UH's Wong earns spot on U.S. baseball squad
Advertiser Staff
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Hawai'i's Kolten Wong is one of 22 players selected for the 2009 USA Baseball national team, USA Baseball announced yesterday.
The past 10 days of trials included eight intrasquad games and workouts at the USA Baseball Training Center in Cary, N.C. The team begins play with a series in Cary against the Canadian National Team and the Guatemala National Team. The U.S. team will then play in Japan and Canada.
The U.S. team is composed of college players who just completed their freshmen and sophomore seasons, or players who were not eligible for the Major League First-Year Player Draft, according to USA Baseball's press release. The team has five outfielders, six infielders, 10 pitchers and a utility position, which is what Wong is listed.
The selection caps Wong's outstanding freshman season during which he was named Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, as well as all-WAC first-team honors in the outfield. He also earn freshman All-America honors on various levels from Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, Ping! and the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings.
Wong started all 58 games for UH, batting .341 with 11 home runs, 21 doubles, two triples, 52 RBIs, 46 runs and 11 stolen bases.