more in the fifth, as Griff O’Ferrall’s (Virginia) leadoff single started another scoring opportunity; JJ Wetherholt (West Virginia) drew a walk, and Caglianone’s second hit of the game brought in the sixth U.S. run of the night.
• King capped the rally with a two-run single to shallow right-center, stretching the U.S. lead to 8-1.
• Japan mounted a late charge, scoring four times in the ninth and putting the potential tying run on base before Brandon Neely (Florida) closed out the win with a strikeout to leave the bases loaded.

NOTEWORTHY

• Beam earned his second win of the CNT campaign, striking out four and allowing just one run on three hits in his four innings.
• Both O’Ferrall and Condon recorded hits, extending their CNT hit streaks to seven games apiece.
• The U.S. gashed Japan pitching for 12 hits, including two-hit performances from Ryan Stafford (Cal Poly), O’Ferrall, Caglianone and King.
• Japan put a runner in scoring position in just one of the first eight innings and didn’t record its first extra-base hit until the ninth inning.
• The six U.S. hurlers who appeared in the contest combined for 12 strikeouts, with Oschell matching Beam’s four K’s to lead the way.

ON DECK

• The USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., will host game three of the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), Sunday (July 9) at 5 p.m. ET.
• Games four and five of the series will be played at Joseph Riley Jr. Park in Charleston, S.C., on July 11 and 12.
• Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team’s series with Japan can be found HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2023 Collegiate National Team.

Box Score | PxP | Cumulative Stats

CARY, N.C. – Japan used a three-run fourth inning and a shutdown pitching performance to hand the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team a 5-2 setback Friday evening in the opening game of the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series at Coleman Field.

Kaito Shimomura and Natsuki Takeuchi combined to strike out eight batters and hold Team USA to seven hits, with each allowing just a single run.

Japan led 1-0 after three innings when doubles by Misho Nishikawa and Kyuto Ueda on consecutive pitches ignited a three-run rally, from which the U.S. never recovered. 

KEY MOMENTS

• Japan grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second after Yuyo Shinto lined a two-out double to right-center to bring in Ueda all the way from first.
• Back-to-back doubles by Nishikawa and Ueda on the first two pitches of the fourth from U.S. starting pitcher Ryan Johnson (Dallas Baptist) led to the second Japan run of the night.
• A walk to Tai Sasaki, followed by the third double of the inning—a liner into the right-center field gap off the bat of Ryuta Hirose—stretched the lead further, and Shinto’s bouncer to the right side plated a third run in the inning to make it a 4-0 game.
• Team USA answered in the home half of the fourth, putting its first run of the night on the board courtesy of a 440-foot Jac Caglianone (Florida) home run that cleared the scoreboard in right-center field.
• The U.S. manufactured a second run in the eighth after Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia) drew a leadoff walk against Takeuchi; a wild pitch and a balk moved the runner to third, and Charlie Condon (Georgia) brought O’Ferrall home with a sacrifice fly to center.
• Hirosi answered the U.S. tally with a leadoff homer to left on the first pitch of the ninth inning to establish a three-run cushion for Japan once again.

NOTEWORTHY

• Matt Ager (UC Santa Barbara) kept the U.S. within striking distance by retiring 10 hitters in a row and 13 of 14 overall; in all, the right-hander allowed a single run on three hits over his 4 1/3 innings of relief.
• Johnson logged a pair of scoreless innings and finished his night permitting three runs on four hits in his three-plus frames.
• O’Ferrall, who hit .619 in Team USA’s five-game sweep over Chinese Taipei, recorded a hit in his sixth-consecutive game to open the CNT slate.
• Condon registered a hit in his sixth straight game as well, finishing 1-for-3 with an RBI.
• Caglianone’s fourth-inning home run marked his second of the CNT season and was clocked at an exit velocity of 116 mph.
• Three Japan hitters recorded two-hit games, including a 2-for-4, 2-RBI performance by Hirose.
• In addition to its strong effort on the mound, Japan turned a pair of double plays to thwart U.S. scoring opportunities and played error-free defense in the contest.
• The U.S. continued its standout defensive start to the campaign as well, logging its fifth error-free game in six outings.

ON DECK 

• The USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., will host games two and three of the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), Saturday (July 8) and Sunday (July 9), while games four and five of the series will be played at Joseph Riley Jr. Park in Charleston on July 11 and 12.
• Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team’s series with Japan can be found HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2023 Collegiate National Team.

Box Score | PxP | Cumulative Stats

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – In a preview of the Fourth of July fireworks that followed the contest, Charlie Condon’s (Georgia) two-run single in the bottom of the seventh handed the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team a thrilling 7-6 walk-off victory over Chinese Taipei Tuesday evening at Segra Stadium.

The late rally sealed Team USA’s fifth-straight win over Chinese Taipei, completing a clean sweep of the two clubs’ 20th International Friendship Series.

It would take a star-spangled rally for the U.S. to rally from a two-run, sixth-inning deficit after Chinese Taipei scored three times in the top of the frame to claim its first lead in the series.

One of Team USA’s brightest stars throughout the series ignited the comeback, as Kaelen Culpepper (Kansas State) delivered a leadoff single in the home half of the sixth. He would come home on a Jac Caglianone (Florida) ground ball to slice the deficit in half heading into the final inning of the weather-shortened series finale.

Two more U.S. stalwarts, Seaver King (Wake Forest) and Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia) wasted no time in electrifying the holiday crowd by coming through with back-to-back singles to open the seventh. A passed ball allowed O’Ferrall to move into scoring position, setting up Condon’s sharp liner through the left side of the infield to chase home both the tying and winning runs.

O’Ferrall’s game-winning tally marked his ninth run of the series, as the shortstop finished the five-game set with a blistering .619 batting mark to lead all hitters. Condon was equally as impressive at the plate, driving in his eighth and ninth runs of the series, which also represented a series best.  

KEY MOMENTS

• Just as it had in each of the first four contests of the series, the U.S. struck first after O’Ferrall drew a leadoff walk to start the home half of the first, moved to third on a JJ Wetherholt (West Virginia) base hit and scored on Condon’s double-play grounder.
• Chinese Taipei drew even in the second, as Wen-Hsio Ma hit his second home run of the series to tie it up at 1-1.
• Following an 89-minute weather delay after rain and lightning halted play in the top of the second, the U.S. kicked its offense into gear in the bottom of the second; following a Chinese Taipei error, Braden Montgomery(Stanford) belted a long two-run homer to right to hand Team USA a 3-1 advantage.
• But the visitors battled back as they would throughout the contest, erasing the two-run U.S. cushion on Yu Wei Kao’s two-out double to right in the third.
• Team USA reclaimed the lead in the fifth, thanks to a one-out triple by King and another clutch hit by O’Ferrall.
• The one-run advantage would be short-lived, however; Chinese Taipei responded with its biggest rally of the series in the sixth, sending nine hitters to the plate as part of a three-run surge.
• With one on and two out, Chun Kai Liao singled, before Jui Mu Chen coaxed one of three walks handed out by U.S. pitchers in the inning to load the bases; Min Sih Chen beat out an infield chopper to plate the tying run, before a bases-loaded walk and another infield single brought in the go-ahead runs.

NOTEWORTHY

• Brandon Neely (Florida) fanned two of the three hitters he faced in a perfect fifth inning, finishing the series with five punchouts in his 2.0 innings of work.
• Jay Woolfork (Virginia) also registered a 1-2-3 inning of relief—his second in the series—to keep the U.S. within one run late in the contest.
• O’Ferrall logged his fourth multi-hit game of the series, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, finishing the series 13-of-21 at the plate.
• Culpepper also torched Chinese Taipei pitching to the tune of a .533 (8-of-15) batting mark, while King also notched a two-hit performance in the victory.
• Team USA batted .333 as a team and outscored Chinese Taipei 46-11 in the series, with eight different hitters finishing with batting averages of .300 or better.
• U.S. pitching also registered a strong week, logging a 2.41 ERA while limiting the opposition to .176 hitting in the series.
• Of the 19 Team USA hurlers who made mound appearances, 13 turned in scoreless series.

ON DECK

• The USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., will host the opening three games of the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series, July 7-9, while games four and five of the series will be played at Joseph Riley Jr. Park in Charleston on July 11 and 12.
• Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team’s series with Japan can be found HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2023 Collegiate National Team.

Box Score | PxP

DURHAM, N.C. – Behind another big night from its offense and more shutdown pitching, the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team ran away with its fourth-consecutive win in the 20th International Friendship Series, routing Chinese Taipei by a 17-1 score in seven innings on Monday evening at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia) continued his torrid start to the CNT tour, logging his third multi-hit performance of the series with a 4-for-5 night and four runs batted in. Kaelen Culpepper (Kansas State) added three hits—including a pair of home runs—and matched O’Ferrall with four RBIs.

Team USA scored four times in the second to take an early lead, then plated seven runs in the fifth to establish a double-digit lead that Chinese Taipei would never seriously threaten.

Chinese Taipei scored its only run in the fourth, snapping an 18-inning scoreless streak that extended back to the fourth inning of game two.

However, after allowing just one baserunner in Sunday’s game three shutout victory, four U.S. pitchers combined to limit the opposition to five hits. Luke Holman fanned five in 3.0 scoreless innings and Ben Abeldt (TCU) struck out five of the six hitters he faced over two perfect frames.

KEY MOMENTS

• Malcolm Moore’s (Stanford) one-out hot shot back to the mound went for an infield single to ignite Team USA’s four-run second; Seaver King (Wake Forest) followed with an RBI triple into the right-field corner to open the scoring.
• With two out, O’Ferrall delivered his second consecutive single to drive in King, and *JJ Wetherholt *(West Virginia) hit the first pitch he saw over the right-field wall for a two-run shot that made it a 4-0 game.
• A leadoff walk to Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M), followed by a hit batsman and a Culpepper infield single, loaded the bases with nobody out in the third; Chinese Taipei reliever Kai Hsiang Hsu recorded back-to-back strikeouts to nearly escape the inning unscathed, but Rodney Green Jr. (Cal) coaxed a free pass to force home the fifth U.S. run of the night.
• Chinese Taipei put its only notch in the scoring column in the fourth, snapping a string of 18 consecutive scoreless frames from Team USA pitching. Yu Wei Kao doubled to start the inning, before Tai Lin Tsai brought him home with a two-out two-bagger to left.
• The U.S. broke the game wide open in the fifth, sending 11 batters to the plate; Culpepper sparked the outburst with the first of his two homers to lead off the inning, before O’Ferrall drove home two with a base hit and Charlie Condon (Georgia) launched a one-out grand slam to extend the margin to 12-1.
• Culpepper added a two-run shot in the seventh, and O’Ferrall capped the scoring with another run-scoring base hit to secure the 17-1 victory.

NOTEWORTHY

• Five Team USA hitters logged at least two hits in the victory; in addition to O’Ferrall’s four hits and Culpepper’s three, LaViolette added a 2-for-3 night, Moore finished 2-for-5 with three runs scored, and King went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
• Four U.S. hitters recorded multi-RBI nights as well, led by four apiece from O’Ferrall, Condon and Culpepper and complemented by Wetherholt’s two RBIs.
• O’Ferrall hiked his club-best batting average to .611 (11-for-18) in the series.
• The U.S. clubbed four home runs and has out-homered Chinese Taipei by a 10-1 margin over the four games.
• Team USA pitchers struck out a series-high 13 batters in just seven innings and have totaled 42 K’s while issuing just five walks over 34.0 total innings vs. Chinese Taipei.

ON DECK

• The fifth and final game of the 20th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) will be held Tuesday (July 4) at 6 p.m., at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville.
• The National Training Complex will host the opening three games of the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series from July 7-9, while games four and five of the series will be played at Joseph Riley Jr. Park in Charleston on July 11 and 12.
• Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team, including all tickets to Team USA’s games against Chinese Taipei and Japan, can be found HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2023 Collegiate National Team.

Box Score | PxP | Cumulative Stats

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Another dominant pitching performance and a 13-hit barrage carried the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team to its third consecutive victory over Chinese Taipei—a 10-0 rout on Sunday evening at Atrium Health Ballpark.

Ryan Johnson (Dallas Baptist) retired the first 11 batters of the game, before four U.S. relievers dispatched the final 15 Chinese Taipei hitters in succession to finish the one-hit shutout. In all, Team USA pitching allowed just one baserunner in the game—a two-out single by Han Lin in the fourth—to help secure the International Friendship Series win.

The U.S. turned in a strong effort at the plate as well, with Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia) leading the pack with his second three-hit performance of the series. The Virginia shortstop sparked Team USA’s first inning scoring rally with a leadoff single, swiping second then coming around on Charlie Condon’s (Georgia) RBI single.

Condon added a pair of doubles in back-to-back innings, including Team USA’s four-run third that turned a 1-0 game into a five-run U.S. advantage. 

O’Ferrall doubled as part of that rally as well, finishing the night just a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. He clubbed his first home run of the series in the sixth—the first of three Team USA round-trippers in the contest. Jac Caglianone (Florida) followed suit later in the sixth, before Braden Montgomery (Stanford) launched a two-run shot in the seventh to stretch the lead to double digits.

KEY MOMENTS

• Condon lined an RBI single down the left-field line to open the scoring, after O’Ferrall’s leadoff single and steal of second started the Team USA first.
• The U.S. inflicted its biggest damage in the third, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring four times; O’Ferrall once again sparked the scoring opportunity, this time with a leadoff double to left, before Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M) brought him home with a run-scoring single.
• A Condon double and a Caglianone sacrifice fly made it a 3-0 game, before Duce Gourson’s (UCLA) RBI single and a two-out wild pitch chased home two more baserunners.
• Condon ignited the offense with a two-out double in the fourth and Kaelen Culpepper (Kansas State) brought him in with a base hit to left for a 6-0 U.S. bulge.
• O’Ferrall led off another U.S. scoring rally in the sixth with a home run to left, and Caglianone lofted a 435-foot moon shot to center for an eight-run lead.
• Montgomery’s two-run shot to right-center capped the scoring in the seventh, cementing the victory for the U.S.

NOTEWORTHY

• Johnson struck out five over 4.0 near-perfect innings, before Hagen Smith (Arkansas) sat down six straight hitters in his 2.0 innings.
• Jay Woolfolk *(Virginia), *Omar Melendez (Alabama State) and Xavier Meachem (NC A&T) each turned in a perfect inning to close out the victory.
• Montgomery added a 2-for-4 night to complement the multi-hit performances of O’Ferrall and Condon.
• The five U.S. hurlers combined for nine strikeouts without issuing a walk; through three games in the series, Team USA pitching has totaled 29 punchouts while handing out just three free passes and limiting Chinese Taipei to a collective .140 batting mark.
• Through three games in the series, O’Ferrall has batted .538 average (7-for-13) after finishing 3-for-4 in game three, while Culpepper leads all hitters with his .571 batting mark.
• Condon doubled twice as part of his 3-for-4 effort and has hits in 6-of-12 at-bats in the series.
• LaViolette has driven in at least one run in each of the three contests and leads all hitters with five RBIs.
• The U.S. has outscored Chinese Taipei 22-4, including a 6-1 advantage in home runs in the series.

ON DECK

• Game four of the 20th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) will be held Monday (July 3) at 6:35 p.m., at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham.
• The five-game International Friendship Series will continue through Tuesday (July 4), with the two clubs squaring off at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville.
• The National Training Complex will host the opening three games of the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series from July 7-9, while games four and five of the series will be played at Joseph Riley Jr. Park in Charleston on July 11 and 12.
• Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team, including all tickets to Team USA’s games against Chinese Taipei and Japan, can be found HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2023 Collegiate National Team.

Box Score | PxP | Cumulative Stats

DURHAM, N.C. – The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team used another strong pitching performance and a tie-breaking two-run homer by Charlie Condon (Georgia) to notch a 5-1 decision for its second consecutive win in the 20th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series Saturday evening at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Tied at 1-1 in the fifth inning, Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M) coaxed a one-out walk, before Condon launched a 3-1 offering from Qing Shao Ba well over the wall in left-center for the go-ahead two-run shot.

LaViolette, who delivered the go-ahead two-run homer in Friday’s series opener, added a second round-tripper two innings later when he sent a laser down the right-field line to drive in two to stretch the U.S. lead to four runs.

The CNT pitching staff would take care of the rest, as Drew Beam (Tennessee), Matt Ager (UC Santa Barbara) and Brandon Neely (Florida) combined to hold CTBA scoreless over the final six frames.

Kaelen Culpepper (Kansas State), who produced the first Team USA run of the day with a two-out single in the second, paced the U.S. offense with a 3-for-4 night at the dish.

KEY MOMENTS

• Team USA struck first for the second night in a row, taking advantage of a walk to Malcolm Moore (Stanford) in the second when Culpepper drilled a two-out offering off the wall in left for a run-scoring single.
• Beam turned in two perfect frames to start the game, but a two-out base hit by Yi Jia Liu brought home the equalizing run in the third.
• With one out and one on in the fifth, Condon came through with a towering drive that snapped the 1-1 deadlock and handed the U.S. the lead for good.
• Culpepper tripled to right in the sixth for his third hit of the game.
• LaViolette extended Team USA’s lead with his second home run of the series.
• Beam allowed just one run on three hits over his 4.0 innings, before Ager added three shutout innings to earn the victory.
• Neely closed out the night with 2.0 dominant innings, allowing just one baserunner while fanning four hitters.

NOTEWORTHY

• LaViolette homered, scored twice and drove in two runs for the second consecutive game.
• In his first action of the series for the U.S., Culpepper singled twice and tripled to register the second three-hit game by a CNT player in the series, joining Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia), who accomplished the feat in Friday’s victory.
• O’Ferrall leads all hitters in the series with his .444 (4-for-9) batting average through the first two games.
• U.S. pitching has struck out 20 batters and allowed just four runs over 18.0 innings through the first two games, good for a 2.00 staff ERA.

ON DECK

• Game three of the 20th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation Baseball will be held Sunday (July 2) at 6 p.m., at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis.
• The five-game International Friendship Series will continue through Tuesday, with games at DBAP in Durham (July 3) and Segra Stadium in Fayetteville (July 4).
• The National Training Complex will host the opening three games of the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series from July 7-9, while games four and five of the series will be played at Joseph Riley Jr. Park in Charleston on July 11 and 12.
• Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team Training Camp, along with all tickets to Team USA’s games against Chinese Taipei and Japan, can be found HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2023 Collegiate National Team Training Camp.

Box Score | PxP | Cumulative Stats

CARY, N.C. – The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team opened the 20th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series with a 7-3 victory Friday evening at the National Training Complex.

Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M) broke up a scoreless pitcher’s duel with a two-run homer in the fifth, before singling to spark a five-run rally in the eighth that ultimately put the game out of reach.

A trio of Team USA hurlers consisting of starting pitcher Trey Yesavage (East Carolina) and relievers Fran Oschel III (Duke) and Christian Coppola (Rutgers), teamed up to blank CTBA on four hits through the first seven innings.

After a two-out home run ended the CNT’s shutout bid in the top of the eighth, the home club pushed five runs across the plate in the home half of the inning.

Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia) paced Team USA’s 11-hit attack, finishing 3-for-5 with a pair of steals.

KEY MOMENTS

• Yesavage and Oschel joined forces to work out of a two-on, nobody-out jam in the third after back-to-back Chinese Taipei singles started the inning.
• Yesavage coaxed a 5-3 double-play grounder for the first two outs of the frame, before Oschel induced an inning-ending pop up to keep the game scoreless.
• Oschel proceeded to strike out four of the next five Chinese Taipei hitters before hitting Hsiao Yun Chen with a 1-2 pitch in the fifth; the right-hander won a 12-pitch battle with Yi Jia Liu for the final out of the inning.
• With two out in the home half of the fifth, O’Ferrall lined his second hit of the game up the middle, setting up LaViolette’s 410-foot blast to right-center that handed the U.S. a 2-0 lead.
• Four Team USA pitchers held Chinese Taipei scoreless over the first 7 2/3 innings, before a two-out solo shot off the bat of Wen-Hsio Ma made it a 2-1 game.
• The U.S. responded, using back-to-back singles from LaViolette and Charlie Condon (Georgia) to initiate the game’s key rally; a defensive miscue on a Jac Caglianone (Florida) chopper allowed the first run to cross the plate, and a pair of walks forced home a second.
• Ryan Stafford’s (Cal Poly) fielder’s choice pop up to shallow right brought in a third run, before consecutive singles from Rodney Green Jr. (Cal) and O’Ferrall capped the scoring.
• Chinese Taipei strung together three straight hits to spark a two-run outburst of its own in the ninth, but right-hander Tyson Neighbors (Kansas State) induced a pair of ground balls to extinguish the threat.

NOTEWORTHY

• Yesavage allowed three singles over 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out a pair of hitters.
• Oschel finished with four punchouts over 2.1 hitless frames to earn the victory and combined with Coppola to hold Chinese Taipei to one hit over 4 1/3 innings of relief.
• Chinese Taipei recorded double plays in three consecutive innings to negate CNT scoring opportunities in the fifth, sixth and seventh.
• LaViolette finished 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs to complement O’Ferrall’s three-hit performance.
• Six Team USA pitchers combined to strike out 10 Chinese Taipei hitters.
• Eight of nine hitters in the CNT’s starting lineup recorded at least one hit, while five drove in a run.

ON DECK

• Game two of the 20th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation Baseball will be held Saturday (July 1) at 6:35 p.m., at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham.
• The five-game International Friendship Series will continue through July 4, with games at DBAP in Durham (July 1 and July 3), Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis (July 2) and Segra Stadium in Fayetteville (July 4).
• The National Training Complex will host the opening three games of the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series from July 7-9, while games four and five of the series will be played at Joseph Riley Jr. Park in Charleston on July 11 and 12.
• Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team Training Camp, along with all tickets to Team USA’s games against Chinese Taipei and Japan, can be found HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2023 Collegiate National Team Training Camp.

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today announced the 31-man Collegiate National Team roster that will represent Team USA in a pair of five-game series with Chinese Taipei and Japan from June 30-July 12 at various venues across the Carolinas. The final squad was named after the completion of the 2023 Collegiate National Team Training Camp, a four-game intrasquad series played at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

This year’s Collegiate National Team is led by Manager Larry Lee, who is making his Team USA managerial debut in 2023. Lee is joined on staff by Brady Austin (East Carolina), Reggie Christiansen (Sacramento State), Thomas Eager (Stanford), Andy Stankiewicz (USC), and José Vázquez (Alabama State).

“After the most talented and competitive Training Camp, the staff completed a grueling selection  process to get to the final roster today,” said Lee. “Our roster is full of extremely talented and capable baseball players, and we are focused on representing the United States well in international competition. We are looking forward to getting our series against Chinese Taipei started tomorrow night here in Cary.”

Carter Holton (Vanderbilt) will make his second consecutive appearance on the Collegiate National Team after helping the 2022 squad earn bronze at Honkbalweek Haarlem in The Netherlands last summer. Additionally, Drew Beam (Tennessee), Braden Montgomery (Stanford), and Hagen Smith (Arkansas) have each clinched a spot on the final roster after participating in Training Camp for the second straight year.

In addition, the roster features a pair of players who have past experience at the USA Baseball National Team Development Program (NTDP). Christian Moore (Tennessee) and Malcolm Moore (Stanford) have both participated in the 16U NTDP, while Malcolm and Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M) both earned invitations to the Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League in 2021.

Additionally, this year’s roster features 10 players who participated in the 2023 College World Series, highlighted by Golden Spikes Award finalist Jac Caglianone (Florida), who helped the Gators reach the championship series. Other participants include Ben Abeldt (TCU), Beam, Michael Massey (Wake Forest), Brandon Neely (Florida), Montgomery, Malcolm and Christian Moore, Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia), and Jay Woolfolk (Virginia).

Twenty-four different schools are represented on the 2023 Collegiate National Team roster, with six boasting a pair of athletes: Florida, Kansas State, Stanford, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wake Forest.

The 20^th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series is set for June 30-July 4, with games at the National Training Complex, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis, and Segra Stadium in Fayetteville. The National Training Complex will host the opening three games of the 44^th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series July 7-9, while games four and five of the series will be played at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Ballpark in Charleston, South Carolina, on July 11 and 12.

Team USA leads the series with Chinese Taipei 15-0-4 (Overall: 80-13-2). Against Japan, the stars and stripes lead the series 24-19 (Overall: 133-107-2), including a 21-1 (Overall: 87-33-2) series record in the United States. All time, the Collegiate National Team boasts a record of 135-32-2 in North Carolina dating back to 1987, including a 38-14-1 mark at the National Training Complex in Cary.

The full 2023 Collegiate National Team roster is as follows:

2023 Collegiate National Team Roster

(Name; Position; Hometown; School)

• Ben Abeldt; LHP; McKinney, Texas; TCU
• Matt Ager; RHP; Pleasanton, Calif.; UC Santa Barbara
• Drew Beam; RHP; Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Tennessee
• Jac Caglianone; LHP/1B; Tampa, Fla.; Florida
• Charlie Condon; 1B/OF; Marietta, Ga.; Georgia
• Christian Coppola; RHP; Galloway, N.J.; Rutgers
• Kaelen Culpepper; INF; Memphis, Tenn.; Kansas State
• Duce Gourson; INF; San Diego, Calif.; UCLA
• Rodney Green, Jr.; OF; Richmond, Calif.; Cal
• Luke Holman; RHP; Sinking Spring, Pa.
• *Carter Holton; LHP; Guyton, Ga.; Vanderbilt
• Ryan Johnson; RHP; Red Oak, Texas; Dallas Baptist
• Seaver King; INF; Athena, Ga.; Wake Forest
• Jace LaViolette; OF; Katy, Texas; Texas A&M
• Michael Massey; RHP; Suwanee, Ga.; Wake Forest
• Xavier Meachem; RHP; Winterville, N.C.; NC A&T
• Omar Melendez; LHP; Cayey, P.R.; Alabama State
• Braden Montgomery; OF/RHP; Madison, Miss.; Stanford
• ^Malcolm Moore; C; Sacramento, Calif.; Stanford
• ^Christian Moore; INF; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Tennessee
• Brandon Neely; RHP; Seville, Fla.; Florida
• Tyson Neighbors; RHP; Royse City, Texas; Kansas State
• Griff O'Ferrall; INF; Richmond, Va.; Virginia
• Fran Oschell III; RHP; Phoenixville, Pa.; Duke
• Kyle Robinson; RHP; Vienna, Va.; Texas Tech
• Hagen Smith; LHP; Bullard, Texas; Arkansas
• Ryan Stafford; C; Folsom, Calif.; Cal Poly
• JJ Wetherholt; INF; Mars, Pa.; West Virginia
• Nicholas Wilson; RHP; Carrollton, Texas; Southern
• Jay Woolfolk; RHP; Chesterfield, Va.; Virginia
• Trey Yesavage; RHP; Boyertown, Pa.; East Carolina

*denotes national team alum

^denotes National Team Development Program (NTDP) participant

Box Score | PxP | Cumulative

CARY, N.C. – The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team’s Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad came to an end Wednesday night, with the Stripes evening out the four-game set with a 10-4 victory over the Stars at the National Training Complex.

Jacob Cozart (NC State) put the Stripes on top to stay with a three-run home run in the second inning as part of a night that saw the catcher reach base safely in four of his five trips to the plate.

The Stripes pounded out 18 hits on the night and scored five times in the fourth to break the game open. They plated seven runs over a two-inning stretch, and six Stripes hurlers combined to limit the Stars to one run over the first seven innings.

In addition to Cozart’s big night, Ethan Petry (South Carolina) and Seaver King (Wake Forest) delivered three-hit performances to pace the Stripes.

With the Stars vs. Stripes series complete, the Collegiate National Team’s man roster will be finalized on Thursday. The team will compete in a pair of five-game series against Chinese Taipei and Japan, with games taking place across the Carolinas from June 30-July 12.

KEY MOMENTS

• The Stars drew first blood, capitalizing on a Charlie Condon (Georgia) double and a two-out Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M) RBI single to take a 1-0 lead in the second.
• Petry’s two-out single sparked a Stripes rally in the home half of the second; Anthony Martinez (UC Irvine) followed with a base hit, before Cozart launched his third home run in four games to stake his club to a 3-1 advantage.
• Braden Montgomery (Stanford) sparked the game’s key rally, starting the third with a base hit and a steal of second before coming home on Ryan Stafford’s (Cal Poly) sac fly to center.
• Petry and Martinez came through with back-to-back singles once again before an error and an Austin Overn (USC) RBI single capped the rally, stretching the margin to 8-1.
• The Stripes weren’t quite done, as Montgomery and Petry delivered two-out, RBI singles to extend the lead to nine runs in the fifth.
• The Stars cut into the lead with two runs in the eighth, getting a Kodey Shojinaga (Kansas) run-scoring single and an RBI triple from Rodney Green Jr. (Cal) to pull to within seven runs.
• Christian Moore (Tennessee) added a run-producing single in the ninth for the Stars to cap the scoring.

NOTEWORTHY

• Stripes starter Kyle Robinson (Texas Tech) allowed just one run on four hits while striking out four over 3.0 innings.
• Omar Melendez (Alabama State) followed with 2.0 hitless innings, before Mason Nichols (Ole Miss) and Nicholas Wilson (Southern) turned in scoreless innings of relief.
• Seven different Stars hitters logged multi-hit performances, led by the matching three-hit games by Petry and King.
• Additionally, Montgomery, Stafford, Martinez and Overn finished with two-hit efforts for the Stripes.
• Shojinaga and Condon logged two-hit nights for the Stars, finishing successful camps that saw them hit .467 and .533, respectively.
• Martinez and Stafford wrapped up impressive camps for the Stripes as well, completing the four-game series with batting marks of .400 and .467, respectively.

ON DECK

• The Collegiate National Team will open the 20^th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series Friday (June 30) at the National Training Complex.
• The five-game International Friendship Series will continue through July 4, with games at the National Training Complex (June 30), the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham (July 1 and July 3), Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis (July 2) and Segra Stadium in Fayetteville (July 4).
• The National Training Complex will host the opening three games of the 44^th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series from July 7-9, while games four and five of the series will be played at Joseph Riley Jr. Park in Charleston on July 11 and 12.
• Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team Training Camp, along with all tickets to Team USA’s games against Chinese Taipei and Japan, can be found HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2023 Collegiate National Team Training Camp.

Box Score | PxP

CARY, N.C. – Game three of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team’s Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad series saw the Stars score early and often to pull away for a 16-0 rout of the Stripes Tuesday evening at the National Training Complex.

Charlie Condon (Georgia) and Christian Moore (Tennessee) powered the Stars’ 17-hit barrage with matching 3-for-4 performances, while nine different players recorded at least one RBI for the victors.

On the mound, six different Stars pitchers combined to blank the Stripes on four hits, while racking up 13 strikeouts. Starter Drew Beam (Tennessee) set the tone early, allowing just one hit over the first three innings, before Evan Chrest (Jacksonville) and Christian Coppola (Rutgers) teamed up for five additional innings of one-hit relief.

In all, the Stars scored in seven of the first eight innings to take a two-games-to-one lead in the four-game series.

KEY MOMENTS

• The Stars seized the lead in the first, capitalizing on a one-out walk to Cam Cannarella (Clemson) and a *Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M) *single;Condon followed with a sacrifice fly to deep center to bring in the first run of the night.
• Moore doubled the Stars’ lead in the second when he led off the frame with a towering home run to left-center field.
• With one out still in the second,** Rodney Green Jr. (Cal) singled, swiped second and scored on Kaelan Culpepper’s (Kansas State) *double off the wall in left; *Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia) **capped the rally with an opposite-field, RBI single through the right side of the Stripes’ infield.
• Beam turned in a strong 3.0-inning stint, allowing just a two-out, infield hit in the first before retiring seven straight batters.
• The Stars added two more in the third on run-scoring hits by the two Moore’s—Christian and Malcolm Moore (Stanford), then broke the game wide open with a four-run sixth, highlighted by an O’Ferrall RBI double and run-producing hits by Cannarella and Culpepper.
• The Stars added three more in the seventh, with *Ethan Anderson (Virginia) *driving in a run, before a pair of late Stripes defensive miscues led to a pair of unearned runs.

NOTEWORTHY

• Five different Stars turned in multi-hit performances, with O’Ferrall,** Kodey Shojinaga (Kansas) **and Culpepper each finishing with two hits.
• Coppola allowed just one hit while striking out four over his 3.0 innings, after Chrest retired all six batters he faced over 2.0 innings.
• Jay Woolfolk (Virginia), Ben Abeldt (TCU) and Tyson Neighbors (Kansas State) each logged scoreless frames to help close out the victory for the Stars.
• Cannarella reached base safely in three of his six trips to the plate, scoring two runs and driving in another
• Michael Massey (Wake Forest) worked two perfect innings to close out the game for the Stripes, striking out three batters.
• *Mason Nichols (Ole Miss) *added a scoreless inning of relief for the Stripes as well.
• Both Condon (6-for-12) and Shojinaga (5-for-10) hiked their team-leading batting averages to .500 through the first three games of the series.

ON DECK

• The Collegiate National Team will return to the USA Baseball National Training Complex Wednesday (June 28) with the fourth and final game of its Stars vs. Stripes series at 6 p.m. ET.
• The 20th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series will take place from June 30-July 4, with games at the National Training Complex, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis, and Segra Stadium in Fayetteville.
• The National Training Complex will host the opening three games of the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series from July 7-9, while games four and five of the series will be played at Joseph Riley, Jr. Park in Charleston on July 11 and 12.
• Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team Training Camp, along with all tickets to Team USA’s games against Chinese Taipei and Japan, can be found HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2023 Collegiate National Team Training Camp.

Box Score | PxP

CARY, N.C. – The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team completed round two of its annual Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad series Monday, as the Stars used the combination of shutdown pitching and a pair of timely home runs to level the series at a game apiece with a 6-2 decision over the Stripes at the National Training Complex.

JJ Wetherholt (West Virginia) set the tone for the contest with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning, negating two early runs by the Stars in the top half of the inning.

Those would be the only runs the Stripes’ pitching staff would need, as five hurlers combined to blank the Stars over the remaining nine frames. Brody Brecht (Iowa)rebounded from a shaky first with 2 2/3 scoreless innings, including five strikeouts.

From there, Ryan Johnson (Dallas Baptist) turned in 3.0 scoreless innings, followed by two from Mitch Voit (Michigan) and single innings by Eldridge Armstrong III and Nicholas Wilson (Southern) to close out the game.

KEY MOMENTS

• Wetherholt belted a 3-1 pitch from Stars’ starter Matt Ager (UC Santa Barbara) 414 feet to right for the tying home run in the bottom of the first.
• Jacob Cozart (NC State) added to the Stripes’ lead with his second home run in as many games at the CNT Training Camp, launching a two-run blast in the fourth.
• Four Stripes pitchers combined to face the minimum over the final five innings, with only two Stars batters reaching safely before being wiped out by double-play grounders.
• Duce Gourson (UCLA) delivered his second strong performance at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a pair of walks. The infielder has now reached base safely in 9-of-10 trips to the plate over the first two games of the series.
• Braden Montgomery (Stanford) put the finishing touches on the victory with a two-run single in the 10^th after the contest had been decided.

NOTEWORTHY

• Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M) paced the Stars with a 2-for-4 day at the plate.
• Fran Orschell III (Duke) fanned six Stripes while allowing just two hits and a walk over his 3.0 innings.
• Stripes’ pitching issued just one walk—a leadoff walk to Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia) to start the game.
• In addition to Gourson’s two-hit performance, Montgomery finished 2-for-5, while Seaver King (Wake Forest) added a multi-hit effort as well to lead the Stripes’ 12-hit attack.

ON DECK

• The Collegiate National Team will return to the USA Baseball National Training Complex Tuesday (June 27) with the third game of its Stars vs. Stripes series at 7 p.m. ET.
• The Stars vs. Stripes series concludes Wednesday with a 6 p.m. game. Following its conclusion, the 20^th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series will take place from June 30-July 4, with games at the National Training Complex, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis, and Segra Stadium in Fayetteville.
• The National Training Complex will host the opening three games of the 44^th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series from July 7-9, while games four and five of the series will be played at Joseph Riley, Jr. Park in Charleston on July 11 and 12.
• Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team Training Camp, along with all tickets to Team USA’s games against Chinese Taipei and Japan, can be found HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2023 Collegiate National Team Training Camp.

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Representing Team USA as a coach or player is an experience unlike any other. It is an opportunity for some of the best in baseball to come together to pursue a common goal: to win gold on the international stage.

From the outside looking in, most people only get to see the surface of what it entails to put together a national team. Public announcements of who will make up the coaching staff and roster, the schedule of events, and the outcome are all just a small part of what goes on behind the scenes to compile the best possible team.

Behind the scenes, a considerable amount effort from the USA Baseball staff goes into the process of identifying a leader, determining a staff, and building a roster. It is a process that begins roughly six to nine months before that respective team’s international competition and involves difficult and complex decisions.

“Constructing a national team is like a puzzle, and everything that we do behind the scenes contributes to not only identifying the best players, but the best people to make up a coaching staff and support staff,” said USA Baseball Chief Executive Office Paul Seiler. “One of the biggest challenges is making sure we find the right pieces so that at least when we begin our journey to playing for a gold medal, we feel like the puzzle is pretty completed. We have a good picture of where we want to go and how we will get there.”

ASSEMBLING THE STAFF

The primary part of assembling a national team is identifying a manager who will lead and embody what it means to represent Team USA. USA Baseball’s staff considers many variables when choosing who to give that responsibility to. Of course, their prior successes on the field matter, but more importantly, how they can connect with and motivate players and embrace what Team USA stands for helps complete the makeup of the ideal manager.

“The process of identifying a manager for a national team varies between the programs,” said National Teams General Manager Ashley Bratcher. “You need that person to be familiar with the age of the athletes who they will ultimately lead, but also, we try to look for someone that will represent our national team programs well and uphold our standards and expectations of our athletes.”

But just as important as identifying the right manager to lead a national team, it is just as vital for the manager to surround themselves with a staff that can identify the top talent and character at the respective identification events for their squad.

“I tried to surround myself with knowledgeable people through the entire process, people at all levels from high school, to college, to pro, to working with USA Baseball,” recalled 2022 18U National Team Manager Denny Hocking, who led Team USA to gold medals at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup and World Cup Americas Qualifier.

“My number one thing while being in charge of a team is building relationships, so for me, it was important to put people in roles at the PDP League where they would be able to learn about the kids because I wanted an honest evaluation of the 100 players that we had there. It was about what 20 puzzle pieces we were going to put together in order to be the best representation of Team USA.”

THE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

When preparing for an international competition, determining a roster is one of the most complex parts of the entire process. From the hundreds of players in each age group who put their talent on display to the coaches and staff members, only 18 are selected for the 12U National Team, while 20 are chosen for the 15U, 18U, and Women’s National Teams. Meanwhile, the Collegiate National Team carries 26 players and the Professional National Team’s roster size ranges from 24-30 players based on the event.

It’s not always about finding the best players, though. It’s about finding the right players.

“When we’re identifying players, we tend to look for qualities that would play well in the international environment,” explained 2022 15U National Team Manager Drew Briese, who led the team to its second consecutive World Cup title last summer. “An international environment can be very hostile, so some of the things that we were looking for with that [15U] team were guys who were highly competitive, had the ability to handle adversity, and their qualities as a person fit into the team dynamic.

“If you want to find the right folks to hit the field and win that gold medal, you have to have that mentality in the team chemistry and dynamic in order to do it.”

Selecting a national team is an intricate process. With such a large pool of talented players to choose from that can compete at a high level, the few who are selected must be able to not only fill the roles needed but also have the intangibles. The things that can’t be taught on a ball field.

“Everyone's pretty much in agreement on who the first 10 to 12 players are, but it's those last few pieces for the roles that we need that you can't miss on because those are what's really going to determine your success,” said 2022 12U National Team Manager R.J. Farrell, who guided the squad to an 8-0 record and a gold medal at the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup. “It’s tough at any age group once you get the top players to Training Camp. They all can play the game, and they all bring something that's really, really good.

“When you start getting to where you're going to make the selection of who's going to actually make the national team, it comes down to who fits what piece that we feel we need. It’s a really difficult process, and there’s a lot of conversation involved. But at the end of the day, it's what we have to do.”

Most national teams have a primary identification event where the national team staff and a group of Task Force members carefully evaluate every player in the event. However, the selection process varies between each national team program.

For the 12U and 15U teams, the process for selecting players starts at USA Baseball’s identification events: The Futures Invitational, the National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina, and the National Team Identification Series.

The primary identification event for the 18U National Team is the Prospective Development Pipeline (PDP) League, which features 100 of the top eligible players for the following year’s draft. Meanwhile, the Women’s National Team process begins with the Women’s National Open, a three-day event for players around the country to compete for a Team USA roster spot.

In addition to the Women’s National Open, a large chunk of the identification for the Women’s National Team comes from various joint events that USA Baseball hosts alongside Major League Baseball throughout the calendar year. With women’s baseball still on the rise, these events give staff members and players a unique chance to build relationships while honing in on the development aspect of the game.

From these identification events, the coaching staff determines a Training Camp roster of 36-72 players to advance to the next step towards deciding who will wear U-S-A across their chest.

With the Collegiate National Team, the best 48-56 non-draft eligible players are selected for a Training Camp as the initial step towards identifying its national team each year. With the short time window from the end of the college season to when the team preps for its event, the players are evaluated throughout their season, giving USA Baseball a chance to recognize the best of college baseball.

“It's great for USA Baseball to put together its very best collegiate players to play international competition year in and year out,” said Professional and Collegiate National Teams General Manager Eric Campbell. “But the segment where college players play peer to peer during our annual Stars and Stripes series in which we pick our final team is an exceptional week and a lifetime baseball experience that no one will forget, regardless of if they make the final national team or not.”

Likewise, with the Professional National Teams, those squads are composed of the top Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball players who are evaluated based on current and past performances at the professional level.

“It's exciting when MLB designates a pool of players that are available for a Professional National Team event,” added Campbell. “Those guys are playing for their club and are reaching for the pinnacle of the game, but it's exciting for everyone at USA Baseball when we can put our nation's uniform on those professional players. They've earned it based on their performance in any given year.”

For the national teams that select their roster from Training Camp, that stage could be considered the toughest part of the entire process. It is an intense three to four days and with a lot of conversation involved. Each night, the coaching staffs hold a meeting to evaluate the talent in front of them and determine who will represent Team USA. Because so many factors go into deciding that 18-20 player roster, the conversations can take hours.

“The difficulty during Training Camp to figure out that final roster is unlike anything else you experience,” said former 12U and 15U National Team Program Director Will Schworer. “Being in that room where they're talking about phenomenal athletes and how one might carry himself better off the field, or how one has a better bat but another player might be better defensively, is intense. The conversations can last hours, and it’s not an easy process.

“Just getting to the Training Camp roster is difficult, but once you’re looking for those final 18-20 guys, you really have to consider the intangibles on top of the talent. A lot of deep conversation goes into that selection process, and it’s not an easy one.”

SELECTION DAY

Once a national team is selected, several different emotions surface for all involved. There’s the slight relief that the selection process has been completed, so much excitement that the best possible roster has been put together, and anticipation to really begin the journey to win gold.

“Selection Day is an interesting day because not only am I telling 20 players that they have made the national team, but I am also releasing 20 players and letting them know they didn’t make the team,” said USA Baseball alum and two-time Women’s National Team Manager Veronica Alvarez. “It’s a mix of emotions because I very much empathize with those players who I have to release knowing how hard they have worked to get to that stage, but it’s also exciting to present the news to the 20 who make it and let them know they are representing USA Baseball.

“By selecting someone to the Women's National Team, it means that not only have they excelled on the field, but that they encompass everything that it means to represent the game and represent women within the game.”

Alvarez is a four-time Women’s National Team alum and served as manager in 2019 and 2022, so having the experience as a player and a manager has given her a deeper appreciation for what it truly means to wear the U-S-A letters across your chest.

“Having been a player on the Women’s National Team, I have a love and passion for what it means to represent Team USA. I have really high expectations for the women who follow because I want them to be successful and understand what that looks like. But now, being on the coaching side, I’ve moved away from having a personal goal or accomplishment, and I now understand what it means to help somebody else accomplish a goal. I wear the uniform with pride and very much feel this responsibility to uphold the standards of USA Baseball and what it means to be a woman within the game.”

The journey to pursuing gold is extensive, but it is one that provides so much reward to all involved. It’s a gratifying experience for those staff members and coaches who get to see all of the months of hard work finally come to fruition when Team USA competes on the international stage. Therefore, no matter what capacity you are serving in, it’s a badge of honor to be able to represent the red, white, and blue through America’s Pastime.

Box Score | Plays | Cumulative Stats

CARY, N.C. – The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team kicked its 2023 Training Camp into high gear Sunday, opening its four-game Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad series with a 12-inning contest at Coleman Field. The Stars scored five unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth inning en route to a 15-5 victory under modified scoring provisions in the first official contest of the CNT’s 14-game summer slate.

Charlie Condon (Georgia) paced the Stars with a 3-for-5 afternoon, while Duce Gourson (UCLA) reached base safely in each of his five trips to the plate.

In a game controlled by the two pitching staffs through the first seven frames, the Stripes erased a three-run deficit with a two-out rally in the eighth. Jacob Cozart (NC State) belted a two-run homer, and Ryan Stafford (Cal Poly) drove in a run with one of his three hits on the day.

But the Stars responded in the ninth, as a two-out grounder off the bat of Cam Cannarella (Clemson) was misplayed, allowing the first two runs of the game’s critical rally to cross the plate. Condon’s double brought in a third run, before Malcolm Moore’s (Stanford) mammoth two-run blast to right handed the Stars a 10-5 advantage.

The Stars tacked on three runs in the 10th and single tallies in each of the final two innings to seal the game one decision.

KEY MOMENTS

• The Stars scored twice in the second, using back-to-back hits by Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia) and Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M) to spark the rally.
• Condon added a third hit with his one-out single, before Ethan Anderson (Virginia) drew a bases-loaded walk and Kaelen Culpepper (Kansas State) drove in the second run with a fielder’s choice grounder to short.
• A Stafford double and a two-out JJ Wetherholt (West Virginia) single in the fifth gave the Stripes their first scoring rally of the day.
• Five straight Stripes hitters reached safely with two outs in the eighth, including singles from Stafford, Christian Moore (Tennessee) and Seaver King (Wake Forest).
• Karson Bowen (TCU) singled and Gourson drew one of his four walks on the day to spark the Stars’ ninth.
• The Stars’ trio of Tyson Neighbors (Kansas State), Jay Woolfolk (Virginia) and Matt Scott (Stanford) combined to hold the Stripes scoreless on two hits over the final three frames after reclaiming the lead in the ninth.

NOTEWORTHY

• Trey Yesavage (East Carolina) drew the starting assignment for the Stars and the right-hander responded by allowing just three Stripes to reach base (1 hit, 2 walks) over 3.0 innings.
• His counterpart, Hagen Smith (Arkansas), permitted a pair of earned runs on three hits over his 2 1/3 innings.
• Luke Holman added 3.0 strong innings, allowing one run on two hits for the Stars.
• Devin Futrell (Vanderbilt) turned in 3.0 scoreless innings for the Stripes.
• Following key homers by Cozart and Moore, Cannarella registered the third home run of the contest by leading off the 11th with a solo shot to left-center.
• Mason Molina (Texas Tech) suffered the loss for the Stripes despite not allowing a single earned run over his 2.1 innings.
• Kodey Shojinaga (Kansas) added a 2-for-3 performance, scoring two runs and driving in another.
• The two offenses combined to successfully convert 11-of-12 stolen base attempts, led by King’s three steals and two apiece by Bowen and Rodney Green Jr. (Cal).
• King and Anthony Martinez (UC Irvine) complemented Stafford’s three-hit day with two hits apiece for the Stripes.

ON DECK

• The Collegiate National Team will return to the USA Baseball National Training Complex Monday (June 26) with the second game of its Stars vs. Stripes series at 6 p.m. ET.
• The Stars vs. Stripes series concludes with single games Tuesday and Wednesday. Following its conclusion, the 20^th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series will take place from June 30-July 4, with games at the National Training Complex, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis, and Segra Stadium in Fayetteville.
• The National Training Complex will host the opening three games of the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series from July 7-9, while games four and five of the series will be played at Joseph Riley, Jr. Park in Charleston on July 11 and 12.
• Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team Training Camp, along with all tickets to Team USA’s games against Chinese Taipei and Japan, can be found HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned to @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2023 Collegiate National Team Training Camp.

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today announced the roster for the 2023 Collegiate National Team Training Camp that will compete in a four-game Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad series in North Carolina. This year’s roster features 58 of the nation’s top non-draft eligible players.

The Collegiate National Team Training Camp begins on June 23, with the first game of the Stars vs. Stripes series scheduled for June 25 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. A final 26-man roster will then be selected to compete in a pair of five-game series against Chinese Taipei and Japan, with games taking place across the Carolinas from June 30-July 12.

“The collection of talent on this year’s Training Camp roster is incredible,” said Eric Campbell, USA Baseball’s General Manager of Professional and Collegiate National Teams. “The Stars vs. Stripes series consistently delivers elite, high-level baseball with a chance to represent our country on the line. It will truly be a treat to watch these athletes compete with one another this week in Cary.”

This year’s Training Camp roster features five USA Baseball alumni, including 2022 Collegiate National Team member Carter Holton (Vanderbilt). Additionally, all three of the 12U, 15U, and 18U National Teams are represented on the 2023 Training Camp roster. Four-time USA Baseball alum Karson Bowen (TCU) has played for each of the three teams, Nick Kurtz (Wake Forest) was on the 12U National Team in 2015, Josh Hartle (Wake Forest) is a two-time 15U National Team alum, and Cade Fisher (Florida) was a member of the 2021 18U National Team.

In addition to Holton, four other members of last year’s Training Camp roster return to Cary in 2023. Drew Beam (Tennessee), Braden Montgomery (Stanford), Mason Nichols (Ole Miss), and Hagen Smith (Arkansas) all participated in last year’s Training Camp and will compete to make this summer’s final roster.

Led by Hartle, six different players on the 2023 Training Camp roster have previously participated in USA Baseball’s National Team Development Program. Hartle (2017 14U NTDP, 2019 16U NTDP, 2019 17U NTDP) has been a member of three programs, while his Wake Forest teammate, Kurtz, (2017 14U NTDP, 2019 16U NTDP) has participated in two. Eldridge Armstrong III (San Diego State) and Anthony Martinez (UC Irvine) joined Hartle and Kurtz at the 2017 14U NTDP, while Christian Moore (Tennessee) and Malcolm Moore (Stanford) have both participated in the 16U NTDP.

Additionally, Fisher, Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M), M. Moore, Ethan Petry (South Carolina), Matt Scott (Stanford), and Anthony Silva (TCU) will reunite at the 2023 Training Camp after participating together at the 2021 Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League.

Thirty-nine schools and 12 conferences are represented on this year’s Training Camp roster. Wake Forest leads the way for all schools with four players while Florida, Stanford, and TCU boast three players apiece. The SEC has 15 players on the roster, while the ACC has 12 for the second-most among all conferences. Nine athletes represent the Big 12, making it the third-most represented league in the country.

This year’s Collegiate National Team will be led by Manager Larry Lee, who will be making his Team USA managerial debut in 2023. He will be joined on staff by Brady Austin (East Carolina), Reggie Christiansen (Sacramento State), Thomas Eager (Stanford), Andy Stankiewicz (USC), and José Vázquez (Alabama State). Additionally, Patrick Apel (Santa Clara), Johnny Hernandez (Bethune-Cookman), Omar Johnson (Jackson State), Ryan Miller (Longwood), and Corey Wimberly (Boston Red Sox) will serve as coaches at the 2023 Training Camp.

The Collegiate National Team will kick off its schedule with the annual Stars vs. Stripes series from June 25-28 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. Following its conclusion, the 20^th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series will take place from June 30-July 4, with games at the National Training Complex, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis, and Segra Stadium in Fayetteville.

The National Training Complex will host the opening three games of the 44^th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series from July 7-9, while games four and five of the series will be played at Joseph Riley, Jr. Park in Charleston on July 11 and 12.

Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team Training Camp, along with all tickets to Team USA’s games against Chinese Taipei and Japan, can be found HERE.

2023 Collegiate National Team Training Camp Roster

(Name; Position; Hometown; School)

• Ben Abeldt; LHP; McKinney, Texas; TCU
• Matt Ager; RHP; Pleasanton, Calif.; UC Santa Barbara
• Eldridge Armstrong III; RHP; Simi Valley, Calif.
• Drew Beam; RHP; Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Tennessee
• Karson Bowen; C; Anaheim Hills, Calif.; TCU
• Brody Brecht; RHP; Ankeny, Iowa; Iowa
• Aiven Cabral; RHP; Lynn, Mass.; Northeastern
• Jac Caglianone; LHP/1B; Tampa, Fla.; Florida
• Kayden Campbell; LHP; Cincinnati, Ohio.; Louisville
• Cam Cannarella; OF; Hartsville, S.C.; Clemson
• Evan Chrest; RHP; Tampa, Fla.; Jacksonville
• Charlie Condon; 1B/OF; Marietta, Ga.; Georgia
• Christian Coppola; RHP; Galloway, N.J.; Rutgers
• Jacob Cozart; C; High Point, N.C.; NC State
• Kaelen Culpepper; INF; Memphis, Tenn.; Kansas State
• Alton Davis II; LHP; Hueytown, Ala.; Alabama
• Cade Fisher; LHP; Dalton, Ga.; Florida
• Dominic Fritton; LHP; Fuquay-Varina, N.C.; NC State
• Devin Futrell; LHP; Pembroke Pines, Fla.; Vanderbilt
• Austin Gordon; RHP; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Clemson
• Duce Gourson; INF; San Diego, Calif.; UCLA
• Rodney Green, Jr.; OF; Richmond, Calif.; Cal
• Josh Hartle; LHP; King, N.C.; Wake Forest
• Luke Holman; RHP; Sinking Spring, Pa.
• Carter Holton; LHP; Guyton, Ga.; Vanderbilt
• Ryan Johnson; RHP; Red Oak, Texas; Dallas Baptist
• Dakota Jordan; OF; Canton, Miss.; Mississippi State
• Seaver King; INF; Athens, Ga.; Wake Forest
• Nick Kurtz; INF; Lancaster, Pa.; Wake Forest
• Jace LaViolette; OF; Katy, Texas; Texas A&M
• Anthony Martinez; 1B/C; Fairfield, Calif.; UC Irvine
• Michael Massey; RHP; Suwanee, Ga.; Wake Forest
• Xavier Meachem; RHP; Winterville, N.C.; NC A&T
• Omar Melendez; LHP; Cayey, P.R.; Alabama State
• Mason Molina; LHP; Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.; Texas Tech
• Braden Montgomery; OF/RHP; Madison, Miss.; Stanford
• Malcolm Moore; C; Sacramento, Calif.; Stanford
• Christian Moore; INF; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Tennessee
• Brandon Neely; RHP; Seville, Fla.; Florida
• Tyson Neighbors; RHP; Royse City, Texas; Kansas State
• Mason Nichols; RHP; Jackson, Miss.; Ole Miss
• Griff O'Ferrall; INF; Richmond, Va.; Virginia
• Fran Oschell III; RHP; Phoenixville, Pa.; Duke
• Austin Overn; OF; Tustin, Calif.; USC
• Ethan Petry; INF; Land O' Lakes, Fla.; South Carolina
• Kyle Robinson; RHP; Vienna, Va.; Texas Tech
• Matt Scott; RHP; Redding, Conn.; Stanford
• Kodey Shojinaga; C/INF; Honolulu, Hawaii; Kansas 
• Anthony Silva; INF; San Antonio, Texas; TCU
• Hagen Smith; LHP; Bullard, Texas; Arkansas
• Parker Smith; RHP; Houston, Texas; Rice
• Ryan Stafford; C; Folsom, Calif.; Cal Poly
• Pablo Torres; RHP; Orlando, Fla.; Bethune-Cookman
• Mitch Voit; INF/RHP; Whitefish Bay, Wis.; Michigan
• JJ Wetherholt; INF; Mars, Pa.; West Virginia
• Nicholas Wilson; RHP; Carrollton, Texas; Southern
• Jay Woolfolk; RHP; Chesterfield, Va.; Virginia
• Trey Yesavage; RHP; Boyertown, Pa.; East Carolina