Updated March 13 2018
The Coastal Plain League announced today that the Savannah Bananas and Macon Bacon will host the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team and Japan’s Collegiate All-Star Team on July 6 and 8, respectively. These two special events will be a part of the 42nd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series that will feature five games in total.
“We are very excited to be hosting these two games in Macon and Savannah,” said CPL COO/Commissioner Justin Sellers. “Both communities are tremendously supportive of Coastal Plain League baseball, and we know these must-see events will generate a lot of buzz among their fan bases. Come July 6 and 8, both stadiums will be rocking when USA and Japan meet; and we can’t wait to create yet another memorable experience for the players, coaches, and the amazing crowds that will be in attendance.”
The teams are comprised of the best non-draft eligible collegiate American and Japanese players. Notable USA Baseball Collegiate National Team alumni include Major League Baseball superstars such as Jake Arrieta, Kris Bryant, Dustin Pedroia, Mark Teixeira, and Troy Tulowitzki; as well as former household names and CPL alums Justin Verlander and Ryan Zimmerman.
“The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team is honored to work with the Coastal Plain League to host two games of our USA versus Japan Collegiate All-Star series,” said Eric Campbell, General Manager of USA Baseball National Teams. “The Coastal Plain League has been an invaluable partner with the Collegiate National Team since 2006, and it has always prided itself on strong competition, outstanding facilities, supportive fans and great attendance. I am excited to bring this series to Savannah and Macon.”
The Collegiate National Team will be managed by LSU Head Coach Paul Mainieri. CPL alum Cliff Godwin (East Carolina), Jim Hendry (New York Yankees), Brian O’Connor (Virginia) and Jorge Perez (St. Thomas) will serve as assistant coaches on the staff.
The five-game series will start with stops in Triple-A markets, Charlotte and Durham, before stopping off in Savannah on Friday, July 6. The series then moves to Single-A Charleston before ending in Macon on Sunday, July 8.
Tickets for both events in CPL stadiums may be purchased directly from the host clubs.
Savannah Bananas: (912.712.2482 / www.thesavannahbananas.com/USAJapan)
Macon Bacon: (478.803.1981 / www.maconbaconbaseball.com)
About Coastal Plain League
The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Heading into its 22nd season in 2018, the CPL features 16 franchises playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. To date, the CPL has had over 1,450 alumni drafted and 109 alums – including 2017 ALCS MVP, 2017 World Series champion, 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander, as well as 2017 NLCS MVP Chris Taylor – make their Major League debut. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at CoastalPlain.com, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat @CPLBaseball.
About USA Baseball
USA Baseball is the national governing body for the sport of baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The organization selects and trains the World Baseball Classic, Olympic, Premier12 and Pan Am teams (and all other USA Baseball Professional Teams); the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team; the USA Baseball 18U, 15U and 12U National Teams; and the USA Baseball Women’s National Team, all of which participate in various international competitions each year. The organization is responsible for the continued proliferation and health of the sport and leads a number of amateur initiatives including PLAYBALL and Pitch Smart. USA Baseball also presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. For more information, please visit the organization’s official websites: USABaseball.com, USABaseball.Education, PLAYBALL.org, PitchSmart.org, GoldenSpikesAward.com and USABaseballShop.com.
Shelby Hilliard
Phone:919.852.1960