MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Former Blue Raider Michael McKenry made the cut last week as he was named to the Team USA professional roster to participate in the 2009 International Baseball Federation Baseball World Cup.
This year's World Cup will be held in Europe September 9 through 27. The USA Professional Team, in which McKenry is a member of, consists of 24 players including six returning veterans. In addition, Team USA is the defending World Cup champion.
According to usabaseball.com, USA Baseball has been selecting teams of professional-level minor league players to represent the United States in various international competitions since 1999. These competitions include the World Cup, World Baseball Classic, and Olympic Games, just to name a few.
During his career at Middle Tennessee, McKenry left his mark on the record books. In career records, McKenry ranks eighth in putouts with 791. In the single-season records, McKenry is tied for eighth in on-base percentage (.494) and is tied for sixth in runs batted in (68.
In 2006, he received 1st team All-Sun Belt, Sun Belt Player of the Week, and 1st team All-America honors after posting a .390 batting average, 82 hits, 68 RBI, 13 home runs, 13 doubles. Also in 2006, McKenry was named ABCA All-South Region, 1st Team ABCA/Rawlings All-America, 3rd Team Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball All-America, was drafted by the Colorado Rockies.
Since his time as Blue Raider, Michael McKenry has progressed thru the farm system spending the 2009 season with the Tulsa Drillers, the Double-A affiliate of the Rockies.
Since 1978 USA Baseball has been the national governing body (NGB) for the sport of baseball. It represents the sport in the United States as a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and internationally as a member federation of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF).
Nearly every major national amateur baseball organization in America is united as a USA Baseball National Member Organization. As a result, USA Baseball governs more than 12 million amateur players in ballparks and playgrounds across the country.
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