Photo by: Rich Graessle
Coppola Receives Collegiate National Team Camp Invite
Jun 09 | Baseball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (June 9, 2023) – Rutgers pitcher Christian Coppola is one of 56 players to receive an invite to the 2023 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp this summer.
With the invite, Coppola will head to Cary, North Carolina for training camp and compete for a spot on the 26-man Collegiate National team. The camp consists of a four-game intrasquad series from June 25-28, with a final, 26-man Collegiate National Team roster being selected at the conclusion. This group will compete against Chinese Taipei and Japan from June 30-July 12.
Coppola burst onto the scene as a true freshman, earning the role as the team's Friday night starter and becoming the first freshman in program history to be named All-Big Ten First Team. Additionally, Coppola's 3.68 ERA led all Big Ten starting pitchers.
He finished the season with a 5-5 record, 3.68 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 71 strikeouts and 37 walks in 66.0 innings to go with a .240 batting average against.
"Christian had a great year for us and accomplished some special things for a first-year player," head coach Steve Owens said. "He is a gifted pitcher and a great competitor. This is a tremendous opportunity for him to continue to challenge himself against the best and keep developing."
Coppola will join teammate Josh Kuroda-Grauer as the two compete among the best collegiate players in the country. It also marks the second straight year with a Scarlet Knight receiving an invite to the Collegiate National Team Training Camp, with Ryan Lasko having competed last summer. Only two Rutgers players have gone on to play for the Team USA Collegiate National Team, with Bobby Brownlee (2001) and Todd Frazier (2006) each representing Team USA on behalf of Rutgers.
With the invite, Coppola will head to Cary, North Carolina for training camp and compete for a spot on the 26-man Collegiate National team. The camp consists of a four-game intrasquad series from June 25-28, with a final, 26-man Collegiate National Team roster being selected at the conclusion. This group will compete against Chinese Taipei and Japan from June 30-July 12.
Coppola burst onto the scene as a true freshman, earning the role as the team's Friday night starter and becoming the first freshman in program history to be named All-Big Ten First Team. Additionally, Coppola's 3.68 ERA led all Big Ten starting pitchers.
He finished the season with a 5-5 record, 3.68 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 71 strikeouts and 37 walks in 66.0 innings to go with a .240 batting average against.
"Christian had a great year for us and accomplished some special things for a first-year player," head coach Steve Owens said. "He is a gifted pitcher and a great competitor. This is a tremendous opportunity for him to continue to challenge himself against the best and keep developing."
Coppola will join teammate Josh Kuroda-Grauer as the two compete among the best collegiate players in the country. It also marks the second straight year with a Scarlet Knight receiving an invite to the Collegiate National Team Training Camp, with Ryan Lasko having competed last summer. Only two Rutgers players have gone on to play for the Team USA Collegiate National Team, with Bobby Brownlee (2001) and Todd Frazier (2006) each representing Team USA on behalf of Rutgers.
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