Schmidt?s Gold-Medal Win Caps Great Summer for Diamond Hogs

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas left-handed pitcher Nick Schmidt helped lead the USA Baseball National Team to a gold medal in the International University Sports Federation (FISU) World Championship with a 18-9 win over Chinese Taipei Tuesday night at Latino Stadium in Havana, Cuba.

Schmidt did not allow an earned run on just two hits over five innings against Chinese Taipei while striking out five and walking four. Team USA finished the summer with an impressive 28-2-1 record.

Schmidt finished the summer with a 3-1 record for Team USA. He boasted a 1.31 ERA in 34.1 innings of work, while striking out 38 and issuing just 13 walks. Schmidt allowed just 20 hits and five earned runs all summer long.

Fellow Razorback junior Shaun Seibert also turned in a dominating performance this summer, being named the Co-Pitcher of the Year in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Seibert pitched for the Brewster Whitecaps and finished the season with 6-0 record and an amazing 0.35 ERA in 51.2 innings of work.

Several Diamond Hogs also had strong summers in the Texas Collegiate League. Matt Willard was named to the TCL all-league team after hitting .336 with 12 stolen bases while playing well defensively at shortstop for Euless.

Jeff Nutt, a Hog signee out of Navarro Junior College, was also named to the TCL all-league team at catcher with a .303 average, 15 doubles and finished third in the league in RBI with 33.

Logan Forsythe finished the TCL season with a .291 average, three doubles, a triple and 10 RBI. Pitcher James Gilbert and Michael Wild also had good summers. Gilbert went 3-1 for the Euless LoneStars while Wild was 1-0 with a 2.64 ERA for the McKinney Marshals.

Two of the Razorbacks signees out of Seminole [Okla.] Junior College played in the Alaskan Summer League and performed well. Right-handed pitcher Duke Welker finished fourth in the league in ERA with a minuscule 1.46 ERA in 49.1 innings of work for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots. RHP Travis Hill threw 35 innings for the Glacier Pilots out of the bullpen with a 1.03 ERA and four saves. He fanned 29 and walked just 11 while holding opponents to a .172 batting average.

Senior right-handed pitcher Chris Rhoads has pitched very well for the Nevada Griffons in the Jayhawk Summer League. He is 3-2 with a 3.22 ERA in 44.2 innings of work. He has fanned 48 and walked just 15.