Gordon Invited to USA Baseball National Team Trials

Durham, N.C. ? University of Nebraska third baseman Alex Gordon (Lincoln, Neb.) was one of 19 players selected Thursday by USA Baseball to participate in the 2004 USA Baseball National Team Trials in Durham, N.C., this June.

Gordon has been one of the nation’s premier performers throughout the 2004 campaign. The sophomore leads the Big 12 in hitting (.391), on-base percentage (.505), slugging percentage (.834), total bases (126) and RBIs (62) and is second in homers (15) and doubles (16), as he has appeared in all 41 of the Huskers’ contests. Gordon, who was named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List earlier this month, leads NU in nearly every offensive category, including hits (59), runs (48), triples (3), walks (32) and stolen bases (9) in helping Nebraska to a 29-12 record and a No. 19 national ranking entering this weekend’s series with No. 10 Texas A&M. Gordon, who was chosen a mid-season All-American by Baseball America, is looking to become the first player in Big 12 history to lead the conference in hitting, homers and RBIs in the same season.

"It means a lot, especially with the time we are going through as a country right now with the soldiers in Iraq," Gordon said. "Wearing the USA on your chest is a great honor, and I am thrilled to have that opportunity to represent my country."

Gordon is bidding to become the first Husker to make Team USA since former All-American Paul Meyers back in 1985.

It’s a great honor for Alex, his family, the city of Lincoln and the Nebraska baseball program," Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson said. "It is wonderful to see a homegrown boy from this city develop and be recognized on a national level. To be on this initial list just confirms what our coaches and teammates already knew ? that he is a tremendous baseball player."

The USA Baseball National Team will be selected from a pool of 36 players, of which an additional 17 have yet to be determined. The trials will take place June 20-26 with the official 20-man team roster announced on June 27.

The 2004 USA Baseball National Team will open play on Wednesday evening, June 23 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park at 6 p.m. (CDT) vs. Canada. Team USA will play an additional seven games in Durham, along with several more domestic exhibition games prior to representing the United States at the 2004 II FISU World University Baseball Championships in Chinese Taipei, July 23-Aug. 1.

The first group of 19 players invited to the 2004 USA Baseball National Team Trials is shown below:

Page 1

Player

Pos

Yr

School

Hometown

Bard, Daniel

RHP

Fr. 

North Carolina

Charlotte, N.C.

Buck, Travis

OF

So.

Arizona State

Richland, Wash.

Clement, Jeff 

C 

So.

USC 

Marshalltown, Iowa

Cox, J. Brent

RHP

So.

Texas 

Bay City, Texas

Donald, Jason 

IF

Fr. 

Arizona 

Clovis, Calif.

Ellsbury, Jacoby

OF 

So. 

Oregon State

Madras, Ore.

Erickson, Blair

RHP 

Fr. 

UC Irvine 

Fair Oaks, Calif.

Gordon, Alex 

IF

So. 

Nebraska 

Lincoln, Neb.

Greene, Tyler

IF 

So. 

Georgia Tech 

Plantation, Fla.

Head, Stephen

LHP/IF 

So.

Mississippi

Raymond, Miss.

Hollimon, Mark

RHP 

So.

Mississippi  

Germantown, Tenn.

Kahn, Stephen

RHP 

So. 

LMU  

Anaheim, Calif.

Kennedy, Ian

RHP 

Fr.

USC

Huntington Beach, Calif.

Lowrie, Jed

IF 

So. 

Stanford 

Salem, Ore.

Mayberry Jr., John

IF 

So. 

Stanford

Kansas City, Kan.

Pelfrey, Mike

RHP 

So. 

Wichita State 

Wichita, Kan.

Ramos, Cesar 

LHP 

So. 

Long Beach State  

Pico Rivera, Calif.

Teagarden, Taylor

C 

So. 

Texas

Carrollton, Texas

Zimmerman, Ryan

IF 

So. 

Virginia 

Virginia Beach, Va.