June 27, 2018
By Jeff Shearer
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. - After helping lead Auburn to a super regional, Will Holland and Tanner Burns are teaming up again on USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team.
Burns, a sophomore pitcher, and Holland, a junior shortstop, will get their first taste of competing for Team USA in exhibition games Tuesday and Wednesday before the 18th Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series begins Thursday in Cary, North Carolina. Holland entered last night's game in a pinch-running role and went 1-for-1 from the plate.
"Playing for the Collegiate National Team this summer is a great opportunity to not only represent the USA, but it's also special to represent Auburn University on a big stage," said Holland, who led Auburn with 61 runs scored and was second in batting average (.313), home runs (12) and RBI (52) as a sophomore in 2018. "I'm looking forward to wearing the red, white and blue."
Burns earned his Team USA invitation by going 7-4 with a 3.01 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 86.2 innings in his freshman season on the Plains.
"I always wanted to play at the highest level and that is why I came to Auburn," Burns said. "Getting to play at Auburn and playing for your country is very special. I'm truly blessed to play for two great programs."
Burns and Holland are Auburn's third and fourth players in four years to compete with the Collegiate National Team, joining Anfernee Grier in 2015 and Casey Mize in 2017.
"To have four guys get to put on that uniform in the past four years is amazing," Auburn coach Butch Thompson said, noting that approximately 10,000 student-athletes comprise the 299 D-1 baseball rosters.
"These young men come to Auburn University because they love Auburn and they think it's the best fit for them to get to play in the Southeastern Conference, the best conference in America, to get an unbelievable degree," he said. "All this extra stuff, getting to play in postseason. You've got to get a collection of great people together, work extremely hard for a period of time for something special to happen.
"Having the first pick of the draft (Mize), and seeing your dreams realized above and beyond what you signed up for. For four guys in the last four years to put on a USA uniform and participate, compete for our country, is just icing on the cake of being an Auburn Tiger."
LSU coach Paul Mainieri will manage the Collegiate National Team. Burns and Holland are among 16 players competing for the final six spots on the 24-man roster for next week's 42nd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series, and the final eight spots on the seventh USA vs. Cuba International Friendship Series in mid-July.
"I appreciate Coach Mainieri for respecting the skill level, once he saw Tanner competing in the SEC," Thompson said. "What a great shot of confidence for Tanner. For Will, last year as a freshman, how much he's grown, Coach Mainieri saw Will for the second year.
"To see how he's grown, matured, and his skill has improved at the plate. Defensively, I think he recognized Will as one of the three or four best shortstops in baseball."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @jeff_shearer