May 16, 2007

From USA Baseball

DURHAM N.C. - USA Baseball announced today the names of the first 11 members of the 2007 USA Baseball National Team.  The players announced today represent 9 different colleges and universities and are all currently sophomores at their respective institutions.  The announcement of the final 9 players and 2 alternates will be made in June.

"With all of the baseball talent throughout the country, selections have posed an especially difficult task for this year's USA Baseball National Team Selection Committee," said Eric Campbell, USA Baseball General Manager, National Teams.  "This list of 11 players includes some of the finest college baseball players in the country and we are very excited about the opportunity they will have this summer to represent the United States in events throughout the world, including the Pan Am Games."

Three of the players who have accepted invitations to join the 2007 USA Baseball National Team have previous international experience with the organization.  Pedro Alvarez (IF, Vanderbilt) and Jemile Weeks (IF, Miami FL) were members of the 2006 USA Baseball National Team which claimed the Gold Medal at the 2006 FISU World Championships in Havana, Cuba.  Both Alvarez and Weeks started all 31 games for Team USA last summer.  Alvarez led the squad with a .378 average to go with 5 HR's and a team high 48 RBI's.  Weeks hit .348 with 14 SB's and a team best .464 OBP.  Joining Alvarez and Weeks on the roster will be 2004 and 2005 USA Baseball Junior National Team alumnus Tyson Ross (RHP, Cal).

"It is an honor to play for Team USA again," said Vanderbilt infielder Pedro Alvarez.  "Last year was a lot of fun and was capped off by winning a gold medal. I look forward to playing with the top players in college baseball again and the different competition we will face over the summer."

The 2007 USA Baseball National Team will open its season in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) in preparation for four international series and two international events this summer.  Team USA will play in the Pan Am Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the World Port Tournament in The Netherlands.  The USA Baseball National Team will also host the 36^th Annual USA vs. Japan Collegiate Championship Series and an Inaugural Friendship Series versus the Chinese National Team.

Listed below are the first 11 players who will comprise the 2007 USA Baseball National Team:

The USA Baseball National Team will be led by Long Beach State University Head Coach Mike Weathers who will be making his second coaching tour with the USA Baseball National Team.  In his previous USA Baseball coaching assignment, Weathers was an assistant on the 2003 USA Baseball National Team which captured a silver medal at the 2003 Pan Am Games.  Assisting Weathers on the 2007 USA Baseball National Team coaching staff will be Rob Cooper (Head Coach, Wright State), Bill Kinneberg (Head Coach, University of Utah), and Mark Scalf (Head Coach, UNC Wilmington).  In addition, current Long Beach State University Baseball S.I.D. Niall Adler will serve as the 2007 USA Baseball National Team Press Officer.

USA Baseball is the National Governing Body of amateur baseball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The organization selects and trains the USA Baseball National Team, the USA Baseball Junior National Team (18-under), the USA Baseball Youth National Team (16-under), the USA Baseball 14U National Team (14-under), and the USA Baseball Women's National Team which participate in various international competitions each year.  For more information on USA Baseball please log onto www.usabaseball.com.