On July 17 and 18, 2010, Team USA will compete against Korea as part of a five-game international friendship series in North Carolina (the other three games will be played at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary and in Charlotte, home of the Triple-A Knights). Past teams from around the world that have visited the Triangle to face the U.S. include Canada, Chinese Taipei, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua and Russia. In 2009 at the DBAP, the Collegiate National Team won three games against Canada, and, later that summer, a sellout crowd of USA Baseball supporters was treated to an 18-1 U.S. win over Guatemala and a post-game fireworks celebration.
Players who recently competed at the DBAP while playing for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team include 2008 Olympians Stephen Strasburg, Taylor Teagarden, Matt LaPorta, Casey Weathers and Jake Arrieta; top overall Draft picks in the 2006, 2007 and 2009 MLB First-Year Player Drafts Luke Hochevar, David Price and Strasburg; 2006 and 2008 Baseball America Minor League Players of the Year Alex Gordon and Matt Wieters; Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman; Colorado Rockies pitcher Huston Street and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki; Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia and infielder Jed Lowrie; Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher Jered Weaver; Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander; and top prospects like Pedro Alvarez, Justin Smoak and Brett Wallace.
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| Durham Bulls mascot Wool E. Bull dons the red, white and blue at National Team games each summer. (BrianFlemingPhotography.com) |
Headquartered at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, USA Baseball is the National Governing Body for the sport and represents baseball in America as a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). USA Baseball is the sole organization responsible for selecting, training and supporting the USA Baseball Professional Teams (World Baseball Classic Team, World Cup Team), the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, the USA Baseball 18U, 16U and 14U National Teams, and the Women's National Team. Additionally, since 1978, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country with the Golden Spikes Award. The award is presented each year to the player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary sportsmanship.
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| Korea will travel to the Triangle for a series against the Collegiate National Team in July. (Marco Vasini) |
For ticket information on USA Baseball's games in Durham, please click here.
