McKay Receives Invite to Team USA Training Camp
June 02, 2015 | Baseball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville freshman lefty pitcher and first baseman Brendan McKay has earned an invitation to compete for a roster spot on the 2015 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
A native of Darlington, Pennsylvania, McKay is scheduled to participate in the team's training camp starting June 18 and will compete for one of the openings on the final 24-man roster. McKay is the third member of the Cardinals to receive the call from Team USA this spring as sophomore pitcher Zack Burdi and sophomore outfielder Corey Ray accepted roster spots last month.
Named as a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award and chosen as the ACC Freshman of the Year, McKay has an 8-3 record with a 1.71 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 89.2 innings and 19 appearances on the mound, including 12 straight weekend starts. An All-ACC First Team selection as a pitcher and a Second Team honoree as a utility player, McKay is hitting .315 with three home runs, 32 RBI, 38 walks and 31 runs scored in 55 starts as a hitter.
The USA Collegiate National Team will compete in international friendship series against Chinese Taipei and Cuba in North Carolina, as well as participating in the Americas Baseball Festival against the Canadian Senior National Team, the Cuban National Team and the USA Baseball Pan American Games Team. The summer schedule begins on June 20 against the Holly Springs Salamanders of the Coastal Plain League at the National Training Complex and will continue through July 8.
McKay is the 10th Louisville player to earn an invitation from the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team joining Zack Burdi (2015), Corey Ray (2015), Kyle Funkhouser (2014), Nick Burdi (2013), Ryan Wright (2010), Phil Wunderlich (2009), Tony Zych (2009), Justin Marks (2008) and Mark Jurich (2002). McKay is also the 17th player coached or signed by Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell, who served as an assistant with the 2009 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, to earn international baseball experience.
No. 3 national seed Louisville (46-16) will host 11th-ranked Cal State Fullerton (37-22) in a best-of-three NCAA Super Regional starting Saturday at 11 a.m., ET at Jim Patterson Stadium.
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