Stafford Accepts Invite to Collegiate National Team Training Camp
5/10/2023 10:00:00 AM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Cal Poly catcher Ryan Stafford has become the 11th Mustang invited to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp.
The training camp will feature 56 of the premier non-draft eligible college players for a five-game Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad series in North Carolina from June 25-29. USA Baseball will name a final, 26-man Collegiate National Team roster after Training Camp that will represent the United States in friendship series against Chinese Taipei and Japan from June 30 through July 12.
All five training camp games will be played at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.
Of the 10 previous Mustangs invited to Team USA's training camp, five were selected to play in friendship series. They were Brooks Lee (2021), Drew Thorpe (2021), Nick Meyer (2017), Mark Mathias (2014) and Matt Imhof (2013).
The other five invited to training camp were Matt Jensen (2009 and 2010), Mike Zirelli (1997), Jon Macalutas (1995), John Orton (1986) and Ozzie Smith (1976).
In his second season at Cal Poly, Stafford is hitting .321 with 15 doubles, six home runs and 34 RBIs in 46 games, producing his fourth career four-hit game Tuesday night in an 11-3 win over Fresno State. He has started 33 games behind the plate and 13 in left field.
Stafford has thrown out eight base runners trying to steal and has picked off three others.
As a freshman a year ago, Stafford hit .321 with 16 doubles, three home runs and 33 RBIs in 58 games en route to first-team All-Big West Conference and a pair of freshman All-American awards (Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America). Stafford led the Big West in sacrifice flies with six , threw out 11 would-be base stealers and picked off four others.
Stafford is a 2021 graduate of Folsom High School, where he hit .458 as a senior and earned first-team All-Sierra Foothill League honors.
Prior to the opening of the 2023 season, Stafford was added to the 2023 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List. Semifinalists will be announced May 22.
The training camp will feature 56 of the premier non-draft eligible college players for a five-game Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad series in North Carolina from June 25-29. USA Baseball will name a final, 26-man Collegiate National Team roster after Training Camp that will represent the United States in friendship series against Chinese Taipei and Japan from June 30 through July 12.
All five training camp games will be played at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.
Of the 10 previous Mustangs invited to Team USA's training camp, five were selected to play in friendship series. They were Brooks Lee (2021), Drew Thorpe (2021), Nick Meyer (2017), Mark Mathias (2014) and Matt Imhof (2013).
The other five invited to training camp were Matt Jensen (2009 and 2010), Mike Zirelli (1997), Jon Macalutas (1995), John Orton (1986) and Ozzie Smith (1976).
In his second season at Cal Poly, Stafford is hitting .321 with 15 doubles, six home runs and 34 RBIs in 46 games, producing his fourth career four-hit game Tuesday night in an 11-3 win over Fresno State. He has started 33 games behind the plate and 13 in left field.
Stafford has thrown out eight base runners trying to steal and has picked off three others.
As a freshman a year ago, Stafford hit .321 with 16 doubles, three home runs and 33 RBIs in 58 games en route to first-team All-Big West Conference and a pair of freshman All-American awards (Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America). Stafford led the Big West in sacrifice flies with six , threw out 11 would-be base stealers and picked off four others.
Stafford is a 2021 graduate of Folsom High School, where he hit .458 as a senior and earned first-team All-Sierra Foothill League honors.
Prior to the opening of the 2023 season, Stafford was added to the 2023 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List. Semifinalists will be announced May 22.
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