UT Arlington?s Michael Choice Earns Spot on USA Baseball National Team
ARLINGTON, Texas ? UT Arlington center fielder Michael Choice was named to the 2009 USA Baseball National Team (Collegiate), which was announced by National Team officials on Wednesday evening. Choice, who will be a junior next season at UT Arlington, was one of 22 players named to the roster. The team will consist of five outfielders, six infielders, 10 pitchers and one utility player. Two additional players will stay with the team to serve as alternates.
Choice, a native of Mansfield, Texas, becomes the first UT Arlington baseball player in the history of the program to earn a spot on the USA Baseball National Team.
“I’m just really happy right now,” Choice said minutes after learning the news of making the team. “I’m glad that all of the hard work has paid off. I have been working really hard since I got here to make the team. I’m just relieved since getting the news.”
Choice went 3-for-10 during the final three scrimmages while showing power at the plate. On Monday, Choice went 1-for-4 with a towering three-run homer that almost cleared the batter’s eye in center field while leading his team with three RBI. He went 0-for-2 with a sacrifice fly a day later and finished the trials (Cary, N.C.) with a 2-for-4 performance with a double to left center, an RBI and a stolen base.
In his brief two-year career at UT Arlington, Choice holds the all-time career school record for batting (.396) and has racked up 167 base hits, 22 doubles, six triples, 18 home runs and 103 RBI.
This past season, Choice batted .413 with 13 doubles, 11 homers and 52 RBI. He was named first team Southland All-Conference and was a second team American Baseball Coaches Association South Central All-Region.
The USA Baseball National Team is comprised of the top non-draft eligible collegiate players in the country. In 2009, the National Team will play in two international friendship series in North Carolina against the Canadian National Team and the Guatemalan National Team before traveling to Japan for the 37th Annual USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star series and the World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
The USA Baseball National Team begins its summer season Thursday, June 24, opening a five-game series against the Canadian National Team in Cary, N.C. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM ET at the National Training Complex.
MICHAEL CHOICE
On the competition and overall experience at the USA Baseball National Team Trials...
“It has been a great experience playing with these guys. These are the top pitchers in the nation that I’m facing. Some of these guys are virtually unhittable. Just trying to get the bat on some of these pitches is the goal going into each at bat. It has been a great experience. There are great facilities, great coaches, it has just been a lot of fun playing every day for these guys.”
On the biggest challenges he has faced since arriving at the National Team Trials...
“The biggest adjustment would have to just be picking up the pitches these guys are throwing. When somebody is throwing 95 to almost 100, there are guys here throwing 101, it is a lot harder to pick up that slider. It is almost funny in your mind that someone can throw that hard.”
2009 USA Baseball National Team Roster (22-man roster & alternates)
Infielders
Christian Colon (Cal State Fullerton)
Rick Hague (Rice)
Brad Miller (Clemson)
Andy Wilkins (Arkansas)
Catchers
Blake Forsythe (Tennessee)
Yasmani Grandal (Miami, Fla.)
Utility
Kolten Wong (Hawaii)
Outfielders
Bryce Brentz (Middle Tennessee State)
Michael Choice (UT Arlington)
Tyler Holt (Florida State)
Casey McGrew (Wright State)
Matt Newman (Arizona State)
Right-Handed Pitchers
Trevor Bauer (UCLA)
Chad Bettis (Texas Tech)
Gerrit Cole (UCLA)
Sonny Gray (Vanderbilt)
Nick Pepitone (Tulane)
T.J. Walz (Kansas)
Asher Wojciechowski (The Citadel)
Tony Zych (Louisville)
Left-Handed Pitchers
Drew Pomeranz (Mississippi)
Cody Wheeler (Coastal Carolina)
Alternates
Rob Segedin (Tulane)
Jeremy Schaffer (Tulane)
Coaching Staff
Rick Jones (Tulane) ? Head Coach
Mike Kennedy (Elon) ? Pitching Coach
Rob Cooper (Wright State) ? Assistant Coach
Dan McDonnell (Louisville) ? Assistant Coach