University of Connecticut Athletics
Crawford To Join USA Collegiate National Team This Summer
6/16/2021 8:15:00 PM | Baseball
DURHAM, N.C. - UConn first baseman and left-handed pitcher Reggie Crawford has been selected to the 2021 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team roster on Wednesday.
Crawford becomes the fourth Husky since 2015 to earn the prestigious honor of donning the red, white and blue. UConn has had a player represent the stars and stripes in five of the last six summers. Anthony Kay pitched during the summer of 2015 while Tim Cate became the first UConn player to spend multiple seasons with the Collegiate National team, pitching in 2016 and 2017. Mason Feole pitched for the red, white and blue in 2018. (There was no collegiate national team in 2020 due to Covid-19).
Crawford was a Second Team All-BIG EAST performer in 2021. He started all 51 games that he played, mainly at first base. During the year he hit .295 with 11 doubles, one triple, 34 runs scored and slugged .543. Crawford led the BIG EAST and the Huskies with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs. His 62 RBIs were tied for fourth most in a UConn single-season and most since George Springer had 62 in 2010.Â
On the mound, Crawford pitched in six games and made one start for the Huskies. He went 1-1 with one save and a 2.35 ERA. In 7.2 innings, he struck out 17 while holding opponents to a .172 average against
Crawford joins UConn big leaguers Matt Barnes (2011), George Springer (2011), Brian Esposito (1999) and Charles Nagy (1988) on the USA CNT. Other Huskies to play or participate with Team USA include: L.J. Mazzilli, Jason Grabowski, Mike Galati, John Kelly, Peter Soteropoulos and Brian Specyalski. Former UConn head coach Andy Baylock served three stints as the USA pitching coach in 1985, 1988 and 1989.
The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team will feature 48 players in 2021. The Collegiate team will be split into two teams, the Stars and Stripes, and will go head-to-head in 11 games beginning on July 2. Ten of the team's 11 games will be played in the cities of the Appalachian League, which is in its first season as a summer collegiate league as part of MLB and USA Baseball's Prospect Development Pipeline. The Collegiate National Team will also play a game at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, on July 4, at 1:30 p.m. EDT. The game will be streamed on USABaseball.com and on USA Baseball's Facebook and YouTube channels. For a complete schedule, visit USABaseball.com. Fans are encouraged to follow @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, as well as @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for all the latest news and information on the Collegiate National Team this summer.
