Brandt, Karp, and Scott Earn Spots on 1999 USA Baseball National Team
June 15, 1999
LOS ANGELES - USA Baseball Coaches have reduced the number of players for the 1999 USA National Team to a final roster number of 22, the organization announced today. Among those 22 are Bruin sophomores OF Bill Scott (Granada Hills, CA/Alemany HS) and RHP Jon Brandt (Palo Alto, CA/Palo Alto Senior HS), and freshman RHP Josh Karp (Bothell, WA/Bothell HS). These 22 players will compile the USA Baseball National Team throughout the summer and will represent America on the US West Red, White, and Blue Tour as well as in the annual USA vs. Japan Exhibition Series later this month in Japan. All three Bruins invited to participate in the 39-man trials made the team, as UCLA tied Arizona for the largest representation on the team.
Scott, a second-team all-American (Baseball America), is one of six outfielders on the roster, while Brandt, an all Pac-10 honorable mention selection, and Karp, a freshman all-American (Collegiate Baseball, Baseball Weekly), are two of 10 pitchers and seven right-handers. The Pac-10 led all conferences with eight players making the final cut.
Seventeen of the 22 players made it through the trials during the last four days in Tucson, AZ, while five players will be joining the USA Baseball National Team after they finish playing in the 1999 College World Series in Omaha. The National Team will conclude their season-opening four-game series against Mexico tonight at 7:05pm at Hi Corbett Field of the US West Sports Complex in Tucson. Team USA has won two of the first three games of the series. The team will depart for the Northwest on Wednesday for a pair of exhibition games before leaving to play the Japanese Collegiate All-Star Team in Japan from June 22-July 1. The team is also entered in the NBC World Series in Wichita, KS, August 6-17.