June 24, 2003
Tucson, Ariz. -- The Arizona State trio contending for spots on the 2003 USA Baseball National Team had another good day in Tucson during the second scrimmage at Hi Corbett Field. Sophomore All-American shortstop Dustin Pedroia went 1-for-3 with a run scored and sophomore first baseman Jeff Larish was 1-for-4 with a run-scoring single. Freshman outfielder Travis Buck went 1-for-3 with a run scored for the white squad.
Long Beach State sophomore All-American pitcher Jered Weaver struck out five batters in four innings of work and Mike Nickeas (C, So., Georgia Tech) was 2-for-5 with two RBI as USA Blue defeated USA White 6-3 in the second scrimmage game at the 2003 USA Baseball National Team Trials.
Weaver allowed just one run on four hits in his first appearance of the Trials earning the win in a predetermined split. Micah Owings (IF/RHP, Fr. Georgia Tech) took the loss for USA White. Owings allowed five runs on eight hits and struck out two batters while walking three. Nickeas, Michael Griffin (OF, So., Baylor) and Danny Putnam (OF, So., Stanford) each had two hits for USA Blue with Tyler Greene (IF, Fr. Georgia Tech) and Brent Lillibridge (OF, Fr., Washington) with two hits apiece for USA White.
USA Blue broke open the scoring in the top of the first inning. Fresh off an appearance in the College World Series Final, two teammates from Stanford helped put together the first run of the game. A leadoff triple by Putnam and a RBI groundout by John Mayberry Jr. (IF/OF, Fr. Stanford) put the Blue squad on top one run.
USA Blue increased its lead to 2-0 in the second inning. After the two batters were retired, the Blue squad put together three consecutive singles by Dustin Pedroia (IF, So., Arizona State) Putnam, and Jeff Larish (IF, So., Arizona State). Larish's single to right field scored Pedroia to give USA Blue a two-run cushion.
USA White cut the deficit to one run in the bottom half of the third inning. Tyler Greene (IF, Fr., Georgia Tech) led off the inning with a single and scored with one out on a passed ball. USA Blue managed three more runs off Owings in the top of the third inning to gain a four-run lead on USA White.
Nickeas knocked a RBI double to score two runs and Putnam walked with the bases loaded as the Blue squad took a 5-1 lead. USA White cut the lead to 5-2 with a run in the fifth inning. Seth Smith's (OF, So., Mississippi) two-out RBI triple scored Travis Buck (IF, Fr., Arizona State) as the White squad crept to within three runs.
USA White trimmed the lead to two runs in the sixth inning as Greene knocked his second hit and scored on a RBI double by Lillibridge. USA Blue closed the game out with an unearned run in the seventh inning. Matt Campbell (LHP, So., South Carolina) worked the final four innings for USA White and allowed one run on one hit while striking out three batters and walking two.
Tyler Lumsden (LHP, So., Clemson) worked the final four innings for USA Blue allowing two runs on four hits while striking out five batters. The 2003 USA National Team Trials will continue on Wednesday with the third scrimmage beginning at 7 p.m. PT at Hi Corbett Field. The 2003 USA National Baseball Team will be selected on June 27.
Through two scrimmages at the National Team Trials, Pedroia is hitting .428 (3-for-7, RBI, R), Larish (.333, 2-for-6) and Buck (.400, 2-for-5).
USA White 3 USA Blue 6
AB R H RBI AB R H RBI
Lillibridge 5 0 2 1 Putnam 5 1 2 1
Buck 3 1 1 0 Larish 4 1 1 1
Braun 5 0 0 0 Mayberry Jr. 5 1 1 1
Clement 5 0 1 0 Nickeas 5 1 2 2
Smith 3 0 1 1 Griffin 5 1 2 0
Jaramillo 3 0 1 0 Teagarden 4 0 0 0
Head 4 0 0 0 Pedroia 3 1 1 0
Greene 4 2 2 0
IP H R ER BB SO IP H R ER BB SO
Owings 4.0 8 5 5 3 2 Weaver 4.0 4 1 0 1 5
Campbell 4.0 1 1 0 2 3 Lumsden 4.0 4 2 2 2 5