Ole Miss’ Dallas Woolfolk to play for USA Collegiate National Team

Published 6:35 pm Tuesday, May 30, 2017

USA Baseball will have an Ole Miss representative this summer.

Closer Dallas Woolfolk has accepted an invitation to play for the Collegiate National Team, the school announced Tuesday. Woolfolk will be the program’s 10th player or coach to represent his country while at Ole Miss — a list that includes head coach Mike Bianco, who served as the Collegiate National Team’s pitching coach in 2013.

“I am truly blessed and grateful to be given this incredible opportunity to be a part of USA Baseball,” Woolfolk said. “It is such an honor to pitch for my country and represent the United States of America. I would not be where I am today without God, my family and the help of my current and past coaches.”

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Woolfolk, the eighth Ole Miss player to play for USA Baseball, will report to the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina before competing in games with teams from the Coastal Plain League in late June. The United States will host international friendly series against Chinese Taipei and Cuba June 27-July 7.

“As a coaching staff, certainly we are very proud of Dallas earning the honor to compete for his country on the baseball diamond,” Bianco said. “I can recall putting on the USA uniform four years ago, and it was a privilege to wear the stars and stripes. Now Dallas has that same opportunity, and there is no doubt that he will represent Ole Miss and USA Baseball well out there.”

Woolfolk, a sophomore right-hander, made 26 appearances this season and notched 12 saves, one off the single-season school record set by Stephen Head in 2003. He worked more than an inning to record half his saves.

He posted a 2.15 earned run average, striking out 41 and walking just five in 37 2/3 innings while limiting opponents to a .200 average.