Zack Thompson Selected to USA Baseball Collegiate National Team
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky left-handed pitcher Zack Thompson has been selected for the 2018 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team and will head to the USA Baseball National Training Complex before games begin later this month.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound junior-to-be will be the first Wildcat to play for the Collegiate National Team since Evan White in 2016. The Selma, Indiana native has had a stellar start to his UK career, going 10-4 with a 3.88 earned run average and 138 strikeouts in 106.2 innings in two seasons. Opponents are hitting just .195 against him and he ranks second on the program’s career hits allowed per nine innings with just 6.24.
The Collegiate National Team will participate in three international friendship series in 2018, beginning with the 18th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series that will be held in North Carolina from June 28 – July 2. The U.S. will then announce a final 24-man roster to compete in the 42nd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series from July 3-9 in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina; and the 7th Annual USA vs. Cuba International Friendship Series in Cuba from July 13-18. Seven Collegiate National Team games will be streamed live on USABaseball.com, as well as Facebook Live and YouTube.
Thompson, who is considered one of the top prospects eligible for the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft, has shown plus velocity and an impressive competitive streak on the mound for the Cats. As a freshman he defeated a ranked Indiana club twice, including in an NCAA Tournament elimination game, and started the Cats’ first-ever Super Regional game. He was named a Freshman All-American by Baseball America, D1 Baseball and Perfect Game/Rawlings.
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