TCU catcher Skoug to join college Team USA

TCU catcher Evan Skoug, powering the Horned Frogs with a team-high 39 runs batted in, has accepted an invitation to play on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.

He will be the eighth TCU player to play for the team, which this year will tour Chinese Taipei, Japan and Cuba.

“This is one of the highest honors that an amateur baseball player can achieve,” TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “Evan is truly deserving and has worked hard to improve his entire game. I have no doubt that he will represent his family, TCU and the United States at the highest possible level as he travels the world this summer.”

Skoug, a sophomore from Libertyville, Ill., is hitting .309 with seven home runs and 39 RBIs for TCU (30-12), which begins a non-conference series at Penn State on Friday. He is tied for the Big 12 lead with 16 doubles.

TCU trainer Danny Wheat will also join the Collegiate National Team as head athletic trainer. It is his fourth time in that position for the team.

TCU’s history with the Collegiate National Team goes back to 2006, with pitcher Jake Arrieta and Schlossnagle as an assistant coach.

In 2010, Kyle Winkler pitched for the team, and in 2011, Josh Elander and Andrew Mitchell represented TCU.

TCU had three players on the team in 2013 with Riley Ferrell, Brandon Finnegan and Preston Morrison as part of a squad managed by Schlossnagle.

This year, the team will train in Fullerton, Calif., and play teams in the California Collegiate League from June 28 to July 2. The trips to Chinese Taipei, Japan and Cuba are July 5-26.

The team will be coached by Oregon’s George Horton.

This story was originally published May 5, 2016 at 1:46 PM with the headline "TCU catcher Skoug to join college Team USA."