June 24, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

USA Baseball announced Tuesday its 2008 National (Collegiate) Team, including the University of San Francisco's sophomore catcher Ryan Lipkin (Vacaville, CA). Dons head coach Nino Giarratano is also an assistant coach on the team that will head to The Netherlands and the Czech Republic this summer.

Three-time All-American Tagg Bozied is the only other Diamond Don player to be named to a USA National Team squad, when he played for USA Baseball in the summer of 2000. Bozied led the nation in home runs (30) and slugging percentage (.936) among Division I leaders.

Lipkin led all Dons with a .384 batting average, good enough for a seventh place tie on the USF season chart. In 52 games (47 starts), Lipkin went 66-for-172 with nine doubles, two homeruns, 21 RBI, 34 runs scored, 15 walks, and two stolen bases. He was third on the team with 22 multi-hit games.

Giarratano spoke about Lipkin's addition to the team. "Ryan deserves this. I am so happy for him and proud to have him in the USA uniform with us," Giarratano said.

The 20-man roster consists of nine pitchers, nine position players and a pair of two-way players.

Rob Walton (Oral Roberts) serves as head coach of the 2008 National Team with pitching coach Jerry Meyers (Old Dominion) and assistant coaches Giarratano and Ritch Price (Kansas). Eric Campbell is the general manager for the USA Baseball National Team.

"Even though we are only at 20 players, this team is as ready as any national team in my time to start an international series," Campbell said. "I credit this readiness to Rob Walton and his staff. We have had a great trials, and this team is eager and ready to play for their country."

Left-hander Mike Minor (Vanderbilt; Chapel Hill, Tenn.) leads this year's squad after he went 5-3 with a 2.08 ERA in nine appearances for the 2007 National Team. He is joined on the 2008 National Team pitching staff by right-handers Kyle Gibson (Missouri; Greenfield, Ind.), A.J. Griffin (San Diego; El Cajon, Calif.), Kevin Rhoderick (Oregon State; Scottsdale, Ariz.), Stephen Strasburg (San Diego State; San Diego, Calif.) and Kendal Volz (Baylor; Bulverde, Texas), and left-handers Chris Hernandez (Miami-FL; Miami, Fla.), Tyler Lyons (Oklahoma State; Lubbock, Texas) and Andrew Oliver (Oklahoma State; Vermillion, Ohio).

Outfielder Kentrail Davis (Tennessee; Theodore, Ala.) headlines the position players. Davis hit .463 with six home runs and 19 RBI in 12 games during the 2008 National Team Trials. He is joined by outfielders Matt den Dekker (Florida; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Josh Fellhauer (Cal State Fullerton; Rancho Cucamonga), infielders Christian Colon (Cal State Fullerton; Corona, Calif.), Derek Dietrich (Georgia Tech; Parma, Ohio), Ryan Jackson (Miami-FL; Miami Springs, Fla.) and Hunter Morris (Auburn; Huntsville, Ala.), and catchers Micah Gibbs (LSU; Pflugerville, Texas) and Lipkin.

The two utility players are infielder/right-handed pitcher Mike Leake (Arizona State; Fallbrook, Calif.) and outfielder/right-handed pitcher Blake Smith (California; Modesto, Calif.).

USA Baseball will announce the final two members of the 2008 National Team later this week.

"Without a doubt, this is an outstanding collection of talent both on the mound and in the lineup," Walton said. "We have plus arms, solid defenders and a group of quality hitters with great makeup. We look forward to representing the United States in international competition with this team."

The National Team begins competition Wednesday, opening a six-game series against the Chinese Taipei National Team in Greenville, S.C. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EDT at West End Field. The team heads to The Netherlands for Haarlem Baseball Week July 5-13, and participates in the IV FISU World Collegiate Baseball Championship in the Czech Republic July 17-27.

Lipkin is the fourth Don (or former Don) to represent the United States on a National Team this year. Men's soccer freshman defender, Victor Cortez, was named to the Under 20 National Team and made a trip to Argentina for training camp and three international games in December. Former Don Rob Valentino made the Under 23 National Team and competed in the Toulon International Tournament in Italy this past May. Another former Don, Daniel DeGeer, was recently named to the US Futsal National Team after a strong showing at training camp in Brazil.