USA Baseball Takes the Field at Riley Park

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Riley Park will play host to some of the premier collegiate talent in the country and abroad for the first time this summer as the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team faces the Japan Collegiate All-Stars in the 42nd USA vs. Japan All-Star Series on Saturday, July 7 at The Joe.
The international contest will feature appearances by former Clemson Head Baseball Coach Jack Leggett and former Citadel infielder and current Louisville Coach, Dan McDonnell, both of whom will be available to meet with fans. U.S. and Japan players will be available for autographs before the game with batting practice open to the public for a pregame fan fest.
Led by the LSU skipper and former National Coach of the Year, Paul Manieri, and his staff, a U.S. roster  comprised of some of the top non-draft eligible college players in the country will face off against the Japan Collegiate All-Stars as part of the historic international friendship series between the two nations. The U.S. leads the all-time series, 23-18, including a 3-2 series victory in 2017 .

 

"The USA versus Japan Collegiate All-Star Series is a terrific opportunity to help grow the game, and we jumped at the opportunity to host this prestigious event at The Joe for the first time," said RiverDogs President and General Manager Dave Echols. "We're also excited to welcome some of the premier collegiate coaches in the country on an evening showcasing some of the young talent not only in the U.S., but internationally as well."
The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team competes every summer in games across the United States and overseas against the world's top baseball talent. As part of its 2018 schedule, the U.S. will take on the Japan Collegiate All-Stars, as well as compete in a five-game series against both Chinese Taipei and Cuba.
"The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team is thrilled to play Game Four of our historic USA versus Japan Collegiate All-Star Series in Charleston," said Eric Campbell, General Manager for USA Baseball National Teams. "The RiverDogs have an exceptional reputation as being a top-class organization and Riley Park is a first-class facility. We are honored to be hosted for what should be an exciting night of baseball under the lights in Charleston."
Players who have taken the field for the Collegiate National Team and have gone on to have successful Major League Baseball careers include Jim Abbott, Kris Bryant, Troy Glaus, Todd Helton, Ryan Howard, Barry Larkin, Tino Martinez, Dustin Pedroia, David Price, Huston Street, Mark Teixeira, Troy Tulowitzki, Jason Varitek and Ryan Zimmerman, among others.
Tickets to the event are on sale now at riverdogs.com/tickets. The first pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m.
About the RiverDogs
The Charleston RiverDogs, the Class A affiliate of the 27-time World Champion New York Yankees, are Charleston's leader in affordable sports entertainment. Recently recognized with the Bob Freitas Award as the top Class A operation by Baseball America in 2017, the RiverDogs are coming off their most successful season when they welcomed over 300,000 fans through the turnstiles for the first time in franchise history.
RiverDogs single-game tickets are now available for the 2018 campaign, the club's 25^th season as the RiverDogs and their "175^th season in dog years." The RiverDogs begin the season on April 12 when they host the Kannapolis Intimidators at The Joe after a week on the road and an exhibition opener at The Joe on April 3 against Myrtle Beach. Ticket information can be secured by contacting the box office at (843) 577-DOGS (3647) or online at www.riverdogs.com/tickets.
About USA Baseball
USA Baseball is the national governing body for the sport of baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The organization selects and trains the World Baseball Classic, Olympic, Premier12 and Pan Am teams (and all other USA Baseball Professional Teams); the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team; the USA Baseball 18U, 15U and 12U National Teams; and the USA Baseball Women's National Team, all of which participate in various international competitions each year. The organization is responsible for the continued proliferation and health of the sport and leads a number of amateur initiatives including PLAYBALL and Pitch Smart. USA Baseball also presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. For more information, please visit the organization's official websites: USABaseball.com, USABaseball.Education, PLAYBALL.org, PitchSmart.org, GoldenSpikesAward.com and USABaseballShop.com.
--RIVERDOGS--