HiToms Host National USA Baseball Collegiate Team Tonight

The High Point-Thomasville HiToms will host USA Baseball’s National Collegiate Team as the first stop in USA Baseball’s Coastal Plain League tour on Monday, June 23, with first pitch set for 7 P.M. It’s the second straight year that the HiToms and the Collegiate National Team have faced each other.

As it does every year, USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team boasts a wealth of talent. This year’s team is anchored by Florida State outfielder D.J. Stewart from Florida State, College of Charleston pitcher Bailey Ober, and LSU shortstop Alex Bregman.

Stewart was a semi-finalist for both the 2014 Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy. This season, the Yulee, Florida native led his team in nearly every offensive category: batting average (.351), home runs (7), runs batted in (50), slugging percentage (.557) and on-base percentage (.472). The sophomore also hit 19 doubles and scored 45 runs.

Ober added to an already stellar freshman campaign when he was named not only to Louisville Slugger’s Freshman All-American team, but also as the NCBWA’s Freshman Pitcher of the Year. The six-foot-eight right-hander burst on the scene for the Cougars, leading them in wins (10), earned run average (1.52), and opposing batting average (.192). The Huntersville, N.C. native also struck out 85 batters in just over 106 innings of work.

Bregman led the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament in 2014 as LSU hosted the Baton Rouge regional. The 2013 Brooks Wallace Award winner and National Freshman of the Year followed up his stellar campaign by leading his team in RBIs (47) and finishing second on his team in average (.316) and home runs (6).

Last year, the HiToms and USA Baseball split a two-game exhibition series. The CNT won the first game by a score of 5-2, but High Point-Thomasville bounced back by forcing a 3-3 tie in game two.

USA Baseball CNT Schedule

Date                 Opponent                                 Venue
Tue., June 24-       Coastal Plain League Tour                CPL Ballparks
Sun., July 29

Tue., July 1- Friendship Series vs. Chinese Taipei Various Sat., July 5
Sunday, July 6 vs. Japanese Collegiate All-Stars Finch Field Monday, July 7 vs. Japanese Collegiate All-Stars Fleming Stadium Tuesday, July 8 vs. Japanese Collegiate All-Stars Buck Hardee Field
Fri., July 11- Honkbal - Haarlem Baseball Week Pim Mulier Stadium Sun., July 20 (Haarlem, Netherlands)
Wed., July 23- Friendship Series vs. Cuba TBD Sun., July 27