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 USA Baseball National Team Camp at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, AZ. Led by Head Coach Mike Gillespie of the University of Southern California, this summer’s squad will play a 29-game schedule which features tour stops both domestic and abroad. Competition begins June 18 in Tucson.
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.
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.
The USA National Team visits 17 American Cities Including Honolulu and will end the Summer facing Olympic teams in The Netherlands. USA Baseball announced its competition schedule for the 2000 USA Baseball National Team. This season’s U S WEST sponsored Red, White and Blue Summer Tour schedule is as follows:
DAY/DATE OPPONENT LOCATION
Sun. June 18 Mexico Tucson, AZ*
Mon. June 19 Mexico Tucson, AZ*
Tue. June 20 Mexico Tucson, AZ*
Wed. June 21 Mexico Tucson, AZ*
Thu. June 22 Mexico Tucson, AZ*
Sun. June 25 Japan Honolulu, HI
Tue. June 27 Japan Honolulu, HI
Fri. June 30 Japan Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Mon. July 3 Japan Phoenix, AZ*
Tue. July 4 Japan Tucson, AZ*
Wed. July 5 Korea Tucson, AZ*
Fri. July 7 Korea Colorado Springs, CO*
Sat. July 8 Korea Ogden, UT*
Tue. July 11 Korea Boise, ID*
Wed. July 12 Korea Tacoma, WA*
Fri. July 14 Taiwan Portland, OR*
Sat. July 15 Taiwan Des Moines, IA*
Tue. July 18 Taiwan St. Paul, MN*
Fri. July 21 Taiwan Norfolk, VA
Sat. July 22 Taiwan Trenton, NJ
Sun. July 23 Taiwan Bridgeport, CT
Thu. July 27 Torrington All-Stars Torrington, CT
Sat. July 29 Cape Cod League All-Stars Chatham, MA
Tue. Aug 1 Taiwan Pawtucket, RI
Aug 4 – 14 Haarlem Tournament Amsterdam, Holland
