Ole Miss pitcher Parker Caracci makes USA Baseball Collegiate National Team 26-man roster
Ole Miss pitcher Parker Caracci, selected to the USA Baseball Collegiate National team in June, has made the 26-man roster that was finalized and announced Monday. He’s also already earned two saves for his squad.
The team is preparing for a pair of five-game friendship series against Japan and Cuba, with a game set for 6:05 pm (CT) Tuesday, July 3. (Click here for the complete schedule.)
Cutting the roster of talented players to its current 26-man total was no easy task.
“Trimming this roster down was one of the more difficult things I’ve ever had to do as a coach,” Team USA manager and LSU head coach Paul Mainieri said.
“We are sending players home who were perfect here. They are all great. We only have so many slots on the roster so we had to make some tough decisions. Every player that we had to release to get down to 26 today is a great ball player at their respective school, performed well while they were here, and will end up being a great professional player.“
Team USA Manager/LSU Head Coach Paul Mainieri
Caracci caps spectacular sophomore campaign
Playing for the Collegiate National Team, Caracci caps off a spectacular sophomore season in which he recorded 10 saves and put himself in a tie for seventh on the team’s all-time single-season charts.
Eight of his 10 saves this season came with the go-ahead run on base or at the plate–and eight of his saves came with the tying run on base, including seven with the tying run in scoring position. Since March 15, 2014, the Rebels are 160-1 when leading going into the ninth inning.
The Jackson Prep standout finished the season 5-2 with 73 strikeouts and just 14 walks in 48 innings pitched. He made 27 appearances and tallied an impressive 2.25 ERA.
Caracci, the only reliever to earn SEC Pitcher of the Week honors this season, was recently named a second-team All-American by Baseball America, in addition to several midseason All-American nods. He was selected in the 37th round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays but later announced that he will return to Ole Miss for the 2019 season.
Caracci notches two saves already for USA Collegiate National Team
Caracci wasted no time making his presence felt for Team USA. In a July 1 game against Chinese Taipei, the USA held a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the ninth when Caracci was brought in to close out the game. After giving up a leadoff walk, he quickly settled in and sat down the next three batters to secure the save and the U.S. victory.
.@Parkercaracci (@OleMissBSB) comes in to close this one out 👊🏽 pic.twitter.com/eYqEGfMMSU
— USA Baseball CNT (@USABaseballCNT) July 1, 2018
In Monday’s game against Chinese Taipei, Caracci entered in the top of the ninth and picked up his second save of the summer to secure the U.S. victory.
.@Parkercaracci (@OleMissBSB) is up and throwing.
If the score remains, he will have the opportunity to earn the save. #ForGlory🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/m94gonTvni
— USA Baseball CNT (@USABaseballCNT) July 2, 2018
USA Baseball CNT upcoming schedule
The Collegiate National Team will open the 42nd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series at 6:05 p.m. CT today, Tuesday, July 3, at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte, North Carolina. The second game of the series will be held at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park at 5:05 p.m. CT on the Fourth of July.
Games three through five will feature stops at Minor League Baseball and Coastal Plain League parks in the Southeast, including Savannah, Georgia (July 6), Charleston, South Carolina (July 7), and Macon, Georgia (July 8).
Team USA will then travel to Havana, Cuba, for the 7th USA vs. Cuba International Friendship Series to close out its summer, July 10-14, with all games scheduled to be played at historic Estadio Latinoamericano.
The U.S. will utilize a 24-man roster for the Japan series before increasing back to a full 26-man roster during its series against Cuba.
You can follow @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.
2018 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Roster
Name, Position, Hometown, School, Class
Jake Agnos; LHP; Haymarket, Va.; ECU; Sophomore
Kyle Brnovich; RHP; Milton, Ga.; Elon; Sophomore
^Tanner Burns; RHP; Decatur, Ala.; Auburn; Freshman
*Daniel Cabrera; OF; Baton Rouge, La.; LSU; Freshman
Parker Caracci; RHP; Jackson, Miss.; Ole Miss; Sophomore
Matt Cronin; LHP; Navarre, Fla.; Arkansas; Sophomore
John Doxakis; LHP; Houston, Texas; Texas A&M; Sophomore
Mason Feole; LHP; Wakefield, R.I.; UCONN; Sophomore
Dominic Fletcher; OF; Cypress, Calif.; Arkansas; Sophomore
Zack Hess; RHP; Forest, Va.; LSU; Sophomore
Josh Jung; IF; San Antonio, Texas; Texas Tech; Sophomore
Shea Langeliers; C/IF; Keller, Texas; Baylor; Sophomore
Max Meyer; RHP; Woodbury, Minn.; Minnesota; Freshman
Bryan Packard; IF/OF; Greeneville, N.C.; ECU; Sophomore
Andre Pallante; RHP; San Clemente, Calif.; UC Irvine; Sophomore
Drew Parrish; LHP; Rockledge, Fla.; Florida State; Sophomore
Adley Rutschman; C/IF; Sherwood, Ore.; Oregon State; Sophomore
*Braden Shewmake; IF; Wylie, Texas; Texas A&M; Sophomore
Graeme Stinson; LHP; Norcross, Ga.; Duke; Sophomore
Bryson Stott; IF; Las Vegas, Nev.; UNLV; Sophomore
Zack Thompson; LHP; Selma, Ind.; Kentucky; Sophomore
Spencer Torkelson; IF; Petaluma, Calif.; Arizona State; Freshman
*^Andrew Vaughn; IF; Santa Rosa, Calif.; California; Sophomore
Zach Watson; OF; Ruston, La.; LSU; Sophomore
^Will Wilson; IF; Kings Mountain, N.C.; NC State; Sophomore
*Kenyon Yovan; RHP; Beaverton, Ore.; Oregon; Sophomore
*National Team Alumnus
^National Team Development Program Participant
WATCH LIVE
Click here to watch the USA Collegiate National Team in their next game at 6:05 pm CT on Tuesday, July 3.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
