Hernandez, Grandal Named to 2009 USA Baseball National Trials

April 21, 2009

DURHAM, N.C. – University of Miami sophomores Chris Hernandez and Yasmani Grandal have been named to a list of 17 initial invitees to the 2009 USA Baseball National Team Trials, as announced by USA Baseball on Tuesday.

The National Team Trials, which will be held at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., June 15-24, will be comprised of 36 collegiate players vying for a spot on the final 22-man roster to be announced on June 24.

Included in the list are five members of the 2008 National Team which went unbeaten last summer (24-0) and won gold medals at the FISU World University Championships in the Czech Republic and the Honkbal Tournament in the Netherlands. In addition to UM’s Hernandez, returning members include sophomores Derek Dietrich (Georgia Tech), Hunter Morris (Auburn), Micah Gibbs (LSU) and Christian Colon (Cal State Fullerton).

Grandal is one of 12 new invitees, including sophomores Michael Choice (UT Arlington), Blake Forsythe (Tennessee), Rick Hague (Rice), Deck McGuire (Georgia Tech), Drew Pomeranz (Mississippi), and Anthony Ranaudo (LSU) and freshmen Gerrit Cole (UCLA), Sonny Gray (Vanderbilt), Anthony Rendon (Rice), Logan Verrett (Baylor), and Tony Zych (Louisville).

The 2009 National Team will compete in several exhibition games in the Triangle-area of North Carolina, including a friendly series against the Canadian National Team, June 25 – 29, which will be played across both the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the USA Baseball National Training Complex. Following its domestic exhibition schedule, the U.S. will travel to Japan to compete in the 37^th Annual Japan vs. USA Collegiate Championships before closing out its summer in Canada at the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, British Columbia.

Last season, Hernandez played alongside current UM junior Ryan Jackson on the 2008 team and went 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in 16 innings of work while Jackson finished the summer tied for fourth on the team in RBI (13).

Grandal has started 28 games behind the plate for Miami this season and currently leads the team with 10 home runs. Hernandez is 4-3 this year for the ‘Canes, leading the team in both innings pitched (54) and strikeouts (57). 

The 2009 team will be coached by Tulane University head coach Rick Jones, who previously served as an assistant coach for the red, white and blue on the 1989 Presidential Cup Team and 1990 National Team. Jones is joined by pitching coach Mike Kennedy (head coach, Elon University) and assistant coaches Dan McDonnell (head coach, Louisville University) and Rob Cooper (head coach, Wright State University; 2007 USA Baseball National Team assistant coach).

2009 USA Baseball National Team Trials Invitees (through April 21, 2009)