THE FLATS – Georgia Tech baseball rising junior Luke Waddell will join 36 training camp players in competing for the final 24-man roster of the USA Baseball 2019 Collegiate National Team, it was announced today.
The Yellow Jacket shortstop is one of nine ACC student-athletes on the training camp roster, which gets underway with a four-game intrasquad “Red vs. Blue” series from June 27-30 at the National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.
The final 24-man roster will then be announced on July 1. The team will be selected by its coaching staff, which is comprised of Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell, Mark Kingston (South Carolina) and Tony Skole (The Citadel), as well as pitching coach Greg Moore (Saint Mary’s) and bench coach Dave Turgeon (Pittsburgh Pirates).
Waddell improved his hitting by almost 40 points during his sophomore year, hitting .322 for the season in 2019. In just half a year at the position, the Loveland, Ohio native earned the reputation as one of the top shortstops in the country, making the finalist list for the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year award after moving to the position full-time on March 9.
He was one of six Jackets to hit north of .300 this season, amassing 75 hits, 12 doubles, two triples and two homers for 34 RBI out of the leadoff position, scoring 57 times himself. Waddell was the third-toughest to strikeout in the ACC, averaging 10.6 at-bats per strikeout, reaching base in 39-consecutive games to finish the season.
Team USA begins outside competition against Coastal Plain League Select on July 1 before playing a five-game international friendly series against Cuba. The U.S. National Collegiate Team will then travel to Taiwan (July 9-12) and Japan (July 16-21) to finish the summer.
ACC Network – Coming Aug. 22
The ACC Network is a linear and digital platform dedicated to 24/7 coverage of ACC sports. It will exclusively televise approximately 450 live events each year, including approximately 40 football games (beginning with Georgia Tech’s 2019 season opener at Clemson on Aug. 29), as well as 150 men’s and women’s basketball contests.
Don’t get shut out! For more information and to learn if your cable/satellite/digital provider is committed to carrying the ACC Network, visit GetACCN.com. Georgia Tech fans whose cable/satellite/digital providers aren’t already committed to carrying the ACC Network are urged to contact their providers and ask for the ACC Network to be a part of their subscription.
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