June 15, 2009
SPOKANE, Wash. - Gonzaga University sophomore pitcher Cody Martin has been invited to the Team USA National Team trials held at the National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. from June 14-24. Players will participate in daily practices and drills at the trials, as well as in modified intrasquad Blue vs. Red games. The final 22-man roster will be announced on June 24.
Martin went 5-4 with six saves and posted a team-low 3.07 ERA this past season for the Bulldogs. The Dos Palos, Calif. native recorded 68 strikeouts and held opposing hitters to a .245 batting average in 58.2 innings of work. He was named WCC/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week two times in 2009 and closed out the year recording eight strikeouts in 5.1 scoreless innings of work in his two appearances at the NCAA Tournament. Also in 2009, he was also placed on the NCBWA Preseason and Midseason Stopper of the Year Watch list. Martin set the school's top mark for saves in a season in 2008 with nine and went on to receive NCBWA Freshman All-America second team honors, All-West Coast Conference honorable mention and All-WCC freshmen team honors in his freshman campaign.
"It is a great honor for Cody as well as our program to have one of our players have the opportunity to play for Team USA and represent our country, said Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf. " Cody is a very versatile pitcher. He can start, throw in middle relief and also close which was why he was such a huge part of our success this year. We don't win the West Coast Conference and reach the NCAA Tournament without him and we are very excited for Cody. "
The 2009 National Team Trials roster features 41 players from colleges across the country, including three members of the 2008 National Team that went unbeaten (24-0) and won a gold medal at Haarlem Baseball Week in the Netherlands and at the FISU World University Baseball Championship in the Czech Republic.
Tulane leads all schools with three players on the trials roster, while Cal State Fullerton, Clemson, Louisville, LSU, Rice, UCLA, and Virginia each have two players represented.
"USA Baseball is very excited to begin our 2009 National Team Trials," said Eric Campbell, General Manager of USA Baseball National Teams. "We look forward to building off of the success of last season by welcoming these players to the National Training Complex."
The USA Baseball National Training Complex will host the National Team Trials for the first time in 2009. In previous seasons the trials were spread throughout the United States.
"Having our trials in one designated place is extremely beneficial to our overall goal," Campbell said. "Not only do we constantly strive for excellence on the field, but USA Baseball is also dedicated to continuing the overall athletic development of all of our players. Having our trials in one central location will only strengthen our ability to teach the game of baseball."
Team USA will then travel to Japan to participate in the 37th annual USA vs. Japan Collegiate Championships before traveling to Prince George, British Columbia, Canada for the 2009 Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline World Baseball Challenge.
The 2009 team will be coached by Tulane University head coach Rick Jones, who previously served as an assistant coach for Team USA on the 1989 Presidential Cup Team and 1990 Collegiate National Team. Jones is joined by pitching coach Mike Kennedy (head coach, Elon University) and assistant coaches Dan McDonnell (head coach, Louisville University) and Rob Cooper (head coach, Wright State University; 2007 National Team assistant coach).
Once the official roster has been announced, the National Team will stay in Durham and Cary, N.C. as it competes in two international friendship series against Canada and Guatemala from June 25-29 and July 1-4, respectively.
