Wilkins Makes USA National Team

Arkansas first baseman Andy Wilkins will suit up in red, white and blue this summer. The junior-to-be from Broken Arrow, Okla., was one of 22 players named to the USA National Team on Wednesday night.

Wilkins, who led Arkansas in batting average (.319), home runs (19) and RBI (58) this season, only participated in three of the 10 days of the trials that took place at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. This was because of Arkansas’ appearance in the College World Series.

According to a news release on the USA Baseball Web site, the USA National team will participate “in two international friendship series in North Carolina against the Canadian National Team and the Guatemalan National Team before heading to Japan for the 37th Annual USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series and the World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.”

Other Southeastern Conference players to make the roster were pitchers Sonny Gray, of Vanderbilt, and Drew Pomeranz, of Ole Miss, as well as catcher Blake Forsythe, of Tennessee, the brother of former Razorback Logan Forsythe. Team USA’s summer season begins Thursday night in Cary, N.C., with the first contest of a five-game series against the Canadian National Team.