WACO, Texas - Baylor baseball sophomore catcher Shea Langeliers has accepted an invitation to play on the 2018 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
Langeliers is the first Baylor player to earn the privilege since Kendal Volz in 2008. Overall, the Keller, Texas, native is the eighth different BU player and ninth selection to represent the U.S. He joins Pat Combs (1988), Jason Jennings (1997-98), Bryan Loeb (1998), Jon Topolski (1998), Zane Carlson (2000), Michael Griffin (2003) and Volz among Bears to play for Team USA.
Langeliers already gathered several preseason honors as he adds to his list of 2018 accolades. He is on the Johnny Bench Award and Golden Spikes Award watch lists, in addition to receiving preseason All-America honors from D1Baseball.com (first team), Baseball America (second team), Perfect Game/Rawlings (second team) and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) (third team). The quartet of preseason All-America accolades mark the first BU player to earn three or more in a single preseason since at least 1998. The program also has back-to-back years with preseason All-Americans (Troy Montemayor in 2017 and 2018) for the first time since 2004 and 2005.
One of three from the Big 12 on the list, Langeliers was the first freshman in Baylor baseball history last season to earn Freshman All-America honors from three or more different publications as he was honored by Baseball America, the NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game/Rawlings.
Langeliers was named to the 2017 All-Big 12 second team and Big 12 All-Freshman team as well. During the 2017 season, he hit .313 with 43 runs, 66 hits, 14 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 38 RBI, 114 total bases and 24 walks. He also threw out 26 base stealers at a 44 percent rate with a .991 fielding percentage in 55 starts. He set the BU freshman catcher home run record and was one shy of tying the program's all-time freshman home run record (Max Muncy, 11, 2010).
Through 31 games this season, Langeliers has 23 runs, 27 hits, eight doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 17 walks, two steals and 23 RBI. Behind the plate, he has thrown out 10 of 18 base stealers.
The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team will participate in three international friendship series in 2018, beginning with the 18th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series that will be held in North Carolina from June 28 - July 2. The U.S. will then compete in the 42nd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series from July 3-9 in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina; and the 7th Annual USA vs. Cuba International Friendship Series in Cuba from July 13-18.
Seven Collegiate National Team games will be streamed live on USABaseball.com, as well as Facebook Live and YouTube. For more information on USA Baseball and the Collegiate National Team, follow @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter; and @USABaseballCNT on Twitter.