Baseball
Opitz, Kjerstad named to USA Baseball’s roster for this summer
USA Baseball unveiled the 26-man 2019 Collegiate National Team roster on Monday and Arkansas sophomores Heston Kjerstad and Casey Opitz were named to the team.
DURHAM, N.C. — USA Baseball unveiled the 26-man 2019 Collegiate National Team roster on Monday and Arkansas sophomores Heston Kjerstad and Casey Opitz were named to the team.
The Collegiate National Team will host a five-game international friendship series against Cuba before traveling to Taiwan and Japan next week.
Team USA will host the 8th Annual USA vs. Cuba International Friendship Series on July 2-6.
The five-game series will kick off at LP Frans Stadium in Hickory, North Carolina, followed by games at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park (DBAP) in Durham, North Carolina, and the National Training Complex.
The series will then return to the DBAP for the finale on July 6.
The Collegiate National Team leaves for Taiwan on July 7 for the 19th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series from July 9-12 and close out its summer schedule with the 43rd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series, which will take place in various cities throughout Japan from July 16-21.
Louisville coach Dan McDonnell is the manager of the team. He will be joined on staff by assistant coaches Mark Kingston (South Carolina) and Tony Skole (The Citadel), pitching coach Greg Moore (Saint Mary’s) and bench coach Dave Turgeon (Pittsburgh Pirates).
Three of the 8th USA vs. Cuba International Friendship Series games will be streamed live on USABaseball.com (July 3, July 4, July 6) and the remaining domestic Collegiate National Team games will be broadcast on USA Baseball’s Facebook channel.
The 26-man roster below will be cut to 24 for the series in Japan.
2019 Collegiate National Team Roster
(Name; Position; Hometown; School; Year)
Andrew Abbott; LHP; Halifax, Va.; Virginia; Sophomore
Logan Allen; LHP; Deltona, Fla.; FIU; Sophomore
Tanner Allen; IF/OF; Theodore, Ala.; Mississippi State; Sophomore
Patrick Bailey; C; Greensboro, N.C.; NC State; Sophomore
Tyler Brown; RHP; Ashland, Ohio; Vanderbilt; Sophomore
Alec Burleson; LHP/1B; Denver, N.C.; ECU; Sophomore
Burl Carraway; LHP; College Station, Texas; Dallas Baptist U.; Sophomore
Cade Cavalli; RHP; Bixby, Okla.; Oklahoma; Sophomore
Colton Cowser; OF; Cypress, Texas; Sam Houston State; Freshman
Jeff Criswell, RHP, Portage, Mich.; Michigan; Sophomore
Reid Detmers; LHP; Chatham, Ill.; Louisville; Sophomore
Justin Foscue; IF/OF; Huntsville, Ala.; Mississippi State; Sophomore
Nick Frasso; RHP; Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.; Loyola Marymount; Sophomore
Heston Kjerstad; OF; Amarillo, Texas; Arkansas; Sophomore
Asa Lacy; LHP; Kerrville, Texas; Texas A&M; Sophomore
Nick Loftin; IF; Corpus Christi, Texas; Baylor; Sophomore
Austin Martin; UTL; Jacksonville, Fla.; Vanderbilt; Sophomore
Chris McMahon; RHP; West Chester, Penn.; Miami; Sophomore
Max Meyer; RHP/OF; Woodbury, Minn.; Minnesota; Sophomore
Garrett Mitchell; OF; Orange, Calif.; UCLA; Sophomore
Doug Nikhazy; LHP/OF; Windermere, Fla.; Ole Miss; Freshman
Casey Opitz; C; Centennial, Colo.; Arkansas; Sophomore
Spencer Torkelson; IF; Petaluma, Calif.; Arizona State; Sophomore
Luke Waddell; INF; Loveland, Ohio; Georgia Tech; Sophomore
Cole Wilcox; RHP; Chickamauga, Ga.; Georgia; Freshman
Alika Williams; IF; San Diego, Calif.; Arizona State; Sophomore
| Thu, Aug 29 |  | vs UAPB (Little Rock) | W, 70-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | @ Oklahoma State | L, 31-39 2OT |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | vs UAB | W, 37-27 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | @ Auburn | W, 24-14 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Texas A&M (Arl) | L, 21-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | vs Tennessee | W, 19-14 |
| Sat, Oct 19 |  | vs LSU | L, 34-10 |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | @ Mississippi State | W, 58-25 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | vs Ole Miss | L, 63-31 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Texas | L, 20-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | vs Louisiana Tech | 3:00 PM ESPN+/SECN+ |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | @ Missouri | 2:30 PM SEC Network |
| Following is the Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll including the Overall Top 10, the top five in Classes 7A, 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A, plus the top three in the 8-man division, as voted by a panel of sports media from around the state for the week ending August 24. Ranking is given with first-place votes received, records, total points and ranking from last week's poll: | ||||
| OVERALL | Record | Pts | Prv | |
| 1. | Bryant (25) | 10-0 | 268 | 1 |
| 2. | Greenwood (2) | 10-0 | 234 | 3 |
| 30 | Conway | 9-1 | 202 | 2 |
| 4. | Little Rock Parkview | 9-1 | 171 | 4 |
| 5. | Bentonville | 7-3 | 162 | 5 |
| 6. | Benton | 9-1 | 148 | 6 |
| 7. | Fayetteville | 8-2 | 111 | 7 |
| 8. | Pulaski Academy | 8-2 | 89 | 8 |
| 9. | Rogers | 7-3 | 43 | 9 |
| 10. | Joe T. Robinson | 9-1 | 22 | — |
| Others receiving votes: Valley View 8, Mountain Home 7, Cabot 6, Little Rock Catholic 6, Shiloh Christian 6, Elkins 1, Farmington 1. | ||||
| CLASS 7A | ||||
| 1. | Bryant (27) | 10-0 | 135 | 1 |
| 2. | Conway | 9-1 | 102 | 2 |
| 3. | Bentonville | 7-3 | 81 | 3 |
| 4. | Fayetteville | 8-2 | 45 | 4 |
| 5. | Pulaski Academy | 8-2 | 39 | 5 |
| Others receiving votes: Rogers 3. | ||||
| CLASS 6A | ||||
| 1. | Greenwood (27) | 10-0 | 135 | 1 |
| 2. | Benton | 9-1 | 108 | 2 |
| 3. | Mountain Home | 8-2 | 62 | 3 |
| 4. | Shiloh Christian | 7-3 | 49 | 4 |
| 5. | Little Rock Catholic | 9-1 | 34 | 5 |
| Others receiving votes: Marion 6. | ||||
| CLASS 5A | ||||
| 1. | Little Rock Parkview (27) | 9-1 | 135 | 1 |
| 2. | Joe T. Robinson | 9-1 | 106 | 2 |
| 3. | Valley View | 10-0 | 79 | 3 |
| 4. | Farmington | 9-1 | 48 | 4 |
| 5. | Hot Springs Lakeside | 8-2 | 20 | 5 |
| Others receiving votes: Camden Fairview 7, Harding Academy 7, Morrilton 3. | ||||
| CLASS 4A | ||||
| 1. | Elkins (20) | 10-0 | 126 | 1 |
| 3. | Arkadelphia (5) | 8-2 | 91 | 3 |
| 2. | Little Rock Mills (1) | 10-0 | 68 | 2 |
| 4. | Warren | 8-2 | 55 | 4 |
| 5. | Dardanell (1) | 9-1 | 23 | — |
| Southside Batesville | 10-0 | 23 | — | |
| Others receiving votes: Malvern 12, Gravette 5, Highland 2. | ||||
| CLASS 3A | ||||
| 1. | Bismarck (12) | 10-0 | 105 | 1t |
| 2. | Fordyce (10) | 10-0 | 96 | 1t |
| 3. | Prescott (1) | 9-1 | 70 | 4 |
| 4. | Osceola (2) | 8-1 | 54 | 3 |
| 5. | Booneville (1) | 9-1 | 39 | 5 |
| Others receiving votes: Mansfield (1) 23, Rivercrest 10, Rison 4, Salem 4. | ||||
| CLASS 2A | ||||
| 1. | Carlisle (20) | 10-0 | 127 | 1 |
| 2. | Conway Christian (7) | 10-0 | 115 | 2 |
| 3. | Des Arc | 8-2 | 59 | 5 |
| 4. | East Poinsett Co. | 7-3 | 52 | — |
| 5. | Bigelow | 6-4 | 18 | 3 |
| Murfreesboro | 7-3 | 18 | 4 | |
| Others receiving votes: Mount Ida 6, Junction City 4, Cross County 3, Poyen 3. | ||||
| 8-MAN SANCTIONED | ||||
| 1. | Strong-Huttig (27) | 5-0 | 81 | 1 |
| 2. | Midland | 9-0 | 53 | 2 |
| 3. | Cedar Ridge | 8-1 | 25 | 3 |
| Others receiving votes: Woodlawn 3. | ||||