Lee, Thorpe Invited to Play for Collegiate National Team
6/21/2021 12:02:00 PM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Brooks Lee, a three-time Division I All-American shortstop, and right-handed pitcher Drew Thorpe have been invited to compete on the 2021 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
A total of 48 players from across the country have been invited to Team USA this summer. The Collegiate team will be split into two 24-player squads, the Stars and Stripes, and will go head-to-head in 11 games from July 2-15.
Ten of the team's 11 games will be played in the cities of the Appalachian League, which is in its first season as a summer collegiate league as part of MLB and USA Baseball's Prospect Development Pipeline. The Collegiate National Team will also play a game at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, on July 4.
North Carolina State head coach Elliott Avent is serving as the manager of the 2021 Collegiate National Team. Avent is currently in his 25th season at the helm of the Wolfpack, where he earned National Coach of the Year honors in 2003 and recorded his 900th win with the program on April 6.
The Wolfpack defeated Stanford 10-4 on Saturday in the opening round of the 2021 College World Series at Omaha, Neb., improving to 36-18 for the season.
Both Lee and Thorpe are playing summer ball for Yarmouth-Dennis in the Cape Cod League, which opened its season over the weekend. Lee went 4-for-5, all singles, with one run scored in his Cape Cod debut Sunday.
Lee and Thorpe will report to Team USA in Cary, N.C., on June 29 or 30.
Lee and Thorpe are the fifth and sixth Mustangs to earn spots on Team USA. Others are Nick Meyer (2017), Mark Mathias (2014), Matt Imhof (2013) and John Orton (1986). Four other former Mustangs – Matt Jensen (2009 and 2010), Mike Zirelli (1997), Jon Macalutas (1995) and Ozzie Smith (1976) -- were invited to try out for Team USA but did not make the final cut.
Cal Poly head coach Larry Lee, the father of Brooks Lee, was an assistant coach on the 2017 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
Lee has been named to All-American teams by the American Baseball Coaches Association (second team), Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (first team) and Baseball America (second team).
Lee committed just six errors in 54 games for a .974 fielding percentage, No. 2 among regular shortstops in the Big West. He did not commit an error in Cal Poly's final 21 games of the 2021 season.
His team-leading .342 batting average included a school-record 27 doubles, three triples and 10 home runs, all team highs as well. Lee finished with more extra-base hits (40) than singles (36) and hit safely in 41 of the 54 games in which he played, producing hitting streaks of 12, 11 and nine games.
Lee led the Mustangs in multiple-hit games with 25 and was the Big West leader with his 16 multiple-RBI contests.
Other honors earned by Lee are Big West Conference Co-Field Player of the Year and Co-Freshman Field Player of the Year, a spot on the All-Big West first team, Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American, one of five National Co-Freshman Players of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and ABCA All-West Region first team.
Lee is one of six finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award as the nation's top shortstop and also was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, presented to the player of the year.
Lee led the Mustangs in RBIs (57), hits (76), total bases (139) and sacrifice flies (8). His school single-season record of 27 doubles tied for fifth place in the Big West record book.
Lee earned Big West Field Player of the Week honors three times this season and is the 54th Mustang to earn first-team All-Big West honors. He was first in the Big West in doubles, slugging percentage, RBIs, sacrifice flies and total bases, third in home runs and hits, sixth in runs scored and ninth in batting average.
Nationally, Lee ranks No. 2 in doubles and sacrifice flies, 16th in total bases, 33rd in RBIs and 36th in hits.
Lee claimed back-to-back Big West Player of the Week awards in March after going 7-for-12 against Utah Valley and 7-for-14 versus UCLA, driving in 14 runs in the two series, and earned his third after the Cal State Fullerton series in mid-May (9-for-18, four doubles, grand slam, five runs scored, seven RBIs).
Thorpe was Cal Poly's Friday night starter and compiled a 6-6 win-loss record and 3.79 ERA in his first full season with the Mustangs. The Washington, Utah, native struck out 104 batters over 90 1/3 innings and opponents hit just .240 off the 6-4, 205-pound pitcher.
Thorpe's 104 strikeouts were third in the Big West this season and he also was third in innings pitched, 10th in wins, fifth in starts (15) and 14th in ERA.
Thorpe was 6-1 with a 3.15 ERA in his nine starts at home this spring and compiled double-digit strikeouts three times this year, matching his career high with 13 against UC Santa Barbara.
Thorpe also made four starts as Cal Poly's Sunday starter during his true freshman season in 2020, compiling a 1-1 record and 3.21 ERA before the campaign was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He earned a win against BYU with eight scoreless innings in his first Baggett Stadium start, striking out 13.
A total of 48 players from across the country have been invited to Team USA this summer. The Collegiate team will be split into two 24-player squads, the Stars and Stripes, and will go head-to-head in 11 games from July 2-15.
Ten of the team's 11 games will be played in the cities of the Appalachian League, which is in its first season as a summer collegiate league as part of MLB and USA Baseball's Prospect Development Pipeline. The Collegiate National Team will also play a game at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, on July 4.
North Carolina State head coach Elliott Avent is serving as the manager of the 2021 Collegiate National Team. Avent is currently in his 25th season at the helm of the Wolfpack, where he earned National Coach of the Year honors in 2003 and recorded his 900th win with the program on April 6.
The Wolfpack defeated Stanford 10-4 on Saturday in the opening round of the 2021 College World Series at Omaha, Neb., improving to 36-18 for the season.
Both Lee and Thorpe are playing summer ball for Yarmouth-Dennis in the Cape Cod League, which opened its season over the weekend. Lee went 4-for-5, all singles, with one run scored in his Cape Cod debut Sunday.
Lee and Thorpe will report to Team USA in Cary, N.C., on June 29 or 30.
Lee and Thorpe are the fifth and sixth Mustangs to earn spots on Team USA. Others are Nick Meyer (2017), Mark Mathias (2014), Matt Imhof (2013) and John Orton (1986). Four other former Mustangs – Matt Jensen (2009 and 2010), Mike Zirelli (1997), Jon Macalutas (1995) and Ozzie Smith (1976) -- were invited to try out for Team USA but did not make the final cut.
Cal Poly head coach Larry Lee, the father of Brooks Lee, was an assistant coach on the 2017 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
Lee has been named to All-American teams by the American Baseball Coaches Association (second team), Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (first team) and Baseball America (second team).
Lee committed just six errors in 54 games for a .974 fielding percentage, No. 2 among regular shortstops in the Big West. He did not commit an error in Cal Poly's final 21 games of the 2021 season.
His team-leading .342 batting average included a school-record 27 doubles, three triples and 10 home runs, all team highs as well. Lee finished with more extra-base hits (40) than singles (36) and hit safely in 41 of the 54 games in which he played, producing hitting streaks of 12, 11 and nine games.
Lee led the Mustangs in multiple-hit games with 25 and was the Big West leader with his 16 multiple-RBI contests.
Other honors earned by Lee are Big West Conference Co-Field Player of the Year and Co-Freshman Field Player of the Year, a spot on the All-Big West first team, Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American, one of five National Co-Freshman Players of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and ABCA All-West Region first team.
Lee is one of six finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award as the nation's top shortstop and also was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, presented to the player of the year.
Lee led the Mustangs in RBIs (57), hits (76), total bases (139) and sacrifice flies (8). His school single-season record of 27 doubles tied for fifth place in the Big West record book.
Lee earned Big West Field Player of the Week honors three times this season and is the 54th Mustang to earn first-team All-Big West honors. He was first in the Big West in doubles, slugging percentage, RBIs, sacrifice flies and total bases, third in home runs and hits, sixth in runs scored and ninth in batting average.
Nationally, Lee ranks No. 2 in doubles and sacrifice flies, 16th in total bases, 33rd in RBIs and 36th in hits.
Lee claimed back-to-back Big West Player of the Week awards in March after going 7-for-12 against Utah Valley and 7-for-14 versus UCLA, driving in 14 runs in the two series, and earned his third after the Cal State Fullerton series in mid-May (9-for-18, four doubles, grand slam, five runs scored, seven RBIs).
Thorpe was Cal Poly's Friday night starter and compiled a 6-6 win-loss record and 3.79 ERA in his first full season with the Mustangs. The Washington, Utah, native struck out 104 batters over 90 1/3 innings and opponents hit just .240 off the 6-4, 205-pound pitcher.
Thorpe's 104 strikeouts were third in the Big West this season and he also was third in innings pitched, 10th in wins, fifth in starts (15) and 14th in ERA.
Thorpe was 6-1 with a 3.15 ERA in his nine starts at home this spring and compiled double-digit strikeouts three times this year, matching his career high with 13 against UC Santa Barbara.
Thorpe also made four starts as Cal Poly's Sunday starter during his true freshman season in 2020, compiling a 1-1 record and 3.21 ERA before the campaign was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He earned a win against BYU with eight scoreless innings in his first Baggett Stadium start, striking out 13.
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