Former Blue Raider headed to Beijing

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Former Blue Raider Tjerk Smeets has been named to the 24-man roster of the Netherlands Olympic baseball team which will represent the country at the Beijing Olympics in August.

Smeets played for Middle Tennessee from 1999 to 2001 and was a member of the 2001 conference championship team. During his career, Smeets appeared in 40 games hitting four home runs with 11 RBI.

The Netherlands national baseball squad has been one of the most successful teams in Europe, and has dominated the European Baseball Championships.

In 2004, at the Athens Games it finished in sixth place, and in fourth place at the International Baseball Federation Baseball World Cup held in 2007.

Smeets was named MVP of the 2006 season by the Netherlands professional baseball league after helping Corendon Kinheim win the regular season title.

In June, Smeets hit a two-run double in the tenth inning to give Corendon Kinheim a 3-2 win over host Montepaschi Grosseto in the 2008 European Cup.

The Netherlands 2008 Olympic baseball team is listed below:

Pitchers: David Bergman, Leon Boyd, Rob Cordemans, Michiel van Kampen, Diegomar Markwell, Shairon Martis, Loek van Mil, Alexander Smit, Juan Carlos Sulbaran, Pim Walsma

Catchers: Sidney de Jong, Tjerk Smeets

Infielders: Sharnol Adriana, Yurendell de Caster, Michael Duursma, Percy Isenia, Roel Koolen, Raily Legito, Jeroen Sluijter

Outfielders: Bryan Engelhardt, Eugene Kingsale, Dirk van 't Klooster, Martijn Meeuwis, Danny Rombley

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