Keston Hiura Earns Spot with Team USA
July 01, 2016 | Baseball
photo credit to USA Baseball
LOS ANGELES, Calif. --- Keston Hiura has been training with the U.S. Collegiate baseball team for the last week, and has officially been announced as part of the 24-man squad that will tour through the month of July.
Future big leaguers from #TeamUSA taking some hacks in the cage here at Dodger Stadium pic.twitter.com/JMzvzIHuyT
— USA Baseball CNT (@USABaseballCNT) June 28, 2016
Hiura is one of two Big West players to make the squad made up of 12 hitters and 12 pitchers. They will set out to Taiwan on July 4 for the beginning of three international friendship series over the summer. Team USA will play five-game series against Chinese Taipei, Japan, and Cuba circling the globe.
"I'm honored to be chosen to not only represent UCI, but the United States of America on such a prestigious team," Hiura added of the announcement. "I'm looking forward to traveling overseas to compete with some of the top talent around the world and play with a great group of players."
"What a great honor and achievement for Keston to be selected to be a member of the USA National Team," remarked a proud head coach, Mike Gillespie. "This promises to be one of his life's greatest experiences as he travels to Taiwan, Japan, and Cuba, and plays with and against many of the best college-age players in the world, all the while representing the USA. All of us at UCI are proud of him."
Full schedule of the world tour is listed below, and fans can follow along everything Hiura does at this page and on UC Irvine baseball's social media pages.
The slo-mo swing of the day belongs to @UCIbsb's Keston Hiura pic.twitter.com/w8guYKqMIv
— USA Baseball CNT (@USABaseballCNT) July 12, 2016
| Date | Time (PT) | Opponent | Location | Result | Keston |
| June 28 | 1:30 PM | Santa Barbara Foresters | Dodger Stadium | W, 10-6 | 1-for-2 |
| June 29 | 5:00 PM | Santa Barbara Foresters | Santa Barbara, Calif. | T(10), 1-1 | 1-for-1 |
| June 30 | 6:30 PM | Urban Youth Academy | Angel Stadium | W, 5-0 | 1-for-3, HR, RBI, 2 BB, SB |
| July 1 | 3:30 PM | Conejo Oaks | Angel Stadium | W, 6-0 | 1-for-2 |
| July 2 | 1:00 PM | Urban Youth Academy | Compton, Calif. | W, 10-0 | 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R |
|
July 3-4 |
Travel / Practice Day | ||||
| July 5 | 3:30 AM | Chinese Taipei | Taipei, Taiwan | L, 8-7 | 1-for-5, R, 3 K |
| July 6 | 3:30 AM | Chinese Taipei | Taipei, Taiwan | W, 3-1 | 0-for-1, RBI, SF, K |
| July 6 | 7:30 PM | Chinese Taipei | New Taipei City, Taiwan | L(8), 3-2 |
0-for-1 as pinch-hitter |
| July 6 | 11:15 PM | Chinese Taipei | New Taipei City, Taiwan | W(7), 3-2 |
1-for-3, R, K |
| July 9 | 2:00 AM | Chinese Taipei | New Taipei City, Taiwan | Cancelled | |
| July 10-11 | Travel / Practice Day | ||||
| July 12 | 2:00 AM | Japan | Niigata, Japan | L, 2-1 | 0-for-4, K |
| July 13 | 2:00 AM | Japan | Niigata, Japan | L, 1-0 | Did Not Play |
| July 14 | Travel / Practice Day | ||||
| July 15 | 2:00 AM | Japan | Tokyo, Japan | W, 1-0 | 1-for-4 |
| July 16 | 2:30 AM | Japan | Shizuoka, Japan | W, 10-2 | 0-for-1, K as pinch-hitter |
| July 17 | 2:00 AM | Japan | Shizuoka, Japan | L, 5-4 | 0-for-1 as pinch-hitter |
| July 18-22 | Travel / Practice Day | ||||
| July 23 | 4:15 PM | Cuba | Ciego de Avila, Cuba | L, 3-1 | Did Not Play |
| July 24 | 4:15 PM | Cuba | Ciego de Avila, Cuba | W, 1-0 | 1-for-1, R, 2 BB |
| July 25 | 4:15 PM | Cuba | Havana, Cuba | L, 5-1 | 0-for-3, BB, 2 K |
| July 26 | 2:00 PM | Cuba | Pinar del Rio, Cuba | W, 4-1 | 0-for-1 as pinch-hitter |
| July 27 | 2:00 PM | Cuba | Pinar del Rio, Cuba | W, 2-1 | PH solo HR in 8th inning |
| Totals | 11-for-38 (.289), 3 HR, 6 RBI, 7 R |
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