USA Baseball Begins Scrimmages As Roster Comes Together

Image credit: Spencer Torkelson (Photo Courtesy of USA Baseball)

The USA Collegiate National Team held its first official scrimmage of training camp on June 27 at the National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. Altogether 37 of college baseball’s top college players were invited to tryout for the 24-man roster that will continue to take on the Coastal Plains League select team, the Cuba National Team in the International Friendship Series and then travel overseas to take on international teams in Taiwan and Japan.

Eight roster spots have already been determined, including Spencer Torkelson (who ranks No. 1 on Baseball America’s 2020 College Draft Prospects) and Patrick Bailey (4). Headed by Louisville’s Dan McDonnell, Team USA is beginning to take shape with loads of talent

“The competition is at such a high level,” said McDonnell. “Everybody’s so good and it’s that balance of you want them to bond, but it’s kind of like trying to make a big league roster, you’re competing with them as well, so it’s that unique balance of we all wear that red, white and blue, but for these next four or five days, I wanna earn my spot.”

McDonnell and staff have their work cut out for them when determining who will make the final roster from a talented preliminary team of the best players in the country. When meeting with team the day before, McDonnell used Olympic gold medal and Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s book, The Gold Standard, for inspiration. 

“We talked about three things and I took it from Coach K’s book… when you’re putting a team like this together, it’s time, it’s goals, and it’s competition. Time, we only have six days, so I just say guys, we don’t have a ton of time but we have to maximize those six days, the goals were clear, when we’re playing Cuba, Taiwan and Japan, that the goal is to win those three series and the only way we can do that is if were competitive, we have got to compete in these next six days.”

The country is well-represented with coaches and players from California, mid-major schools, Texas, Arizona, the SEC and ACC. Following is the preliminary roster which will be cut down to the 24-player final roster over the next week:

 

2019 Collegiate National Team Roster

(Name; Position; Hometown; School; Year)

*24-man roster selection

Andrew Abbott; LHP; Halifax, Va.; Virginia; Sophomore

Logan Allen; LHP; Deltona, Fla.; FIU; Sophomore

Tanner Allen; IF/OF; Theodore, Ala.; Mississippi State; Sophomore

*Patrick Bailey; C; Greensboro, N.C.; NC State; Sophomore

Alex Binelas; IF/OF; Oak Creek, Wis.; Louisville; Freshman

*Tyler Brown; RHP; Ashland, Ohio; Vanderbilt; Sophomore

Alec Burleson; LHP/1B; Denver, N.C.; ECU; Sophomore

Burl Carraway; LHP; College Station, Texas; Dallas Baptist U.; Sophomore

Cade Cavalli; RHP; Bixby, Okla.; Oklahoma; Sophomore

Garrett Crochet; LHP; Ocean Springs, Miss.; Tennessee; Sophomore

Colton Cowser; OF; Cypress, Tex.; Sam Houston State; Freshman

Trenton Denholm; RHP; El Dorado Hills, Calif.; UC-Irvine; Sophomore

*Reid Detmers; LHP; Chatham, Ill.; Louisville; Sophomore

Justin Foscue; IF/OF; Huntsville, Ala.; Mississippi State; Sophomore

Nick Frasso; RHP; Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.; Loyola Marymount; Sophomore

Michael Kirian; LHP; New Riegel, Ohio; Louisville; Sophomore

Heston Kjerstad; OF; Amarillo, Texas; Arkansas; Sophomore

*Asa Lacy; LHP; Kerrville, Texas; Texas A&M; Sophomore

Nick Loftin; IF; Corpus Christi, Texas; Baylor; Sophomore

Tommy Mace; RHP; Tampa, Fla.; Florida; Sophomore

*Austin Martin; UTL; Jacksonville, Fla.; Vanderbilt; Sophomore

Casey Martin; IF; Lonoke, Ark.; Arkansas; Sophomore

Chris McMahon; RHP; West Chester, Penn.; Miami; Sophomore

*Max Meyer; RHP/OF; Woodbury, Minn.; Minnesota; Sophomore

Bobby Miller; RHP; McKenry, Ill.; Louisville; Sophomore

Garrett Mitchell; OF; Orange, Calif.; UCLA; Sophomore

Doug Nikhazy; LHP/OF; Windermere, Fla.; Ole Miss; Freshman

*Casey Opitz; C; Centennial, Colo.; Arkansas; Sophomore

Mason Pelio; RHP; San Diego, Calif.; Boston College; Freshman

Holden Powell; RHP; Visalia, Calif.; UCLA; Sophomore

Kumar Rocker; RHP; Athens, Ga.; Vanderbilt; Freshman

*Spencer Torkelson; IF; Petaluma, Calif.; Arizona State; Sophomore

Luke Waddell; INF; Loveland, Ohio; Georgia Tech; Sophomore

Jordan Westburg; IF; New Braunfels, Texas; Mississippi State; Sophomore

Cole Wilcox; RHP; Chickamauga, Ga.; Georgia; Freshman

Alika Williams; IF; San Diego, Calif.; Arizona State; Sophomore