FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
(DURHAM, N.C.) – USA Baseball announced Tuesday its second round of invitations for the 2008 National Team Trials held June 11-23 throughout the northeast and southeast United States. This 14-member list is comprised of nine sophomores and five freshmen, joining the 12-member initial invitee list announced earlier this month. In all, 32 players will be invited to the National Team Trials with 22 of those players being selected for the National Team roster which will be announced on June 24.
“This second wave of accepted invitations to the 2008 National Team Trials only further illustrates the high level of talent that will join USA Baseball this summer,” National Team General Manager Eric Campbell said. “We once again thank both the athletes and their universities for their commitment.”
Included in the list are 2007 National Team members Ryan Berry (RHP, Rice) and Tommy Medica (C/RF, Santa Clara). Berry has solidified Rice’s Friday-night starters spot this season with a 7-4 record and a 3.10 ERA. The first-team All-CUSA pick leads the conference in ERA and strikeouts (80). Medica posted a .342 batting average this season with six home runs, 44 RBI, 15 doubles and 29 walks against only 17 strikeouts in 55 games.
Other sophomores on the list are Dustin Ackley (LF/1B, North Carolina), Ryan Jackson (SS, Miami-FL), Ryan Ortiz (C/1B, Oregon State), Josh Phegley (C/1B, Indiana), Kyle Seager (IF, North Carolina), Stephen Strasburg (RHP, San Diego State), and Kendal Volz (RHP, Baylor).
The five freshmen invitees are Derek Dietrich (SS/RHP, Georgia Tech), Drew Pomeranz (LHP, Mississippi), Brooks Raley (LHP/OF, Texas A&M), Kevin Rhoderick (RHP, Oregon State), and Chance Ruffin (RHP, Texas).
Ackley, Davis (first-wave invitee) and Strasburg are semifinalists for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the nation’s top amateur player, and Strasburg is among the 10 semifinalists for the 2008 Clemens Award, given to the nation’s top collegiate pitcher. Strasburg (4th) and Volz (19th) both rank among the national leaders in strikeouts per nine innings. Seager ranks fourth nationally with 26 doubles.
USA Baseball’s 2008 National Team schedule includes a six-game friendship series against Chinese Taipei and a month-long trip to Europe where the team will compete in the Haarlem Baseball Week in the Netherlands and the IV FISU World Collegiate Baseball Championship in the Czech Republic.
Listed below is the 2008 National Team Trials Roster to date:
| Name | Pos. | B/T | Cl. | School | Hometown |
| Dustin Ackley | LF/1B | L/R | So. | North Carolina | Walnut Grove, N.C. |
| Ryan Berry | RHP | R/R | So. | Rice | Humble, Texas |
| Christian Colon | INF | R/R | Fr. | Cal State Fullerton | Corora, Calif. |
| Kentrail Davis | OF | L/R | Fr. | Tennessee | Theodore, Ala. |
| Derek Dietrich | SS/RHP | L/R | Fr. | Georgia Tech | Parma, Ohio |
| Josh Fellhauer | OF | L/L | So. | Cal State Fullerton | Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. |
| Kyle Gibson | RHP | R/R | So. | Missouri | Greenfield, Ind. |
| AJ Griffin | RHP | R/R | So. | San Diego | El Cajon, Calif. |
| Ryan Jackson | SS | R/R | So. | Miami-FL | Miami Springs, Fla. |
| Mike Leake | RHP/UTL | R/R | So. | Arizona State | Fallbrook, Calif. |
| Tommy Medica | C/RF | R/R | So. | Santa Clara | San Jose, Calif. |
| Mike Minor | LHP | L/L | So. | Vanderbilt | Chapel Hill, Tenn. |
| Bryan Morgado | LHP | L/L | R-Fr. | Tennessee | Miami, Fla. |
| Hunter Morris | 1B | L/R | Fr. | Auburn | Huntsville, Ala. |
| Andrew Oliver | LHP | L/L | So. | Oklahoma State | Vermillion, Okla. |
| Ryan Ortiz | C/1B | R/R | So. | Oregon State | San Diego, Calif. |
| Josh Phegley | C/1B | R/R | So. | Indiana | Terre Haute, Ind. |
| Drew Pomeranz | LHP | L/L | Fr. | Mississippi | Collierville, Tenn. |
| Brooks Raley | LHP/OF | L/L | Fr. | Texas A&M | Uvalde, Texas |
| Kevin Rhoderick | RHP | R/R | Fr. | Oregon State | Scottsdale, Ariz. |
| Chance Ruffin | RHP | R/R | Fr. | Texas | Austin, Texas |
| Kyle Seager | IF | L/R | So. | North Carolina | Kannapolis, N.C. |
| Aaron Senne | OF | L/L | So. | Missouri | Rochester, Minn. |
| Jason Stoffel | RHP | R/R | So. | Arizona | Agoura, Calif. |
| Stephen Strasburg | RHP | R/R | So. | San Diego State | San Diego, Calif. |
| Kendal Volz | RHP | R/R | So. | Baylor | Bulverde, Texas |
(Bold = USA Baseball National Team alumnus; Italics = second round invitation)
The 2008 USA Baseball National Team will be led by Oral Roberts University head coach Rob Walton, who served as an assistant coach for the 2005 National Team. Walton is joined on the 2008 staff by pitching coach Jerry Meyers (head coach, Old Dominion University), assistant coach Nino Giarratano (head coach, University of San Francisco), and assistant coach Ritch Price (head coach, University of Kansas).
USA Baseball is the National Governing Body of amateur baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The organization selects and trains the United States Olympic Baseball Team (and all other USA Baseball Professional Teams); the USA Baseball National Team (collegiate); the USA Baseball 18U, 16U and 14U National Teams; and the USA Baseball Women’s National Team, all of which participate in various international competitions each year. For more information on USA Baseball please visit usabaseball.com.
