FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas freshman pitchers Brady Tygart and Hagen Smith have been invited to tryouts for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
According to a release, as many as 50 players will be invited to the tryouts in Cary, N.C., which is located about 15 miles from where Tygart and Smith played during the Chapel Hill (N.C.) Super Regional on June 11-12.
Tryouts will include a five-game intrasquad series in North Carolina at ballparks in Cary, Durham and Charlotte. The 26-man Team USA squad will play games beginning June 9 against teams representing Japan, Italy, Cuba, the Netherlands and Curacao in Haarlem, Netherlands.
The USA team will be managed by Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco, who won a national championship on Sunday when the Rebels defeated Oklahoma 4-2 in the final game of the College World Series.
Tygart and Smith were named Freshman All-Americans this year by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Perfect Game, and Tygart also earned the honor from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. They would be the 23rd and 24th Razorbacks to play for Team USA.
Smith, a native of Bullard, Texas, was 7-2 with a 4.66 ERA and started in 15 of 20 appearances this season. Smith also recorded two saves, including during a 4-3 victory at North Carolina that gave the Razorbacks the first of two super regional wins over the Tar Heels.
Smith had 90 strikeouts and 46 walks, and a .232 batting average against in 77 1/3 innings.
Tygart was Arkansas' primary closer for most of the season and led the team with eight saves. The Hernando, Miss., native finished 3-4 with a 3.82 ERA in 24 relief appearances.
Tygart recorded 51 strikeouts and 21 walks, and had a .212 batting average against in 37 2/3 innings.
According to CodBall, Smith and Tygart had previously been invited to play this summer in the Cape Cod League — Smith for the Orleans Firebirds and Tygart for the Falmouth Commodores.