BASE: Wimmers Invited to USA National Team Trials – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/3/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
COLUMBUS, Ohio Ohio State sophomore pitcher Alex Wimmers has received and accepted an invitation to compete at the 2009 USA Baseball National Team Trials to be held at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., June 15-24.
The National Team Trials will be comprised of 36 collegiate players vying for a spot on the final 22-man roster to be announced on June 24.
The invite is the latest accolade for the Cincinnati native and Archbishop Moeller graduate, who was the co-Pitcher of the Year in the Big Ten Conference this season and who also has been named a Louisville Slugger second-team All-American.
“Alex worked hard this year to be a No. 1 pitcher,” Ohio State coach Bob Todd said. “I think this Team USA invite is a well-deserved honor that will provide Alex with an opportunity to compete with and against the best amateur players in the country.”
Wimmers posted a 9-2 record this season and a 3.27 earned run average in addition to Big Ten bests in strikeouts (136) and opposing batting average (.211). He was honored as the Big Ten pitcher or co-pitcher of the week four times this year and selected as a national pitcher of the week twice. Here’s just a few of the reasons why:
- He pitched a no-hitter May 2 vs. Michigan with 14 strikeouts, facing just one batter over the minimum. It was the first nine-inning no-hitter in Ohio State history.
- He had wins over No. 2 Miami, George Mason, Notre Dame and Indiana, as well as Michigan, among his nine conquests
- He pitched a complete game, 15-strikeout win over Pittsburgh.
- He held Indiana to five singles in a complete game, 14-strikeout, zero-walk win.
- He carried no-hitter into the eighth inning vs. Michigan State with a two-hit, 11-strikeout win the end result.
- He posted six games with 10-or-more strikeouts.
- He became only the eighth Buckeye – in 126 years of baseball – to reach 100 or more strikeouts in a single season and finished with the second highest single season total: 136.
The 2009 National Team will compete in several exhibition games in the Triangle-area of North Carolina, including a friendly series against the Canadian National Team, June 25 29, which will be played across both the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the USA Baseball National Training Complex. Following its domestic exhibition schedule, the U.S. will travel to Japan to compete in the 37th Annual Japan vs. USA Collegiate Championships before closing out its summer in Canada at the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, British Columbia.
The 2009 team will be coached by Tulane University head coach Rick Jones, who previously served as an assistant coach for the red, white and blue on the 1989 Presidential Cup Team and 1990 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 USA Baseball National Team assistant coach).
###OhioStateBuckeyes.com###
