Dorn Invited to 2005 USA Baseball National Team Trials

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 17, 2005
Durham, N.C. ? USA Baseball announced today the final list of an additional 16 collegiate players that have accepted invitations to participate in the 2005 USA Baseball National Team Trials - to be held June 27-30 at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. The 2005 USA Baseball National Team will be selected from a pool of 39 players, with the official 20-man team roster announced on July 1.

10 of the 39 players invited to the trials are currently playing at the College World Series in Omaha, as is 2005 USA Baseball National Team Head Coach Steve Smith, who led his Baylor Bears to the CWS for the first time since 1978.

“This final list of athletes represents our view of the non-draft eligible players who's continued 2005 performance on the field has warranted the invitation,” said USA Baseball General Manager of National Teams Eric Campbell. “They add to an already great group for which we have to select our National Team from.”

For the second straight year, a Husker player was selected to try out, as freshman right-hander Johnny Dorn was one of 16 invitees. The freshman right-hander from Grand Island is 12-1 with a 1.98 ERA entering Nebraska's CWS opener on Friday. He leads the Big 12 - and all freshmen nationally in wins and is second in ERA and has helped the Huskers to 56 wins and a berth in the College World Series for the third time in five years. In 2004, Alex Gordon, who was named national player-of-the-year in 2005, was selected for Team USA a year ago.

Team USA opens the summer on Saturday, July 2 at 7pm vs the Torrington Twisters in Torrington, CT. Team USA will participate in the 34th Annual USA vs. Japan Collegiate Championship Series in Japan, July 8-12 and a Friendship Series vs. Taiwan in Chinese Taipei, July 15-19 prior to returning home to play six exhibition games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park this summer: July 22-24 vs. Italy & July 29-31 vs. Nicaragua.

The 16 most recent players that have accepted invitations to the 2005 USA Baseball National Team Trials:

Player                                         Pos        Yr           School                    Hometown
Brackman, Andrew          RHP       Fr             NC State                  Cincinnati, OH
Cozart, Zack                                IF           Fr             Mississippi                Collierville, TN
Curtis, Colin                               OF          So            Arizona State             Issaquah, WA                          
Davis, Blake                               IF            So           CS Fullerton               Fountain Valley, CA
Dorn, Johnny                             RHP         Fr            Nebraska                   Grand Island, NE
Gunderson, Kevin                      LHP         So           Oregon State             Oregon City, OR
Harbin, Taylor                             IF            Fr            Clemson                     Travelers Rest, SC                    
Huff, David                                 LHP         So           Cypress College        Huntington Beach, CA
McCulloch, Kyle                         RHP        So            Texas                        Houston, TX
Mense, Hunter                           OF           So            Missouri                    Liberty, MO
Nickerson, Jonah                       RHP         So           Oregon State             Oregon City, OR
Perez, Chris                               RHP         So           Miami-FL                   Holmes Beach, FL
Rodriguez, Josh                        IF/OF        So            Rice                          Houston, TX
Storey, Mickey                           RHP         Fr             Florida Atlantic           Deerfield Beach, FL
Tracy, Chad                               C              So            Pepperdine                Claremont, CA
VanAllen, Cory                           LHP         So            Baylor                       Sugar Land, TX

Smith will be assisted by John Cohen of Kentucky, Dave Van Horn of Arkansas, and Rob Walton of Oral Roberts. Andrew Norden of Duke will serve as the team athletic trainer and Larry Little of Baylor will serve as the team press officer.