Video: Mississippi State’s Pilkington Accepts USA Team Invitation

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI/Miss. St. Athletics) – Konnor Pilkington has the opportunity to join some of college baseball’s best this summer, as he has accepted an invitation to join USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team.

Pilkington led Mississippi State with an 8-5 record on the mound in 16 starts. He also eclipsed the 100-strikeout mark this season with 107 after punching out nine batters in the Hattiesburg regional against Illinois-Chicago. The Hurley, Mississippi native has also thrown 102 innings this season and has held opponents to a .198 batting average.

“I am thrilled for the opportunity to represent Mississippi State and USA Baseball on the Collegiate National Team,” Pilkington said. “The chance to compete for Team USA is an honor and a privilege. It will be a great opportunity to compete against the best during the summer, which will only help in my development as a pitcher under Coach Cannizaro and Coach Henderson. I can’t wait to represent our program and all of Bulldog Nation as a member of Team USA.”

The sophomore left-handed pitcher is the first Bulldog on the team since Adam Frazier played on the national team in 2012. He is also the first pitcher on the team since Matt Ginter in 1998. A total of eight Diamond Dawgs have been named to the national team in program history. Pilkington joins Will Clark (1984), Brad Hildreth (1986), B.J. Wallace (1992), Carlton Loewer (1993), Eric DuBose (1995), Ginter and Frazier as national team selections.

The 2017 team will train at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, and compete in a series of games with teams from the Coastal Plains League from June 22-26. Then, the U.S. will host an international friendship series against Chinese Taipei and Cuba from June 27 – July 7, in Cary, Charlotte and Durham, North Carolina. Both series will be streamed live on USABaseball.com.