The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebel Trio Chosen for USA Baseball Collegiate National Team
6/18/2021 | Baseball
Derek Diamond, Hayden Dunhurst and Jacob Gonzalez Selected by USA Baseball
DURHAM, N.C. – The Ole Miss baseball pipeline to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team continued Thursday as Derek Diamond, Hayden Dunhurst and Jacob Gonzalez were selected to the 2021 squad.
The trio of selections comes as a program record, breaking the previous mark of two, achieved in 2003 (Stephen Head and Seth Smith) and 2007 (Lance Lynn and Cody Satterwhite). Ole Miss now has 13 players all-time who have been chosen to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. At least one Rebel has been on each of the last four Team USA rosters.
Diamond becomes the eighth Ole Miss pitcher to earn a spot on the Collegiate National Team. Prior to this season, each of the last seven Rebels to be selected to Team USA were pitchers.
The sophomore out of Ramona, California, has been an integral part of the Rebel pitching rotation for the last two seasons, making 18 starts and 24 total appearances. For his Rebel career, Diamond is 5-5 with a 4.88 ERA over 96.0 innings pitched. In 75.1 innings this season, Diamond struck out 82 batters and walked 32.
Though he comes from a long line of outstanding Rebel catchers, Dunhurst is the first Rebel behind the plate to earn a Collegiate National Team nod. The Carriere, Mississippi, native put together a spectacular sophomore campaign, which brought Second Team All-SEC, SEC All-Newcomer and SEC All-Defense honors.
Also a semifinalist for the Buster Posey Award, Dunhurst led the SEC with 16 runners caught stealing and five runners picked off. He was terrific at the plate as well, hitting over .300 well into May. He finished with a .280 batting average, 40 runs scored, 11 doubles, a team-high two triples, seven home runs and 43 RBI.
Gonzalez is just the second Rebel shortstop and the first since Zack Cozart in 2006 to be tabbed for Team USA. He joins Head and Doug Nikhazy as the only Rebels to earn a Collegiate National Team selection after their freshman season. Earlier this week, Gonzalez joined Head to become just the second player in program history to be named an All-American as a freshman, earning a Second Team nod from NCBWA.
Gonzalez started every game at shortstop and led Ole Miss in batting average (.355), runs scored (73) and hits (93). The freshman out of Glendora, California, set single-season freshman records in games played, runs scored, RBI (55), total bases (147), and walks (38). Gonzalez leads the SEC in hits and runs scored for the season, ranking fourth in the nation in those categories. He leads all true freshmen nationally in both hits and runs scored.
The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team will feature 48 players in 2021. The Collegiate team will be split into two teams, the Stars and Stripes, and will go head-to-head in 11 games beginning on 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, North Carolina, on July 4, at 1:30 p.m. EDT. 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.
Ole Miss on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team
2003 - Stephen Head
2003 - Seth Smith
2006 - Zack Cozart
2007 - Lance Lynn
2007 - Cody Satterwhite
2009 - Drew Pomeranz
2012 - Bobby Wahl
2013 - Mike Bianco (Assistant Coach)
2017 - Dallas Woolfolk
2018 - Parker Caracci
2019 - Doug Nikhazy
2021 - Derek Diamond
2021 - Hayden Dunhurst
2021 - Jacob Gonzalez
The trio of selections comes as a program record, breaking the previous mark of two, achieved in 2003 (Stephen Head and Seth Smith) and 2007 (Lance Lynn and Cody Satterwhite). Ole Miss now has 13 players all-time who have been chosen to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. At least one Rebel has been on each of the last four Team USA rosters.
Diamond becomes the eighth Ole Miss pitcher to earn a spot on the Collegiate National Team. Prior to this season, each of the last seven Rebels to be selected to Team USA were pitchers.
The sophomore out of Ramona, California, has been an integral part of the Rebel pitching rotation for the last two seasons, making 18 starts and 24 total appearances. For his Rebel career, Diamond is 5-5 with a 4.88 ERA over 96.0 innings pitched. In 75.1 innings this season, Diamond struck out 82 batters and walked 32.
Though he comes from a long line of outstanding Rebel catchers, Dunhurst is the first Rebel behind the plate to earn a Collegiate National Team nod. The Carriere, Mississippi, native put together a spectacular sophomore campaign, which brought Second Team All-SEC, SEC All-Newcomer and SEC All-Defense honors.
Also a semifinalist for the Buster Posey Award, Dunhurst led the SEC with 16 runners caught stealing and five runners picked off. He was terrific at the plate as well, hitting over .300 well into May. He finished with a .280 batting average, 40 runs scored, 11 doubles, a team-high two triples, seven home runs and 43 RBI.
Gonzalez is just the second Rebel shortstop and the first since Zack Cozart in 2006 to be tabbed for Team USA. He joins Head and Doug Nikhazy as the only Rebels to earn a Collegiate National Team selection after their freshman season. Earlier this week, Gonzalez joined Head to become just the second player in program history to be named an All-American as a freshman, earning a Second Team nod from NCBWA.
Gonzalez started every game at shortstop and led Ole Miss in batting average (.355), runs scored (73) and hits (93). The freshman out of Glendora, California, set single-season freshman records in games played, runs scored, RBI (55), total bases (147), and walks (38). Gonzalez leads the SEC in hits and runs scored for the season, ranking fourth in the nation in those categories. He leads all true freshmen nationally in both hits and runs scored.
The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team will feature 48 players in 2021. The Collegiate team will be split into two teams, the Stars and Stripes, and will go head-to-head in 11 games beginning on 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, North Carolina, on July 4, at 1:30 p.m. EDT. 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.
Ole Miss on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team
2003 - Stephen Head
2003 - Seth Smith
2006 - Zack Cozart
2007 - Lance Lynn
2007 - Cody Satterwhite
2009 - Drew Pomeranz
2012 - Bobby Wahl
2013 - Mike Bianco (Assistant Coach)
2017 - Dallas Woolfolk
2018 - Parker Caracci
2019 - Doug Nikhazy
2021 - Derek Diamond
2021 - Hayden Dunhurst
2021 - Jacob Gonzalez
Players Mentioned
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