July 1, 2005

Missouri pitcher Max Scherzer and outfielder Hunter Mense have earned spots on the 22-man roster for the 2005 USA Baseball National Team, the governing body of amateur baseball in the United States announced Friday. The selections were made after a four-day trials period in which 39 players participated at Doak Field on the campus of North Carolina State.

Mizzou Head Coach Tim Jamieson will also be a part of Team USA, serving as an assistant coach.

Scherzer was the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year last season, leading the conference in strikeouts, ERA and opponents' batting average. He has also earned All-American recognition from Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball.

Mense was second on the team with a .327 batting average for the Tigers last season. He had a team-high 17 doubles and added three home runs and a pair of doubles to go along with 43 RBI. He was also 10-for-12 in stolen base attempts.

Team USA begins play Saturday at 7 p.m. against the Torrington Twisters at Fuessenich Park in Torrington, Conn. After two more games against teams from the NECBL, Team USA travels to Japan to participate in the 34th annual USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series. The Americans will be looking to capture the series overseas for the first time since 1979. Team USA will also play a five-game series in Taiwan before returning to the United States for series against Italy and Nicaragua.

For a complete 22-man roster, log on to: http://www.usabaseball.com/sports/m-nat-basebl/mtt/usab-m-nat-basebl-mtt.html.