USA Baseball Faces Japan in Five-Game Seires

Lincoln -- Nebraska third baseball Alex Gordon and the 2004 USA Baseball National Team continue their summer tour this weekend, as they travel to Japan for a five-game USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series. USA is traveling to Japan for the first time since 2002 and is looking for its first series win on the road against Japan since 1979. Team USA will end its summer as they aim for a gold medal at the FISU II World University Games in Tainan, Taiwan (July 22-Aug. 1). Gordon batted .313 with a homer and five RBIs during the USA vs. Canada series that concluded Tuesday evening. Fans can follow the progress of the USA Baseball National Team with live stats on Huskers.com.

Tonight’s Tilt:
The 2004 USA Baseball National Team continues its 18-game summer tour with the first of a five-game USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series. USA is traveling to Japan for the first time since 2002 and is looking for its first series win on the road against Japan since 1979. Team USA will end its summer as they aim for a gold medal at the FISU II World University Games in Tainan, Taiwan (July 22-Aug. 1).

33rd Annual USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series:
The 2004 USA Baseball National Team faces its big test so far this summer with the five-game, 33rd Annual USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series starting July 2 in Ohita, Japan. USA won the last two series played in America and eight of the last 10 games overall in the series. Team USA also leads the all-time series (games) 107-80 dating back to 1972, but has not won a series in Japan since former Major Leaguer Von Hayes led the USA to a 4-3 series victory in 1979. The USA Baseball National Team has won 20 of the 32 series in the annual Friendship Series. Team USA swept the five-game series last year with three games played in Durham, N.C. and two games in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Getting Offensive:
Through six games the 2004 USA Baseball National Team has been an offensive powerhouse. Team USA is hitting .326 with nine home runs and a .543 team slugging percentage. Eight different players have at least one home run and all but three position player are hitting over .300. The squad is averaging 11 runs per game and 12 hits per contest while scoring in double digits in three of the last four games. Arizona State sophomore outfielder Travis Buck leads the team hitting .800 (8-for-10) with six runs, one home run, seven RBI and has reached base in 14 of his 16 plate appearances (.875 OB%). Trevor Crowe (So., Arizona, Portland, Ore.) is hitting .526 (8-for-13) with four doubles, two triples and six RBI (.947 SLG%).

Speed To Burn:
Team USA is 25-for-29 stealing bases this summer, led by three from infielder Jed Lowrie (So., Stanford, Salem, Ore.) and two from outfielder Travis Buck (So., Arizona State, Richland, Wash.). USA has three or more stolen bases in each of the last five games.

American History -- Five Combine For No-Hitter:
Five Team USA pitchers combined to toss the first no-hitter in USA Baseball recorded history (since 1984) as the 2004 USA Baseball National Team defeated Canada 9-0 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park last Thursday night (June 24). Ian Kennedy (Southern California - 2.2 IP), Ryan Mullins (Vanderbilt - 2.1 IP), Luke Hochevar (Tennessee - 2.0 IP), Joey Devine (NC State - 1.0 IP) and Blair Erickson (UC Irvine - 1.0 IP) combined to twirl the gem. Former Houston All-American Brad Sullivan had a one-hitter in 2002 that was the previous Team USA record for fewest hits allowed in a game.

Dominating the Canucks:
Team USA swept the six-game Friendship Series against Canada and is now 49-9 against Canada dating back to 1987 and has won 15 of the last 18 dating back to 1998. The Americans out-hit Canada 72-37 and out-scored them 66-22 in the series. Team USA and Canada will possibly face again in pool play in the FISU World University Games later this summer in Tainan, Taiwan.

The Last Time Out -- USA 16, Canada 6:
Mark Romanczuk (So., Stanford, Newark, Del.) threw 3.2 innings of masterful relief and left fielder Trevor Crowe (So., Arizona, Portland, Ore.) had the game-winning two-run double as the USA Baseball National Team put the finishing touches on six-game sweep of Canada with a come-from-behind 16-6 victory Tuesday night at Coastal Federal Field. Team USA scored in double-digits for the third time in the last four contests and got multi-hit games from four different players. Romanczuk improved to 2-0 this summer and 7-0 during his USA Baseball National Team career with the victory.

Team USA Starting Pitcher -- Mike Pelfrey:
Wichita State sophomore right-hander Mike Pelfrey (Wichita, Kan.) is scheduled to take the mound in the opening game of the USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series. Pelfrey is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in 6.0 innings of work this summer, striking out six and allowing only one earned run in two appearances (one start). Pelfrey was a consensus second-team All-American this season and was named the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year after going 11-2 with a 2.18 ERA for the Shockers. Pelfrey is rated as the No. 1 college prospect in the nation for the 2005 MLB Draft by Baseball America.

Quick Hits:
?       USA has scored 38 of its 66 runs (58%) in the six games with two outs on the scoreboard. The team is hitting .400 (34-for-85) with two outs.
?       Manager Frank Cruz (Loyola Marymount) is in his second stint with Team USA. He was an assistant on the 2000 National Team.
?       LHP Mark Romanczuk is 2-0 to improve to 7-0 with Team USA and is a combined 30-5 (Team USA & Stanford) during his college career.
?       The National Team has announced that Stephen Kahn, who was part of the Trials last week, will rejoin the team for the trip to Japan.
?       LHP Cesar Ramos (Long Beach State) is 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA. He has given up only one ER and struck out 12 in 11.0 IP.
?       Closer RHP Joey Devine (NC State) has struck out eight his three appearances and has not allowed a run in 3.2 hitless innings.
Crowe Make ?US’ Go:
Outfielder Trevor Crowe (So., Arizona, Portland, Ore.) hasn’t stopped hitting since he arrived at the National Team Trials right after his Arizona Wildcats got eliminated from the College World Series. The first-team All-Pac-10 selection is second on the team hitting .526 (10-for-19) and leads the team with six extra base hits with four doubles and two triples. Crowe has started three games in the leadoff spot and has a .526 on-base percentage. Crowe hit .350 (71-for-203) with 13 doubles, nine triples and five home runs for Arizona during the college season.

The Buck Stops Here:
Arizona State sophomore outfielder Travis Buck (Richland, Wash.) leads Team USA hitting .800 (8-for-10) with six runs, one home runs, seven RBI and a 1.100 slugging%. Buck has reached base in 14 of his 16 plate appearances and has not struck out. He is also has two stolen bases and is tied for the team lead with a five-game hitting streak. Buck was named first-team All-Pac-10 after hitting .373 (84-for-225) with nine home runs for the Sun Devils in 2004.

Freshman All-Americans:
Four players on the 2004 USA Baseball National Team were named to the Baseball America Freshman All-America squad. Drew Stubbs (OF, Texas), Chris Valaika (SS, UC Santa Barbara) and Ian Kennedy (RHP, Southern California) were first-team selections. Daniel Bard (RHP, North Carolina) was a second-team selection. In addition, Stubbs (Big 12), Bard (ACC) and Valaika (Big West) were named their respective conference freshman of the year.

Just In From Omaha:
With hardly any rest and after an emotional College World Series Championship Series, four players from Texas and Cal State Fullerton immediately joined the USA Baseball National Team. Ricky Romero (LHP - CS Fullerton), Drew Stubbs (OF - Texas), Taylor Teagarden (C/1B - Texas) and J. Brent Cox (RHP - Texas) joined the team in Myrtle Beach before USA’s 16-6 victory over Canada (6/29).

Players Arrive From College World Series:
Taylor Teagarden        C       Texas
Drew Stubbs     CF      Texas
J. Brent Cox    RHP     Texas
Ricky Romero    LHP     Cal State Fullerton

The Coaching Staff:
The 2004 USA Baseball National Team features 63 years of combined head coaching experience. Loyola Marymount head coach Frank Cruz will serve as the manager of the 2004 National Team, with assistant coaches Elliot Avent (NC State), Mike Trapasso (Hawaii) and Jack Smitheran (UC Riverside). Cruz was named the 2004 West Coast Conference Coach of the Year and owns an all-time 261-255-3 record at LMU. Cruz was an assistant coach on the 2000 USA Baseball National Team. Avent was the 2003 ACC and CollegeBaseballInsider.com National Coach of the Year and is 297-193 in eight seasons at the helm of the Wolfpack. Smitheran owns 1,097 career wins in 35 years as a head coach and is 974-707-3 in 31 campaigns at UC Riverside. Trapasso took over the Hawaii program in 2002 and was named the 2004 WAC Coach of the Year. Trapasso played for USA Baseball in 1983 while at Oklahoma State and was a finalist for the 1982 Golden Spikes Award.

Trapasso in 1983 USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series:
Team USA assistant coach and University of Hawai’i head coach Mike Trapasso knows a thing or two about the USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series. The former Golden Spikes Award Finalist as a left-handed pitcher from Oklahoma State participated in the annual event in 1983. Japan won game seven with a 3-1 victory to pull the series out. USA won the first two games 9-1 and 4-3, but lost four of the last five. Trapasso saw action in one game (2.0 IP), giving up one run and one hit in 2.0 innings.

Plenty of Prospects:
The 2004 USA Baseball National Team features nine of the top 10 college prospects for the 2005 MLB Draft according to Baseball America. Here is a look at the projected top 10 prospects for 2005:

Player  Pos     School
1.      Mike Pelfrey*   RHP     Wichita State
2.      Jeff Clement*   C       Southern California
3.      Alex Gordon*    3B      Nebraska
4.      Stephen Head    1B/LHP  Mississippi
5.      John Mayberry Jr.*      1B/LHP  Stanford
6.      Tyler Greene    SS      Georgia Tech
7.      Brian Bogusevic OF/LHP  Tulane
8.      Mark McCormick  RHP     Baylor
9.      Jed Lowrie*     2B      Stanford
10.     Stephen Kahn*   RHP     Loyola Marymount
* Member of 2004 USA Baseball National Team

Valaika on Fire:
UC Santa Barbara freshman infielder Chris Valaika (Newhall, Calif.) has been nearly unstoppable at the plate in his five appearances with the National Team this summer. Valaika has recorded at least one hit and one RBI in all five of his games played this summer. He is hitting .455 (5-for-11) with two triples, a home run and is tied for the team lead with seven RBI. Valaika was named the Big West Conference Freshman of the Year in 2004 after hitting .347 (77-for-222) with 15 doubles, seven home runs and 38 RBI for the Gauchos.

All Mark Romanczuk Does is Win:
Stanford LHP Mark Romanczuk (Newark, Del.) likes to win" to the tune of 30 victories in two summers with Team USA and two solid years at powerhouse Stanford. Romanczuk is 2-0 this summer with a 0.00 ERA and eight strikeouts in 6.2 scoreless innings. He dominated Canada with five K’s in 3.2 innings out of the bullpen (6/29) to improve to 7-0 during his USA Baseball career. The two-time first-team All-Pac-10 selection was 11-3 with a 4.31 ERA for the Cardinal and was 11-2 as a freshman in ?03. Romanczuk was 5-0 with a 0.75 ERA last summer when Team USA went 27-2 and captured the Silver Medal in the Pan Am Games in Santo Domingo, D.R.

Familiar Faces from 2003:
Nine of the 34 players invited to the 2004 USA Baseball National Team Trials were also part of the same event held last year at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz. Stephen Head (Ole Miss), Jeff Clement (USC), Mark Romanczuk (Stanford) and Tyler Greene (Georgia Tech) all were part of the record-breaking 2003 summer squad that won the silver medal in the Pan Am Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Romanczuk and Clement return as national team members. Mike Pelfrey (Wichita State), John Mayberry Jr. (Stanford), Travis Buck (Arizona State), Joey Devine (NC State) and Taylor Teagarden (Texas) were all invited to the Trials, but did not make the final 21-man squad a year ago, but all made the team this year. Ian Kennedy (USC), Chris Valaika (UC Santa Barbara) and Daniel Bard (North Carolina) also played for the USA Baseball Junior National Team during their respective prep careers.

An All-American Team:
Several players invited to the 2004 USA Baseball National Team Trials earned All-American and various Conference Player of the Year honors. Below is a list of players and their awards from this season that are in attendance at the Trials. A complete list follows later in this release.

Player  College Awards  
Alex Gordon     Nebraska        Big 12 Player of the Year, 1st Team All-American (BA, CB)
Jed Lowrie      Stanford        Pac-10 Player of the Year, 1st Team All-American (BA, SW)
Drew Stubbs     Texas   Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Freshman All-American
Mike Pelfrey    Wichita St.     MVC Pitcher of the Year, All-American (BA, SW, CB)
Daniel Bard     North Carolina  ACC Freshman of the Year
Stephen Kahn    LMU     West Coach Conference Pitcher of the Year
Drew Stubbs     Texas   Freshman All-American, Big 12 Freshman of the Year
Chris Valaika   UCSB    Big West Freshman of the Year.