PCC Baseball to Face Team USA 18U Twice This Month

WINTERVILLE—Pitt Community College Athletics announced today that the college’s nationally-ranked baseball team will face the Team USA 18 and Under squad twice this month as part of its fall practice slate.

PCC and Team USA 18U will square off Sept. 19 in Raleigh at N.C. State University’s Doak Field at 4 p.m. and again on Sept. 20 at Pitt’s Minges-Overton Baseball Complex at 3 p.m.

“This is a great opportunity for our players to play against the best baseball players in the country at their age,” said PCC baseball coach Tommy Eason. “These games will also give fans an opportunity to support Pitt Community College's baseball program but also support Team USA as it prepares to represent our country in Venezuela.”

Earlier this summer, 34 players and 10 alternates from around the nation were invited to try out for the Team USA 18U squad, which will compete in Barquisimeto, Venezuela this month in the COPABE “AAA” Pan American Junior Championships.

Team USA is scheduled to begin practicing and playing intrasquad scrimmages and exhibitions Sept. 12. A final 20-man roster will be determined five days later.

PCC baseball began fall practice Aug. 25 with 19 newcomers joining last year’s team that finished 36-8 overall and ranked in two national junior college polls.

Eason called this month’s games between PCC and Team USA a “win-win” for both teams.

“Playing against a very talented team like Team USA will help us to see where we stand competitively, and it will be great competition for them, playing against a premier JUCO like PCC,” he said. “With only a few weeks of practice under our belts, playing against Team USA will allow us to run parts of our offensive and defensive schemes against top notch talent.”

Eason said the timing of the games should work out well for local fans, too. He noted that the Sept. 19 game in Raleigh is just minutes down the road from Chapel Hill, where East Carolina University and UNC-Chapel Hill will meet in football earlier the same day.

“I hope that fans will take advantage of the opportunity to see a couple of great baseball games,” Eason said. “Those headed to the ECU-UNC football game can stop by N.C. State's Doak Field to catch Saturday afternoon’s contest.

“If that doesn't work out, no reason not to come on Sunday at 3 p.m. to see Pitt and Team USA square off at Minges-Overton Baseball Complex on our campus.”

PCC is 140-58 overall since Eason took the helm of the program prior to the 2006 season. After just missing out on a trip to the NJCAA World Series in 2008, the Bulldogs finished second in the Region X Conference this year.

This month’s games against Team USA add another dimension to Pitt’s baseball program, which got started in 1995.

“I am excited for our program to have this opportunity, and we plan on making it an enjoyable experience for everyone involved,” Eason said.

09/09/2009