Swamp Bats Catcher David Lyon Named An Alternate for Team USA
June 23, 2011 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Keene Swamp Bats News Release
KEENE, N.H. - Keene Swamp Bats catcher David Lyon (Emporium, PA/Kent St.) has been selected as an alternate for this summer's Team USA Collegiate National Team.
As an alternate for the squad, Lyon gets the chance to play for the Team USA Collegiate National Team throughout its New England Tour against teams from the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) starting on Thursday, June 23 against the Keene Swamp Bats at 6:30 pm at Alumni Field.
"Its great, it really is," said Lyon of being selected as an alternate. "I get a chance to play and wear the [Team USA] jersey and it's just a great feeling."
The exhibitions will lead into the inaugural USA Baseball Prospect Classic, July 1-2, where the USA Collegiate National Team will take on the 18U National Team for the first time. The U.S. schedule will conclude with the 38th annual USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series, July 3-8, in games played across Durham, Cary and Kannapolis, N.C., and Omaha, Neb.
Lyon will play for the Swamp Bats against the Team USA Collegiate National Team on Thursday night and will join the squad afterwards for the remainder of its New England Tour. If Lyon is selected to the club after the conclusion of the New England Tour he will play for the club until July 8 eventually returning to the Keene Swamp Bats for the rest of the summer collegiate season.
Scott Stricklin, Kent State University head coach and current assistant coach for the Team USA Collegiate National Team, likes Lyon's chances of making the Team USA squad.
"I am very proud of David, he has worked really hard to get to this point," said Stricklin. "He's got a chance to make this team, he is going to have eight days to prove that he belongs on it."
"I am rooting for him, but you know we are going to do what's best for this organization and Team USA."
Lyon was chosen as an alternate primarily because of his defensive abilities, but the junior Golden Flash also swings a solid bat bettering his chances to make the club.
"He is very good behind the plate, so David wouldn't have any problem at all handling this staff," said Stricklin. "That is why we brought him in because we knew he could play defensively but we knew he could swing the bat too."
"I think he has shown the fans of Keene that he can swing the bat so far, but he is just a very good defensive catcher, smart kid, he is an All-Academic, All Conference kid for us so he is the total package."
In five games played for the Swamp Bats this season, Lyon is batting .364 (8-for-22) with five runs scored, one double, three home runs and nine runs batted in. In a 13-3 win over Danbury on Thursday, June 16, Lyon went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, two home runs and seven RBI. For the Golden Flashes, Lyon batted .315 (75-for-238) with 36 runs scored, 12 doubles, seven triples, nine home runs and 53 RBI.
Coach Stricklin isn't the only one proud of Lyon since being selected as an alternate for the Team USA Collegiate National Team also reflects positively on the Keene Swamp Bats organization.
"He's a Swamp Bat first and foremost so we are proud to have a Swamp Bat playing for Team USA," said Swamp Bats President Kevin Watterson. "And the great news for us and our fans is that at the conclusion of the Team USA season David will be returning to our squad and hopefully helping us bring home another NECBL championship."
"We weren't even sure we were going to get David, clearly he is going to be a future draft player," said Watterson. "At the last second he was invited to be an alternate and my guess is that it wouldn't surprise me that David sticks with them [Team USA Collegiate National Team].The Team USA Collegiate National Team is made up of the top non-draft-eligible collegiate baseball players in the country. Players who have worn the red, white, and blue for the Collegiate team and have gone on to Major League Baseball success include such notables as Nomar Garciaparra (1992), Ryan Howard (2000), Dustin Pedroia (2002 & 2003), David Price (2005-06), Stephen Strasburg (2008), Huston Street (2002-03), and Mark Teixeira (2000).
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 23, 2011
- Tonight's Game Postponed & More - New Bedford Bay Sox
- Keene Swamp Bats Vs. Team USA Collegiate National Team Postponed Tonight - Keene Swamp Bats
- Thursday Night's Navigators Game Postponed - North Shore Navigators
- Mystic Schooner to Host Team USA at Fitch Sr. High June 24, at 6:30 p.m. - Mystic Schooners
- Steeplecats Earn 2nd Win of the Year - North Adams SteepleCats
- Swamp Bats Catcher David Lyon Named An Alternate for Team USA - Keene Swamp Bats
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