Team USA Concludes Season On High Note

It wasn't quite as memorable as 2008, but the U.S. college national team still had a good season this year. They finished up the campaign with a win in the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline World Baseball Challenge in British Columbia. That improved Team USA's final summer record to 19-5, which is good, but not as impressive as the undefeated 2008 squad.

All of the players on Team USA's roster were underclassmen, and many have set themselves up well for next year and for the draft. Rising sophomore righthanders Trevor Bauer (UCLA) and Sonny Gray (Vanderbilt) both had fabulous summers. Tulane's Nick Pepitone was a dominating setup man for Texas Tech RHP Chad Bettis, who thrived in the closer role and flashed a mid- to high-90s fastball. RHP Gerrit Cole (UCLA) built on a standout freshman season with a sparkling summer. He went 4-0, 1.06 with a boatload of strikeouts. Cole and Bauer will form an incredible duo atop the Bruins' rotation next spring. The co-anchor of the rotation, LHP Drew Pomeranz (Ole Miss) was money for Team USA, throwing big game after big game, especially in the clincher of the World Baseball Challenge against Germany. Pomeranz put up a 1.75 ERA and 48 Ks in 25 IPs overall.

Offensively, Team USA had many contributors. OFs Bryce Brentz (Middle Tennessee State) and Tyler Holt (Florida State), SSs Christian Colon (Cal State Fullerton) and Rick Hague (Rice), Cs Yasmani Grandal (Miami) and Blake Forsythe (Tennessee), and 1B Andy Wilkins (Arkansas) all had fine summers, putting themselves in top draft discussions for next year. Utility man Kolten Wong (Hawaii) and SS Brad Miller (Clemson) played well also, giving them a boost heading into their sophomore years of college. There will certainly be tons of names to watch for next year, with these players along with others from the Cape Cod League and other summer college circuits.