Pair of Oregon State baseball players to compete for Team USA

This summer, there will be a hint of orange and black mixed in with the red, white, and blue.

Two of Oregon State baseball’s key players, Dax Whitney and Ethan Kleinschmit, have been chosen to represent Team USA at the Collegiate National Team Training Camp.

Fifty-six of collegiate baseball’s top non-draft eligible players will fight for a spot on Team USA during the five-game camp, which begins on Sunday and ends on July 3.

Selected players will compete against the Appalachian League Select Team on July 4 following the five-game intra-squad series. Following that, they will travel to Japan to play in the 45th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series.

From July 8–13, that series will be performed at various locations in Japan.

Following impressive first seasons in Corvallis, when they were Saturday and Sunday starts, respectively, on an Oregon State team that advanced to the College World Series for the eighth time in school history, Whitney and Kleinschmit were chosen to play for Team USA.

Whitney, who came to Corvallis as one of the most highly-touted talents in the country, went 6-3 with a 3.40 ERA and 1.28 WHIP over 16 starts, earning him Freshman All-American accolades. The 6-foot-5 right-hander was at his finest when it counted most, finishing with 120 strikeouts and holding opposition hitters to a.216 batting average in 76 2/3 innings.

Whitney went 3-0 with 48 strikeouts and only gave up four earned runs in 27 1/3 innings during his final five starts, including three in the postseason.

Although he didn’t finish as well as his buddy, Kleinschmit, a 6-3 left-hander, was the Beavers’ most reliable starter in his second year. He recorded 113 strikeouts, held opponents to a.194 batting average over 91 innings, and finished 8-5 with a 3.56 ERA and 1.09 WHIP.