PITCHER INVITED FOR TRYOUT WITH U.S. NATIONAL TEAM

Old Dominion University freshman pitcher Justin Verlander of Goochland, Va., has been invited to try out for the USA National Baseball squad.

Tryouts are June 19-23 at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz. The team will be coached by Lelo Prado of the University of Louisville.

The 6-4 righthander was also selected first team All-East Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings. Verlander led the Colonial Athletic Association with a 1.90 earned run average. He ranked
second in the league with 137 strikeouts in 113.2 innings. He had eight complete games and was involved in all four of the Monarch shutouts.

Verlander fanned ten or more batters five times, including an ODU record 17 in a 2-0 victory over James Madison. His season strikeout total is second highest in ODU history and third in CAA history. Opponents hit only .207 against him and only 15 of his 83 hits were for extra bases. Verlander averaged 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, fanning 53 batters looking.

Verlander will be one of six freshmen pitchers trying out. The other five are Philip Humber of Rice, Grant Johnson of Notre Dame, Tyler Lumsden of Clemson, Taylor Tankersley of Alabama and Wes Whisler of UCLA.