Baseball's Kiki Bengochea Invited To USA Baseball Team Trials

April 19, 2000

Coral Gables, FL – University of Miami freshman pitcher Kiki Bengochea (4-2, 4.49 ERA) was among the first 20 collegiate players invited to participate in the 2000 United States Baseball National Team Trials, to be held in Tucson, AZ, June 16-21.

Bengochea, who is the Hurricanes No. 3 starter, is one of five freshmen selected overall and one of three freshman pitchers. He started his rookie season at Miami coming out of the bullpen and was elevated to a starter’s role for the Eastern Michigan game on February 27. Since that first date as a starter, Bengochea has forged a 4-1 record, last losing in his last start against Florida State on April 17.

Most recently, Bengochea was named a mid-season second-team Freshman All-American in Baseball America’s mid-season report issue.

Bengochea signed with Miami out of the nearby Christopher Columbus School in 1999. He was a third round draft pick by the Kansas City Royals and was the nation’s fourth-highest drafted player to forgo professional baseball and enroll in college. Following his senior campaign, Bengochea was named All-State and County first teams, as well as Miami Herald Player of the Year.

The National Team will be selected from a pool of 35-40 players at the trials. USA Baseball will announce the names of the remaining players to be invited by the end of May. University of Southern California head coach Mike Gillespie will serve as the head coach of the USA team.