June 16, 2006

WEST POINT, N.Y. - As he continues to author one of the finest baseball resumes in West Point history, Army starting pitcher Nick Hill was officially invited to participate for the 2006 USA Baseball National Team Trials, it was announced by USA Baseball on Thursday.

The standout southpaw hurler was one of 15 players invited to the USA Baseball National Team Trials Thursday, joining a group of 20 competitors that gained similar invitations last month. The USA Baseball National Team will be selected from that pool of 35 players at the trials with the official 22-man team roster scheduled to be announced on July 2.

The trials will be held from June 24 through July 1 in conjunction with the New England Collegiate Baseball League.

Just last week, Hill became the third Army baseball player selected in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft when he was chosen by the Boston Red Sox in the 47th round. Though ineligible to sign with the club at this time do to his military obligations, Hill's name will be returned to the list of eligible draft candidates next spring and will be permitted to sign with a professional team following his graduation from the Academy as part of the U.S. Army's Alternative Service Option. His selection by Boston last week marked the second straight year an Army player was chosen in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft. Hill's former battery-mate, catcher Schuyler Williamson, was chosen in the 26th round of last year's draft by the Detroit Tigers and spent last summer playing for the Oneonta Tigers before retiring from professional baseball to focus on his military duties this spring.

A two-time All-America selection, Hill settled in nicely following a slow start to his junior campaign. The native of Bluff City, Tenn. (Sullivan East H.S.), closed the year with an overall record of 6-4 with a 3.34 earned run average, this after opening the season at 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA following his first two starts of the season. He allowed just 54 base hits in 67.1 innings of work, while striking out 65 and walking 24. He also limited opponents to a .223 batting average en route to capturing his third consecutive first team All-Patriot League citation.

Hill was particularly effective down the stretch, allowing one earned run or less in each of last four starts, spanning 26.0 innings. He authored a perfect 4-0 record with a 0.69 ERA during that span, yielding just 15 hits and only two for extra bases. He also struck out 29 and walked six during the stretch.

A two-time Patriot League Pitcher of the Week choice this spring, Hill ranks as Army's career leader in pitching victories in the modern era and stands third on Army's career strikeouts list. He will enter his senior campaign just 23 strikeouts short of the school standard. Already recognized as one of the top pitchers in Army history, the standout southpaw boasts a 26-9 career pitching record with a sterling 2.30 career ERA. He has struck out 236 and walked 67 during his West Point tenure.

Team USA will participate in the 35th Annual USA versus Japan Collegiate Championship Series this summer as well as the International Friendship series versus Chinese Taipei, Germany and Korea. The summer slate concludes in Havana, Cuba, at the III FISU World University Championship, where Team USA will be looking to successfully defend its gold medal.