DURHAM, N.C. – USA Baseball revealed the 2018 Collegiate National Team roster on Monday, highlighted by the return of Braden Shewmake (Texas A&M), Andrew Vaughn (California) and Kenyon Yovan (Oregon) to the team for the second year in a row. The Collegiate Team will compete in a game against the Coastal Plain League (CPL) Select and then host two international friendship series against Chinese Taipei and Japan before traveling to Cuba to close its summer.
Of the 34 athletes, 18 have secured a spot on the final 24- and 26-man rosters for the 42nd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series and 7th USA vs. Cuba International Friendship Series, respectively. The remaining 16 players will join these college athletes to compete against the CPL Select team and in the 18th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series, meanwhile vying for a spot on the final rosters for international series against Japan and Cuba.
“The arrival of all of the players and staff to Cary is an unbelievably exciting day and one in which our staff has been looking forward to with great anticipation,” said 2018 Collegiate National Team Manager Paul Mainieri. “Having the opportunity to work with the very best college players in the country, molding them into a great team, and representing the greatest country in the world is a dream come true for any coach. These next three weeks will be filled with experiences that will last a lifetime in the memories of every member of our squad.”
Five USA Baseball alumni will once again compete for the red, white and blue in international competition. 2018 marks the third time Vaughn has played for Team USA and is joined by his 2017 Collegiate National Team teammates Shewmake and Yovan. USA Baseball 18U National Team alums Patrick Bailey (NC State) and C.J. Van Eyk (Florida State) will also reunite on the Collegiate Team this summer. The pair won a gold medal at the COPABE Pan Am “AAA” Championships in 2016.
In addition, three members of the Collegiate National Team have participated in the USA Baseball National Team Development Program (NTDP). The NTDP offers athletes an opportunity to connect with USA Baseball staff to better prepare for future national team experience. Vaughn was a part of the inaugural 14U NTDP in 2012 and Tanner Burns (Auburn) and Will Wilson (NC State) trained with the 17U NTDP in 2015.
The Collegiate Team schedule will begin with an exhibition double-header against the USA Baseball 18U National Team Trials roster on Tuesday, June 26, at Coleman Field at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. The U.S. will then host CPL Select on Wednesday, June 27, and compete in the 18th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship series from Thursday, June 28 – Monday, July 1. Game four of this series (June 30) will be hosted at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park (DBAP) in Durham, North Carolina.
The 42nd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series begins on Tuesday, July 3, at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the second game of the series will be held at the DBAP on the Fourth of July. Games three through five will feature stops at Minor League Baseball and Coastal Plain League parks in the Southeast, including tour stops in Savannah, Georgia (July 6), Charleston, South Carolina (July 7), and Macon, Georgia (July 8). The team will then travel to Havana, Cuba, for the 7th USA vs. Cuba International Friendship Series to close out its summer.
LSU Head Coach Paul Mainieri was named the manager of the Collegiate Team for 2018 and is joined on staff by pitching coach Brian O’Connor (Virginia), bench coach Jim Hendry (New York Yankees), assistant coaches Cliff Godwin (ECU) and Jorge Perez (St. Thomas), and bullpen coach Trent Forshag (LSU).
USA Baseball will stream eight Collegiate National Team games this summer on USABaseball.com with select games also streamed on Facebook Live and YouTube. Stay tuned to USABaseball.com for the latest information. You can also follow the Collegiate National Team on Twitter at @USABaseballCNT.
The roster is as follows. Please note that all roster spots are subject to change.
2018 Collegiate National Team Roster
(Name, Position, Hometown, School, Year)
*24-man roster selection
Jake Agnos; LHP; Haymarket, Va.; ECU; Sophomore
Patrick Bailey; C; Greensboro, N.C.; NC State; Freshman
Cody Bradford; LHP; Aledo, Texas; Baylor; Sophomore
*Kyle Brnovich; RHP; Milton, Ga.; Elon; Sophomore
Tanner Burns; RHP; Decatur, Ala.; Auburn; Freshman
Matt Canterino; RHP; Carroll, Texas; Rice; Sophomore
Parker Caracci; RHP; Jackson, Miss.; Ole Miss; Sophomore
*Matt Cronin; LHP; Navarre, Fla.; Arkansas; Sophomore
John Doxakis; LHP; Houston, Texas; Texas A&M; Sophomore
*Antoine Duplantis; OF; Lafayette, La.; LSU; Junior
*Mason Feole; LHP; Wakefield, R.I.; UCONN; Sophomore
*Dominic Fletcher; OF; Cypress, Calif.; Arkansas; Sophomore
*Zack Hess; RHP; Forest, Va.; LSU; Sophomore
Will Holland; IF; Lawrenceville, Ga.; Auburn; Sophomore
*Josh Jung; IF/RHP; San Antonio, Texas; Texas Tech; Sophomore
*Shea Langeliers; C/IF; Keller, Texas; Baylor; Sophomore
Jack Little; RHP; Las Vegas, Nev.; Stanford; Sophomore
Max Meyer; RHP; Woodbury, Minn.; Minnesota; Freshman
*Andre Pallante; RHP; San Clemente, Calif.; UC Irvine; Sophomore
*Drew Parrish; LHP; Rockledge, Fla.; Florida State; Sophomore
*Adley Rutschman; C/IF; Sherwood, Ore.; Oregon State; Sophomore
*Mitchell Senger; LHP; Boca Raton, Fla.; Stetson; Sophomore
*Braden Shewmake; IF; Wylie, Texas; Texas A&M; Sophomore
Graeme Stinson; LHP; Norcross, Ga.; Duke; Sophomore
*Bryson Stott; IF; Las Vegas, Nev.; UNLV; Sophomore
Zack Thompson; LHP; Selma, Ind.; Kentucky; Sophomore
*Spencer Torkelson; IF; Petaluma, Calif.; Arizona State; Freshman
C.J. Van Eyk; RHP; Lutz, Fla.; Florida State; Freshman
*Andrew Vaughn; IF; Santa Rosa, Calif.; California; Sophomore
*Matt Wallner; OF/P; Forest Lake, Minn.; Southern Mississippi; Sophomore
*Zach Watson; OF; Ruston, La.; LSU; Sophomore
Will Wilson; IF; Kings Mountain, N.C.; NC State; Sophomore
Kenyon Yovan; RHP; Beaverton, Ore.; Oregon; Sophomore
Ryan Zeferjahn; RHP; Topeka, Kan.; Kansas; Sophomore
