BLACKSBURG – Rising sophomore Gavin Cross accepted an invitation from USA Baseball to play for the 2021 Collegiate National Team this summer. Cross is the fourth Hokie to play for the USA Collegiate National Team, joining former Tech players Franklin Stubbs (1981), George Canale (1985) and Trey McCoy (1986).
In 2021, Cross hit .345 with 11 homers, five triples, 13 doubles, 35 RBIs, 48 runs, a .621 slugging percentage, .415 on-base percentage and nine steals in 51 games.
Cross was the first Tech freshman to be named First-Team All-ACC in program history, and the first ACC All-Freshman team honoree since Ian Seymour in 2018. A native of Bristol, Tennessee, the outfielder was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball in 2020.
The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team features 48 players in 2021. The squad is split into two teams, the Stars and Stripes, and they go head-to-head in 11 games beginning July 2. Ten of the team's 11 games will be played in the cities of the Appalachian League, which is in its first season as a summer collegiate league as part of MLB and USA Baseball's Prospect Development Pipeline.
The Collegiate National Team will also play a game at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. on July 4 at 1:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on USABaseball.com and on USA Baseball's Facebook and YouTube channels.
For a complete schedule, visit USABaseball.com. Fans are encouraged to follow @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as well as @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for all the latest news and information on the Collegiate National Team this summer.