NEWS

 

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).

 

 

 

 

Shawn Medeiros

Castleton State College 

Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Keene Swamp Bats

Director of Media Relations and Broadcasting

Cell: (774) 526-5805

Office: (802) 468-6172