THE FLATS – Three Yellow Jackets have been selected to join the 2025 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp as three of the top 56 non-draft eligible players from around the nation, USA Baseball announced this week. Outfielder Drew Burress (Houston County, Ga./Houston County HS), two-way Alex Hernandez (Cumming, Ga./ Forsyth Central HS) and catcher Vahn Lackey (Suwanee, Ga./Collins Hill HS) will compete in the national team training camp for an opportunity to earn a place on the USA Baseball Collegiate All-Star Championship Series roster, in Japan, next month.
The three selections mark the most representation from Georgia Tech in a USA Baseball program since 2003 when Tyler Greene, Mike Nickeas, Micah Owings and Eric Patterson won silver with Team USA in the Pan American Games.
The Collegiate National Team Training Camp schedule will kick off with the annual Stars vs. Stripes series at various venues across the state of North Carolina. The first game will be held on June 29 at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis at 5:35 p.m., the next three games will be played at USA Baseball’s National Training Complex in Cary at 6:30 p.m., and the series finale will be hosted at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville at 6:35 p.m. The final roster, to compete in Japan, will be named on July 4.
Those that make the team will compete in a Fourth of July game against the Appalachian League Select Team at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis at 6:35 p.m. before traveling across the globe to represent the best of American collegiate baseball in the 45th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series from July 8-13.
Burress, a 1st Team All-American according to the ABCA, NCBWA and Perfect Game, is coming off a dominant 2025 season, finishing as the only player from a Power 4 conference with at least 60 RBI (62), 20 doubles (23), 50 walks (53), 15 HR (19) and 70 runs (77). He led the ACC in extra base hits (43), doubles (23) and finished 2nd in the conference in home runs (19) and runs scored (77). His .756 career slugging percentage is the best in program history with a minimum of 300 ABs (446), nearly half a point above second place, Mark Teixeira (.712 slug over 528 ABs). This season, he became the fastest Yellow Jacket in program history to reach 30 and 40 career homeruns, currently sitting at 44 career long balls, the 10th most in program history and just 13 shy of the program record. His 23 doubles this season were the most by a GT player in the BBCOR era (since 2011) and tied for the 7th most in program history. This will be his final non-draft eligible summer as he prepares for his junior season on The Flats as Division I’s career slugging percentage leader (.756) and on track to graduate with a degree in Business Administration in just three years
Hernandez, reigning ACC Freshman of the Year and 1st Team Freshman All-America according to Perfect Game, took college baseball by storm this season. He broke Matt Wieters’ 20-year-old GT freshman RBI record, driving in 69 runs while batting cleanup for one of the best offenses in the nation. Those 69 RBI led all Power 4 freshman while also showing his two-way ability with two saves over six appearances on the mound, becoming the only underclassmen in Division I to record multiple saves and 10+ HR (16) this season. Hernandez led the Jackets with 77 hits, alongside fellow USA CNT invitee Vahn Lackey, and posted an impressive 1.024 OPS over a team-high 230 at-bats this spring. He saved his best performances for when they mattered most, posting a team-high eight RBI over three games in the Oxford Regional, including six RBI in the opening victory over Western Kentucky, the most by a GT player in an NCAA Tournament game since 1996. Also playing in his final non-draft eligible summer, Hernandez will be looking to maintain his impressive form into the training camp as his 2026 draft stock continues to climb.
Lackey, a Buster Posey ward semifinalist and 2nd Team All-ACC catcher, enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2025, showing off his many tools to the tune of 77 hits, tied for the team lead with Hernandez and the most among returning Power 4 catchers, and 18 stolen bases, the most among all Division I catchers this season. Lackey was one of two Jackets, along with Burress, to start all 60 games this season, starting a whopping 50 games behind the dish with 10 additional starts at 3rd base, showcasing his elite defensive ability with his quick reactions and powerful arm talent. He was exceptional in the run game, catching 14 runners attempting to steal while posting a team-high 18 stolen bases in 21 attempts himself. He has quickly ascended to one of the top catching prospects in college baseball over the past two seasons and will look to continue that trend this summer, before becoming draft eligible at the conclusion of the 2026 season.
The full 2025 Collegiate National Team schedule is as follows:
(Date; Matchup; Location; Time (subject to change))
Team USA Stars vs. Stripes Series
June 29; Stars vs. Stripes; Atrium Health Ballpark (Kannapolis, N.C.) 5:35 p.m. ET
June 30; Stars vs. Stripes; National Training Complex (Cary, N.C.); 6:30 p.m. ET
July 1; Stars vs. Stripes; National Training Complex (Cary, N.C.); 6:30 p.m. ET
July 2; Stars vs. Stripes; National Training Complex (Cary, N.C.); 6:30 p.m. ET
July 3; Stars vs. Stripes; Segra Stadium (Fayetteville, N.C.); 6:35 p.m. ET
USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Prospects Fourth of July Game
July 4; Collegiate National Team Prospects vs. Appalachian League Select Team; Atrium Health Ballpark (Kannapolis, N.C.); 6:35 p.m. ET
45th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series
July 8; USA vs. Japan; Es Con Field (Hokkaido, Japan); 4 a.m. ET/6 p.m. local
July 9; USA vs. Japan; Es Con Field (Hokkaido, Japan); 4 a.m. ET/6 p.m. local
July 11; USA vs. Japan; Hard Off Eco (Niigata, Japan); 3 a.m. ET/5 p.m. local
July 11/12; USA vs. Japan; Hard Off Eco (Niigata, Japan); 10 p.m. ET/12 p.m. local
July 13; USA vs. Japan; Jingu Stadium (Tokyo, Japan); 3 a.m. ET/5 p.m. local
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech baseball team, follow us on Twitter (@GTBaseball), Facebook, Instagram (@gt_baseball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
