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People rarely confess voluntarily. They will confess to matters when they perceive that the benefits of confession outweigh the penalties. A good interviewer, through the application of sophisticated techniques, will be able to convince the respondent that the confession is in their best interest.
Conducting Admission-Seeking Interviews explores the techniques necessary to conduct a successful interview. Including tips and techniques from experienced anti-fraud experts, this course will examine the steps of an admission-seeking interview, signs to identify deception, legal considerations and much more.
You Will Learn How To:
Prepare for the interview
Employ the steps of an admission-seeking interview
Evaluate deception through verbal and non-verbal signs
Obtain a verbal confession
Field of study: Communications
Last updated: May 2013
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Please note: To be eligible for CPE credit, you must complete the final exam within one year of purchase date. You may only claim CPE credit for a course once.
Table of Contents:
Lesson 1: Introduction
Lesson 2: Preparation
Lesson 3: Legal Considerations
Lesson 4: Steps in the Admission-Seeking Interview
Lesson 5: Make a Direct Accusation
Lesson 6: Observe Reaction
Lesson 7: Repeat the Accusation
Lesson 8: Interrupt Denials
Lesson 9: Establish Rationalization
Lesson 10: Diffuse Alibis
Lesson 11: Present an Alternative Question
Lesson 12: Obtain a Benchmark Admission
Lesson 13: Reinforce Rationalization
Lesson 14: Verbal Confession
Lesson 15: Evaluating Deception
Lesson 16: The Physiology of Deception
Lesson 17: Norming or Calibrating
Lesson 18: Verbal Signs of Deception
Lesson 19: Non-Verbal Signs of Deception
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Genealogical Value of Tombstones
May 30, 2010 at 4:32 pm Leave a comment
Death is a very sorrowful time, but when it does occur, it will generate sources we can use in our genealogical endeavors. It is important for us that are living; to ponder what documents will be generated at our death. Do members of your family know what data to give for your death certificate? How many times have I seen a death certificate with the wrong parents listed because the person giving the information did not know; they may have thought they knew their wife's mother, but was in reality a step mom. We need to make sure these things are written down for our family members or close friends to be able to answer those questions correctly when the time arises.
Tombstones are one of the last testaments of who we were on the Earth. I really like the definition that FreeDictionary gives: Something that serves as tangible proof or evidence. Is that not what we as researchers are trying to do – Find some type of source that is a tangible proof or evidence that someone lived, died, married or some other event in their life? When you are making out your will, writing in your journal, or putting your important papers in a safe box, why not add your wishes for your tombstone, obituary and funeral? Who else knows your life's information better than you? It is a good idea for individuals to do it early in life in case an illness occurs that might affect your memory.
On May 24, 2010, J. K. Del Collo posted on his blog, Daily Tombstone Photo; a great example of a well thought out tombstone. It practically had a family group sheet written on it. It listed the deceased name, dates of birth, marriage and death, his spouse and her information, their parents, their children and more.
This blog really started me thinking about what my family would include on my tombstone. Should we have a say on what is written, our epitaphs? Many of our family members are not doing genealogy and do not understand the importance a tombstone might have on those researching in future generations. I recall how excited I was to see my Shook tombstone with the "WOW" across the top. Later I learned he was a member of "Woodmen of the World". Similarly, there are abbreviations for all types of military organizations and other positions that often show up on tombstones.
While you cannot include your entire life history on your tombstone, here are some things I feel are important to include (assuming finances were not an issue of course).
Name: First, middle, maiden name for women, last name
Dates and places for all events listed
Spouses and children
Organization abbreviations that are appropriate
Here are some websites I found interesting:
Virtual Cemetery
Tombstone Carving & Their Meanings
Geneablogger's Tombstone Tuesday
Tombstone Meanings
Meanings of Tombstones
Entry filed under: Bellaonline. Tags: Bellaonline.com, death, genealogy, tombstones.
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Reviewed By PJ R (Palo Alto, CA) Reviewed for a 2014 Nissan Armada —8/26/2014 8:21 AM
The product was beyond my expectation. The material was something I was looking for. The fitting especially on the front seats were just perfect! Just a minor observation though, the covers for the 2nd and 3rd row seats weren't designed according to the specification - actually both rows have split bench. But that's okay. Thanks!


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With 75 percent of the American cotton crop moving into the export market, the industry is going to need to step up efforts to increase retail demand for cotton products outside the U.S., particularly in China, says Gary Adams.
"The real question is how to sustain the upward trend in demand, particularly if cotton prices move higher, and given the ongoing competition from polyester," the National Cotton Council vice president/chief economist told the annual summer conference of the Southern Cotton Ginners Association at Baton Rouge.
"We want to continue to try and move world mill use along and avoid a shift to polyester as cotton prices move higher. However, higher oil prices, $75 per barrel or more, would also push up prices for man-made fibers."
With more than half of U.S. cotton exports going to China, Adams says the industry "needs to be sure we do what we can to understand that market, understand their textile mills, learn what they want out of our cotton, and be sure we get it there in a timely, competitive fashion."
To that end, an industry group recently visited China to meet with textile mill executives and government leaders.
The large volume of cotton going to China "places a lot of constraints on our infrastructure and distribution system," he says, "and that's getting a lot of attention throughout the industry."
Further pressure is likely on the U.S. textile industry, which has suffered numerous plant closings and the loss of thousands of jobs in recent years.
"One of the recommendations in the House version of the new farm bill is a payment of 4 cents per pound on all bales used," Adams says. "If this makes it into the final farm bill, it can help provide stability for our textile industry, give them some support for making investments in improving facilities and infrastructure, and help to increase their competitiveness."
In an export-oriented market like the U.S. is in, the gap between foreign use and foreign production is defining the market for this country's exports and the size of that market, he says.
"Applying some linear trends for the last decade or so and rolling them out in front of us, use outside the U.S. is expanding at a faster rate than production. Baste on the trends, if we look a few years out, we continue to see a market for U.S. cotton that's largely international, and that's the market we're going to be targeting."
Looking at the USDA's 2007 world production and use numbers, Adams says, "We're looking at about a 12-million bale gap between world consumption and world production. So, we're going to need to pull in stocks to meet that shortfall."
But he says, "a lot of uncertainty surrounds the global numbers," particularly those from China, which is the world's leading cotton producer. "I think it's becoming more evident we're underestimating their mill use and their production. The real question is, what's China buying in the world market?"
The "wild card" in the world cotton production picture, Adams says, is India, which plants more cotton than any other country, but ranks second behind China in yield.
"We've seen dramatic increases in their yields in recent years, and they've still got room to grow."
Australia has had major water concerns and isn't likely to see any longer-term expansion and "Brazil is always a possibility for cotton expansion, but they have to weigh it against soybeans."
The reductions in U.S. cotton acreage this year are a result of the flexibility in the 2002 farm program, Adams says, which gave them the option to shift acres out of cotton when they saw significant upward movement in corn and soybean prices.
"The attractiveness of competing crops increased to levels we hadn't seen in the past decade."
Since mid-May, prices have rallied "and the market seems more nervous now that they've seen acreage numbers and how things are shaking out with the cotton balance sheet.
"With Dec. '08 trading at about 70 cents and other contracts trading higher, the biggest challenge for cotton as we look to 2008 may be the competition from double-cropping wheat with soybeans."


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Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter Jill Scott was honored during ESSENCE's 6th Annual Black Women in Music Event, presented by Lincoln Motor Company a few days ago.
The event is held each year during Grammy's week in L.A. and this year, celebrity attendees and consumers flocked to Avalon Hollywood.
Attendees included Ciara, Jordin Sparks, Zendaya, Chante Moore, Candice Patton, Elise Neal, Tasha Smith, Loni Love, Adrienne Bailon, Jeannie Mai, Tamera Mowry-Housley and more.
Guests were treated to a journey through four decades of music with performances by Chaka Khan, MC Lyte, Brandy and Lianne La Havas.
Photos below… Continue Reading…


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Mplus Home
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Mplus Discussion
Confirmatory Factor Analysis
Sebastian Grümer
posted on Friday, March 13, 2009 - 6:26 am
Dear Linda, dear Bengt,
Having a repeated survey of four waves, we want to test measurement invariance over time of our instruments.
Due to the dependent nature of our measures, we built a single group model with four latent variables (each for each wave).
However, the sample sizes of each wave differ remarkably: We started with 3000 participants in wave 1, but took only 400 specifically chosen participants for the following waves 2, 3, and 4. Now, we are quite unsure of how to deal with this "attrition", which is the best way to handle this design?
1) Shall we compute measurement invariance over time only for the 400 persons who participated in all waves and apply a ML estimator, which is robust against non-normality of outcomes and non-independence of observations (such as MLM, MLR)?
2) Or are we allowed to apply the default ML estimator and include the 2600 remaining persons into our analysis? Does FIML still deliver robust estimates although we deliberately lost 80% of our sample after the first wave?
3) Or shall we regard our data as a specific form of a nested design and hence have to use the "TYPE=COMPLEX" command and its estimators?
Which of these options would be preferable? Or are we still missing anything?
Any feedback you can provide will be most appreciated! Thank you!
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Friday, March 13, 2009 - 11:13 am
The question is how you selected the participant for the later waves. If it was random or if it was based on the values of the outcomes in wave 1 you are fine when using the default ML MAR approach of Mplus. This approach considers the outcomes for all waves and uses all available observed data.
Nesting is handled by analyzing all your time points together and letting them correlate according to a model such as growth modeling.
Sebastian Grümer
posted on Monday, March 16, 2009 - 9:54 am
Indeed, we selected the participants for wave 2, 3 and 4 on the base of their values in wave 1. Hence, according to your suggestion we'll use the default ML estimator.
Thank you very much for your help!
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HOLLAND - The game of soccer will be in the spotlight Saturday, Oct. 17 as Hope College celebrates the opening of its new Van Andel Soccer Stadium, located at 11th St. and Fairbanks Ave. in Holland.
A daylong series of events, all open to the public free of charge, will begin with exhibition games featuring an estimated 350 youth soccer players representing the West Michigan Fire Juniors, Grand Rapids Crew Juniors, USA Soccer Holland and Holland Recreation Youth Soccer.
Hope's men's and women's soccer teams will each play Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) opponents, the Flying Dutch against Trine at 3 p.m. and the Flying Dutchmen against Kalamazoo at 7 p.m.
In between the games, a formal dedication will be held beginning at 5 p.m. Immediately following, a community picnic open to attendees of the dedication will be held until 7 p.m. on the front lawn of the nearby DeVos Fieldhouse. Tickets for the picnic will be distributed as persons enter the stadium for the dedication.
The day's activities will also feature personal appearances by three professional soccer players, including West Michigan native and two-time Olympic gold medalist Lindsay Tarpley. A member of the Chicago Red Stars of the Women's Professional Soccer League (WPSL), Tarpley will be joined by Brittany Bock and Manya Makoski who are members of the Los Angeles Sol of the WPSL. A special video appearance by Dutch footballer Rudd van Nistelrooij will highlight the dedication ceremony.
The professional players lead an interactive instruction session for the youth players and will sign autographs after the dedication.
The day's events will conclude with a fireworks show best visible from the stadium seating.
Construction of the stadium was made possible thanks to a lead gift from the David & Carol Van Andel Foundation. Both David and Carol are Hope College graduates. David serves on the college's Board of Trustees.
Designed to complement Hope's recently expanded athletic complex, the stadium was built on the site of the college's existing soccer fields. The state-of-the-art facility includes stadium-style and bleacher seating for 1,400 fans, a concession stand, public restrooms, two locker rooms, a training room, a meeting room for visiting teams along with a ticket booth and press box. It features terrace areas for picnics and tailgating as well as lighting for night games and artificial turf. The $5.3 million project included establishment of a maintenance endowment.


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South Dakota Panel Rejects Plan to Record Closed Meetings
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A task force seeking ways to make South Dakota government more open has rejected a proposal that would have required boards and commissions to record closed meetings as a check on whether those meetings were improperly closed.
However, the panel endorsed other proposals to clarify the open meetings law and make some government documents public. One recommendation would make police mug shots public.
The task force's recommendations now go to Gov. Dennis Daugaard and Attorney General Marty Jackley, who appointed the panel. Daugaard and Jackley will decide whether to introduce the panel's recommendations in the 2013 session of the South Dakota Legislature.
The defeated measure would have required government boards and commissions to record closed meetings, with the recordings kept sealed unless someone complained a meeting was improperly closed.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Material may not be redistributed.


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SF Mayor: Middle Class Means Earning $80,000 to $150,000
Ed Lee is the mayor of San Francisco by the grace of that city's deep-pocketed technologists. He continues to return the favor in both deeds and rhetoric: a new interview with Time has Lee explaining that his city's middle class isn't like yours:
We might have a broader range of defining the middle class, as compared to maybe Oakland or San Jose. I'm talking maybe $80,000 to $150,000. I don't think we paid attention, as a city, historically, to that level of income earners. I think we missed some steps there … There's always the potential, that as we're building a strong economy, that we could trip over that success.
The American middle class is impossible to pin down exactly, but it usually draws some meaning from being in the middle of the income range (median income for California is around $61,000, around $53,000 for the whole country). As the San Francisco Examiner points out, however, Lee's pretty far off:
The most-recent U.S. Census Bureau figures peg the median income in San Francisco at roughly $73,000. That means more than half of earners here aren't fitting the mayor's middle-class definition.
Why would you ever admit your city's middle class is shriveling up when you can just call something else the middle class? This also, conveniently, pegs San Francisco's burgeoning junior techie class as the new middle class—the employees of the men who got Lee the job can now be rebranded as America's most sacred demographic. There's not a politician in the union that'll speak out against initiatives for the middle class, which means Lee can directly serve his donor demo.
Tax cuts for Twitter? That's a middle class initiative. Letting private tech shuttles use public transit stops for peanuts? Just helping the middle class get to work.
You might argue that with income and prices both on the rise, what might have once passed for upper class is now upper-middle, or just plain middle—and everyone gets a demotion in turn. But, no, that's not what middle class means at all. If San Francisco's true middle-earners are endangered, reclassifying them into obscurity won't be much solace.
Photo: Getty


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On Thursday and Friday, March 7 and 8, Hope College will host its 41st annual Model United Nations conference for high school students.
More than 700 students and faculty from the greater Midwest will compete in the various simulations. Acting as delegates from the 192 member nations of the United Nations in two General Assemblies, four Security Councils, an International Court of Justice (ICJ), and an Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the students will be faced with issues pertaining to the current international affairs.
Issues that will be discussed in this year's conference include military spending against human needs, unity for peacekeeping, role of drug trafficking in financing terrorism, prevention of failed state, the Mali conflict, North Pole territorial claims, Syria, the need for Education, and the global economic crisis.
The purpose of Model United Nations is to give high school students an opportunity to take on the roles of professional diplomats with the goal of achieving a particular country's national objectives while fostering a desired international consensus for real solutions to the questions facing them. Hope College's department of political science sponsors the event.
Participating students, with the help of faculty advisors, have been preparing for weeks for the conference by working to identify the current issue positions of countries they have selected to represent. Throughout the event, they will discuss with their peer delegates in order to attain solutions that they feel best resolve various international problems.
ECOSOC, Security Council and ICJ members begin their sessions Thursday evening and continue throughout the day Friday. General Assembly members arrive Friday morning and will debate during the day.
In addition to the various sessions, students arriving Thursday will attend an opening banquet at the Haworth Inn and Conference Center that night. The Model United Nations will conclude with an awards ceremony on Friday, March 8, at 3:45 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel.
The Hope College Model United Nations is organized by students in political science courses aimed at understanding international politics and the role of the United Nations in international disputes and resolutions. The Hope students serve as session chairpersons and perform other administrative tasks throughout the formation and execution of the event.
The secretary generals for this year's conference are juniors Ashley Fraley of Wellston and Kyla Koboski of Apple Valley, Minn. The director for Introductory General Assembly is junior James Teaford of San Luis Obispo, Calif. The director for Advanced General Assembly is junior Chelsea Tessier of Elkart, Ind. The directors for Security Council are senior Channa Grebe of Petoskey, and sophomores Shekinah Chandy of New Delhi, India, and Erica Simpson of Traverse City. The directors for Economic and Social Council are senior Meaghan McKeon of Tecumseh and junior Divya Dhaliwal of Northville. The director for the International Court of Justice is senior Stephen Courtade of Jenison.
The faculty advisor to Model United Nations is Dr. Jack Holmes, professor of political science.


text:
- Professional Team
- Women's National Team
- Collegiate National Team
- 18U National Team
- 17U National Team Development Program
- 16U National Team Development Program
- 15U National Team
- 14U National Team Development Program
- 12U National Team
- National Team Championships - East
- National Team Championships - West
- National Team Identification Series
- Tournament of Stars
- Futures Invitational
- Athlete Development Program
- 12U Open Development Program
- USA Baseball Cups
2018 USA Baseball Award Winners Announced
DURHAM, N.C. - USA Baseball announced the recipients of its annual organizational awards on Friday, recognizing the top athletes, coaches and performances from the 2018 USA Baseball national teams. Collegiate National Team member Adley Rutschman (Sherwood, Ore.) was named the Richard W. "Dick" Case Award winner, becoming the 12th Collegiate National Team member to earn athlete of the year honors. The award is given annually to USA Baseball's top player in honor of the organization's founding Executive Director and CEO.
Collegiate National Team manager Paul Mainieri earned the program's second award of the year when he was named the Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year. USA Baseball also recognized the 15U National Team with two awards in 2018, including Team of the Year and naming Manager Jason Maxwell the Developmental Coach of the Year after the team won its first-ever world championship at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup.
18U National Team member Bobby Witt Jr. (Colleyville, Texas) was honored with the International Performance of the Year Award for his strong showing in the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships gold medal game, while Women's National Team member Megan Baltzell (Stafford, Va.) took home the Sportswoman of the Year Award following an exceptional performance in the 2018 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women's Baseball World Cup.
Lastly, Karsten Whitson was named the Volunteer Coach of the Year after serving as a pitching coach at the 2018 14U National Team Development Program.
"We are excited to celebrate the people and performances that made 2018 another outstanding year for USA Baseball," USA Baseball Executive Director and CEO Paul Seiler said. "It is an honor to be represented by coaches, athletes and staff that are such exceptional global ambassadors for our country and the game of baseball on the international stage. We are extremely proud to recognize their 2018 accomplishments with these awards."
USA Baseball continued its incredible success against international competition in 2018, finishing the year with gold medals at the COPABE U-12 Pan-American Championships, WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup and the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships. After winning the WBSC U-15 World Cup, Team USA is now the defending world champions for all three youth age levels. The Collegiate National Team also built on its 2017 success when it once again won all three of its international friendship series against Chinese Taipei, Japan and Cuba in 2018
Rutschman was awarded the Richard W. "Dick" Case Award following a strong summer showing for the Collegiate National Team. He joined Team USA after winning the 2018 NCAA College World Series with Oregon State and was immediately a leader both on and off the field. He paced the team in batting average (.355), slugging percentage (.516) and on-base percentage (.432), and also finished the summer leading the squad in doubles with five in nine games.
In addition, Rutschman personified the off-field qualities that the Richard W. "Dick" Case Award honors. The catcher was the quintessential teammate and an undisputed leader in the clubhouse while also exemplifying sportsmanship and love of the game throughout the summer.
Mainieri was named the Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year after leading the Collegiate National Team to series wins over Chinese Taipei, Japan and Cuba for the second year in a row. Under his guidance, Team USA started its summer undefeated against international competition with a five-game sweep of Chinese Taipei and finished with a 11-3 record. The series win against Cuba marked its fourth in a row in the annual series and was just the second time in Collegiate National Team history that Team USA has claimed a series win on Cuban soil.
USA Baseball's Team of the Year award was given to the 15U National Team after it won its first-ever world championship with a 7-1 gold medal-game victory over Panama at the 2018 WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup. The team finished the tournament with an 8-1 record, a .323 batting average, 69 RBI, 17 doubles, five triples and three home runs while outscoring opponents 88-13 en route to the gold medal. In addition, the pitching staff tallied a collective team ERA of 1.24 over 58.0 innings and four players were named to the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup All-World Team. Maxwell's tutelage, leadership and guidance of the squad as this year's manager led to him being named the 2018 Developmental Coach of the Year.
"Jason Maxwell has been an asset to USA Baseball for many years and he brought an impressive amount of leadership and expertise to the 2018 15U National Team," Seiler said. "His ability to develop and guide these young players to new heights was evident and the team's journey to the program's first world championship was impressive to watch. We couldn't be happier to honor him and this year's team with these awards."
Witt Jr. earned the 2018 International Performance of the Year Award after hitting for a natural cycle in the COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships gold medal game. The Colleyville, Texas, native hit a single in the second, an RBI-double in the third, a lead-off triple in the fourth and completed the cycle with a two-run home run in the fifth to lead the red, white and blue's offense in the 17-2 defeat of Panama. Following the game, Witt Jr. was named the tournament MVP and also picked up the best slugger and highest batting average awards after hitting .576 with three doubles, three triples, three home runs and 18 RBI in nine games.
Two-time Women's National Team alum Baltzell was named Sportswoman of the Year after hitting a team-high .500 in the 2018 WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup and leading the tournament in home runs with two. The lefty now owns the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup home run record after hitting one in the 2016 World Cup and two in 2018. In addition to being named to the All-World Team following the event's conclusion, Baltzell also won two individual awards for her stellar 2018 performance, taking home the hardware for most home runs (2) and most RBI (10).
Lastly, Karsten Whitson, who won a gold medal as a player on the 2009 18U National Team, was named the 2018 Volunteer Coach of the Year after serving as a pitching coach for the 14U National Team Development Program's Stars team. The pitching staff thrived under Whitson, combining for 16 strikeouts in the three-game series. Six of those pitchers were invited to the 15U National Team Trials and one - Karson Bowen - was named to the 2018 15U National Team.
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) annually honors one Sportsman, Sportswoman and Team of the Year based on nominations from its National Governing Bodies, as well as Developmental and Volunteer Coach of the Year awards. USA Baseball's award winners serve as the organization's nominees in their respective categories with the USOC.
U.S. Drops Series Finale in Cuba
|Win: V. Banos Loss: J. Doxakis Save: None
|Box Score | Play-by-Play | U.S. Cumulative | Cuba Cumulative
HAVANA - Zach Watson (LSU) hit a home run and Adley Rutschman (Oregon State) drove in two runs but it wasn't enough as four different players for Cuba recorded three RBIs each to defeat the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in the final game of its summer tour, 15-4, at Estadio Latinoamericano on Saturday.
Team USA finishes the summer with a final record of 12-3, including series wins over Chinese Taipei, Japan, and Cuba. It has now won its last seven series dating back to the 2016 campaign.
Against Cuba, the U.S. has now claimed the past four series, including a pair of series in both Cuba (2016, 2018) and the United States (2015, 2017).
Watson finished Saturday's contest 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored, and a solo home run in the seventh inning.
Rutschman and Spencer Torkelson (Arizona State) also had a pair of hits with Rutschman notching a pair of RBIs on a run-scoring single in the first and a sacrifice fly in the third.
After scoring just one run in the first three games combined, the Cuban lineup exploded for 17 hits on Saturday. The first four hitters alone accounted for 11 hits, nine runs, and nine RBIs.
Two-time Olympic medalist Frederich Cepeda finished the game 2-for-4 with a double and a three-run home run, while Yordan Mandulay was 4-for-5 with a walk, three runs scored, and three RBIs.
Yurisbel Gracial and Guillermo Aviles also drove in three runs each in the victory.
Continue to follow @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.
USA Baseball CNT Manager Paul Mainieri
(On the experience of coaching Team USA)
"This whole experience this summer has been one of the greatest experiences of my life, personally and professionally. That is mostly because of the coaching staff with some of my best friends in the world. We got to spend three weeks together, competing together, working with the players, and it just meant more to me then I can ever express. Second, to put this jersey on that says U-S-A and represent our country is just a very emotional thing. Any time you can do something where you feel like you are contributing to your country in a positive way is so rewarding and you feel so privileged. Third, the experience of meeting 26 new young men who gave everything they had for three weeks, for 15 ball games. I admire them all so much. They all have great talent, but they are also wonderful young men. They are really a credit to their schools, the baseball programs they represent back at their universities, and to our country. They have done nothing except carry themselves in a first-class way. They played great, they were very coachable, and it all just made for an awesome experience for all of us, an experience that we will never forget."
(On being a part of USA Baseball once again)
"I just can't say enough about the job that (USA Baseball General Manager, National Teams) Eric Campbell has done. I had the experience three years ago as an assistant coach and to be able to serve as the head coach has been such a privilege. When Eric and I first started talking about it a couple of years ago, I visualized what it would be like to put a staff together and get to pick the team. I can't tell you how perfect everything played out exactly how I dreamed it would. Obviously, we wish we would have won all of our games, but we won all of our series and it was great to see the kids play as well as they did, and in many cases improve I think. I'm sure that this has been an experience most of them will never forget as well. It will mean an awful lot to them. When Eric and I talked about this a few years ago, he and I collectively put the dream together and I can't thank him enough for giving me this opportunity. He is one of my dearest friends in the world. We worked together for six years in college and the opportunity to spend three weeks with him will be something I will always treasure."
Nineteen USA Baseball Alumni in 2018 MLB All-Star Game
DURHAM, N.C. - Nineteen USA Baseball alumni have been named to the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game rosters, the organization announced on Friday. Ten members of the National Team (NL) roster have suited up for the red, white and blue, while nine of the American League (AL) All-Stars played for Team USA.
Four alumni will start the game in the field for the NL, including Nolan Arenado, Brandon Crawford, Freddie Freeman and Bryce Harper. In addition, alums Manny Machado and Mike Trout are among the AL's nine starting position players.
Of the 19 alumni, twelve have won gold medals with Team USA and eight have represented the stars and stripes on multiple USA Baseball national teams. Alex Bregman leads the way in both categories with appearances on five separate national teams and four gold medals.
In total, 11 alumni competed with the Collegiate National Team, seven played for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), six suited up for the 18U National Team, four participated with the 16U National Team and two represented the U.S. on the Professional National Team.
The 2018 MLB All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday, July 17, at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
The full list of USA Baseball alumni that appear on 2018 All-Star Game rosters is as follows:
Name; MLB Team; USA Baseball Team(s):
Nolan Arenado; Colorado Rockies; 2017 World Baseball Classic Team
Trevor Bauer; Cleveland Indians; 2009 Collegiate National Team
Alex Bregman; Houston Astros; 2010 16U National Team, 2011 18U National Team, 2013 & 2014 Collegiate National Teams, 2017 World Baseball Classic Team
Gerrit Cole; Houston Astros; 2009 & 2010 Collegiate National Teams
Brandon Crawford; San Francisco Giants; 2006 Collegiate National Team, 2017 World Baseball Classic Team
Sean Doolittle; Washington Nationals; 2005 & 2006 Collegiate National Teams
Freddie Freeman; Atlanta Braves; 2005 16U National Team, 2006 18 National Team
Paul Goldschmidt; Arizona Diamondbacks; 2017 World Baseball Classic Team
Josh Hader; Milwaukee Brewers; 2015 Professional National Team
Bryce Harper; Washington Nationals; 2008 16U National Team, 2009 18U National Team
Craig Kimbrel; Boston Red Sox; 2013 World Baseball Classic Team
Francisco Lindor; Cleveland Indians; 2009 16U National Team, 2010 18U National Team
Manny Machado; Baltimore Orioles; 2009 18U National Team
Buster Posey; San Francisco Giants; 2004 18U National Team, 2017 World Baseball Classic Team
Max Scherzer; Washington Nationals; 2005 Collegiate National Team
George Springer; Houston Astros; 2010 Collegiate National Team
Mike Trout; Los Angeles Angels; 2010 Professional National Team
Justin Verlander; Houston Astros; 2003 Collegiate National Team
Christian Yelich; Milwaukee Brewers; 2017 World Baseball Classic Team
U.S. Clinches Series in Cuba with 2-0 Win
|Win: Z. Thompson Loss: E. Casanova Save: M. Meyer
|Box Score | Play-by-Play | U.S. Cumulative | Cuba Cumulative
HAVANA - Four pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout and Daniel Cabrera (LSU) and Andrew Vaughn (Cal) hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning as the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team clinched its fourth consecutive series victory over Cuba with a 2-0 win at Estadio Latinoamericano on Friday.
The win completes Team USA's sweep of its three series this summer after previously winning all five games against Chinese Taipei and taking three of five from Japan. It has now won its last seven series, dating back to the 2016 campaign.
Against Cuba, the U.S. has now claimed the past four series, including a pair of five-game sets in both Cuba (2016, 2018) and the United States (2015, 2017).
The Collegiate National Team will have a chance to make history on Saturday when it goes for the four-game sweep of Cuba at 10 a.m. ET. Team USA has never won more than three games in a series held on the island. Thursday's contest which was rained out will not be rescheduled.
On Friday, the red, white, and blue received another outstanding effort on the mound as Mason Feole (UConn), Zack Thompson (Kentucky), Matt Cronin (Arkansas), and Max Meyer (Minnesota) combined on the team's second consecutive shutout.
The U.S. has allowed just one run in three games against Cuba and is working on a shutout streak of 18.1 innings going into the series finale. The shutout is the team's third of the summer, having also blanked Japan, 1-0, on July 4.
Feole and Cuba starting pitcher Freddy Asiel Alvarez matched each other pitch-for-pitch through the first four innings, posting zeroes in each frame before handing the ball off to their respective bullpens.
Thompson and Cronin got Team USA through the eighth unscathed before Meyer took over and pitched a perfect ninth to earn his seventh save of the summer and second of the series.
At the plate, Cabrera and Vaughn did all the damage with their back-to-back blasts in the top of the sixth off Cuban reliever Erly Casanova. Cabrera took a 1-1 changeup and deposited in the right-field seats before Vaugh finished off a seven-pitch at-bat with a towering shot just inside the left-field foul pole.
For the series, Cabrera is now hitting at a team-leading .545 clip with six hits and two runs scored.
Cuba had a number of prime scoring opportunities, but another stellar defensive effort and a pair of U.S. double plays helped strand eight runners in the contest.
Continue to follow @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.
USA Baseball CNT Manager Paul Mainieri
(On coaching Team USA to three series wins this summer)
"The whole summer has been like a dream for me. We have such a great group of kids, I have all my best friends surrounding me on the coaching staff, we have won all three series we have played, and we have a chance to sweep Cuba on Cuban soil which has never been done. Our guys are very motivated to come out tomorrow. We are celebrating that we have won all of our series this summer, but we still have unfinished business tomorrow. I told the players I am kind of sad because we only have one more game together. It makes me a little watery-eyed because you grow very fond of these kids and, obviously, these coaches are my best friends. It will be our last time to be together, so I would like to see us go out tomorrow, play our hearts out, and finish on a very positive result."
(On the success of the Team USA pitching staff this summer)
"You can't say enough about what Brian O'Connor has done. He is a great head coach at the University of Virginia, but before he was a head coach he was a phenomenal pitching coach and he has demonstrated that again during the period of time we have been together this summer. He is not reinventing the wheel, obviously these kids are very talented, but we are utilizing them correctly, he is calling the games, and he is handling them the right way. He has worked so hard. He didn't just put on the USA uniform and go through the motions. He worked hard in preparation for this summer, learning about all of the pitchers we were inviting, watching video of them, developing a relationship with them, and they have really responded to his leadership."
USA Baseball Outfielder Daniel Cabrera
(On his home run)
"He started me off with two fastballs, one up-and-away for a ball and one on the black for a strike in, and I was just sitting changeup because he had thrown a good amount of changeups the inning before. I just sat on it and got a hanging changeup."
(On playing in Cuba)
"This experience has been awesome. It is a different atmosphere here with all the Cuban people screaming and playing horns. It has been a blast."
(On the U.S. pitching staff)
"Our pitchers are just throwing up zeroes every inning. They are striking out people and our defense is making wonderful plays. It gives you so much confidence going up there as a hitter when your pitchers are doing that."
(On the LSU connections on Team USA this summer)
"There is no other feeling like representing your country. When you able to share that experience with your head coach and some of your best friends like Zach Watson and Zack Hess, it doesn't get much better than that."
Team USA Rained Out on Thursday
HAVANA - Due to heavy rains in Havana on Thursday, game three of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team's series against Cuba has been postponed. A make-up time for the contest is still to be determined.
Team USA will look to clinch its fourth consecutive series victory over Cuba when the two teams retake the field at Estadio Latinoamericano at 10 a.m. ET Friday morning. Game four is still scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday as well.
Continue to follow @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.
Team USA Shuts Out Cuba, 3-0, in Game Two
|Win: Z. Hess Loss: R. Hernandez Save: M. Meyer
|Box Score | Play-by-Play | Cumulative Stats
HAVANA - Three pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout and the offense scored three times in the second inning as the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team won for the second consecutive day, defeating Cuba, 3-0, at Estadio Latinoamericano on Wednesday.
Starting pitcher Zack Hess (LSU) got Team USA off to a solid start with four scoreless frames, striking out one and yielding just three hits and no walks.
Jake Agnos (ECU) picked up right where Hess left off, retiring all 12 batters that he faced in his four frames of work with three punchouts. Max Meyer (Minnesota) then twirled a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his team-leading sixth save of the summer.
Combined, the three pitchers retired the final 18 batters that they faced as the U.S. notched its second shutout of the summer, having also blanked Japan, 1-0, on July 4 in Durham, N.C.
Offensively, all three of the red, white, and blue's runs came in the second inning.
Andrew Vaughn (Cal) drew a leadoff walk to get the ball rolling and Josh Jung (Texas Tech) put two on as he reached on an error by Cuban second baseman Juan Carlos Torriente.
Dominic Fletcher (Arkansas) quickly put the U.S. out front, driving in both runners with a double to right-center. Bryson Stott promptly moved Fletcher up to third with a sacrifice bunt before Braden Shewmake (Texas A&M) stroked an RBI triple to the gap in right-center.
Shewmake finished 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Daniel Cabrera (LSU) tallied a two-hit effort as well.
Team USA will look to clinch its fourth consecutive series victory over Cuba when the two teams take the field at Estadio Latinoamericano at 7:15 p.m. ET Thursday night. The final two games of the series will then be played at 10 a.m. ET on Friday and Saturday.
Continue to follow @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.
USA Baseball CNT Manager Paul Mainieri
(On Team USA's effort on Wednesday)
"We had one great inning but we hit a couple of balls with runners in scoring position that looked like singles up the middle only to see their pitchers make great plays to keep more runs for scoring. I thought we played pretty well offensively, but certainly the key to the game was the dominating pitching of Zack Hess, Jake Agnos, and Max Meyer. Just phenomenal performances by all three guys. When you pitch like that it is almost impossible to lose. I'm just so proud of those guys, they have all done a tremendous job in every outing. Agnos could possibly come back once more in game five, if needed, but Hess is done for the summer now. He just did a tremendous job in all three outings here with Team USA with nine scoreless innings."
(On having a chance to win the series tomorrow)
"It's amazing to think that we spent all that time traveling down here yesterday, played such a great game yesterday and came back tonight with another outstanding performance. But we still have three tough games to go. You can't look too far ahead, but we are excited to have a chance to win the series tomorrow and I think our guys will be ready to go."
USA Baseball RHP Zack Hess
(On playing for Team USA)
"It has been awesome. This is something I have dreamed about doing ever since I was a little kid. I've always wanted to be a part of USA Baseball and it has been a dream-come-true to be around all these guys this entire summer. It has been an incredible time and I am excited about finishing up strong with these guys."
(On playing with several LSU teammates and for his college head coach for Team USA)
"It has been awesome. I know Coach Mainieri has been having a lot of fun with it and this is something he has always wanted to do. When he got the news back in the fall, he was so excited, and the fact that we have me, Daniel (Cabrera), Zach (Watson), and Antoine (Duplantis) earlier in the summer, has been incredible. We all took it with a lot of humbleness and have been enjoying every second."
(On the success of Team USA's pitching staff this summer)
"I think everyone on our pitching staff has done a phenomenal job all summer. Everyone has been very aggressive within the strike zone and we are all pitching with a lot of confidence. We've just kind of gone after guys. At the end of the day we are pitching against wood bats, so that is definitely a transition from college ball, but I think everyone is trying to be more aggressive and that has been a big key to our success."
U.S. Dominates Series Opener in Cuba, 5-1
|Win: D. Parrish Loss: D. Duquesne Save: M. Cronin
|Box Score | Play-by-Play | Cumulative Stats
HAVANA - Despite a long travel day, the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team put together possibly its most complete game of the summer on Tuesday as it cruised to a dominating 5-1 victory in its series opener against Cuba at Estadio Latinoamericano.
The story of the day was Florida State southpaw Drew Parrish who retired the first 13 batters he faced en route to five shutout innings and the win. He faced just one over the minimum, yielding only a one-out single in the fifth while striking out five.
Offensively, five different players recorded multi-hit contests, led by a 3-for-5 effort by Adley Rutschman (Oregon State) who had doubles in the win. Bryson Stott (UNLV) added a pair of RBI singles, while Bryant Packard (ECU), Daniel Cabrera (LSU), and Josh Jung (Texas Tech) all had two hits to their credit as well.
The two teams will continue the series with games at 7:15 p.m. ET each of the next three days. The series finale will then be played at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, July 14.
Despite an early start and a long travel day to Havana on Tuesday, Team USA was quick out of the gates in the series opener. Cabrera opened the frame with a leadoff single up the middle and Jung followed with a base hit of his own to center.
Stott then punched a 2-2 pitch through the right side to bring in Cabrera for the first run of the game. Just seconds later, a wild pitch allowed Jung to trot home and the U.S. had an early 2-0 lead.
With Parrish dealing on the mound, the red, white, and blue tacked another tally on the scoreboard in the fourth when Shea Langeliers (Baylor) pulled a leadoff double down the left-field line and scored two batters later on a long sacrifice fly to the warning track in center off the bat of Braden Shewmake (Texas A&M).
That lead only continued to increase the next few innings as Andrew Vaughn (California) lifted a sac fly of his own to right in the seventh and Stott notched his second RBI of the night with a run-scoring single in the eighth to make it a 5-0 advantage.
Cuba came roaring back in the bottom of the ninth, however, using a pair of singles and two wild pitches to plate what would be its only run of the game. After a walk put two on and the potential tying run on deck, Team USA called Matt Cronin (Arkansas) in to close it out.
He did just that, blowing away Cuban shortstop Alexander Ayala on four pitches to seal the victory and earn his first save of the summer.
Continue to follow @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.
USA Baseball CNT Manager Paul Mainieri
(On the strong all-around performance today)
"I told the players after the game that may have been our best all-around performance of the summer. Obviously, Drew Parrish was the key to the game going out there and pitching so magnificently. Normally we would have taken him out after four innings, but he was so efficient and wanted to go another inning, plus he had a no-hitter going. He just did a great job. We swung the bats well all night, we got a lot of clutch hits, we ran the bases well, and we made some nice plays on defense. That's about as well as we can play. We were up at 5:30, 6 a.m. this morning to leave Atlanta. To go through all we did to get here and then go out and play the way we did, I could not be more proud of the guys."
(On what this win does for the team's confidence)
"This definitely helps our confidence level quite a bit. We had a tough loss to Japan yesterday when we had so many hits and just couldn't cash in. It was great to see the guys put it behind them so quickly and come out and play so well. Any time you beat the Cuban National Team on the road in Cuba is a great victory. It was a tremendous all-around performance so that gives us a lot of confidence going forward. The game tomorrow starts 0-0 though."
USA Baseball LHP Drew Parrish
(On his mindset going into the game)
"It was a long day waking up at 5 a.m. and traveling all day to get here, but I knew Cuba would have a great team so I would have to bring my 'A' game. This series means so much to all of us and we want to represent our nation well. The team played terrific. Any time you have 13 hits and five runs is a great day to pitch."
(On his plan of attack against Cuba)
"I didn't want to do anything out of the ordinary. I knew I had to throw strikes and get outs. I did the best I could today and just put the ball in the hands of the offense to produce, and it did."
(On what the win does for the team's confidence)
"It is huge. If we can wake up at 5 a.m., travel all day, and still win, a full day's rest is only going to give us that much more confidence. Hopefully we can keep it going and come out and get a win tomorrow."
Japan Claims Series Finale in Extras, 4-3
|Win: H. Ito Loss: K. Yovan Save: None
|Box Score | Play-by-Play | U.S. Cumulative | Japan Cumulative
ATLANTA - In a fitting end to an extremely hard-fought and tightly-contested series, Monday's finale between the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team and Japan took extra innings to decide with Japan claiming a 4-3 walk-off win in the 11th at SunTrust Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.
The U.S. clinched the series victory on Sunday with a 7-6 win in Macon, Ga. It also won the contests held on July 4 in Durham, N.C., and July 5 in Savannah, Ga. Japan's only other triumph came in the series opener, July 3, in Charlotte, N.C.
Having won the 42nd U.S. vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series, the red, white, and blue improves its series record to 24-18, including a 21-1 mark in series held in the United States. The Collegiate National Team now holds a 127-106-2 record all-time in games against Japan.
Following Monday's contest, USA Baseball announced the series award winners with Josh Jung (Texas Tech) taking home "Batting Champion" honors, Japan's Wataru Matsumoto claiming "Most Outstanding Pitcher," and Adley Rutschman (Oregon State) being named the "Most Valuable Player."
As proof of the tightly-contested nature of the entire series, the U.S. narrowly outscored Japan, 14-12, in the five-game set with only one game being decided by more than a single run.
Team USA will next head to Havana, Cuba, on Tuesday, when it will open a five-game series at Estadio Latinoamericano which is set to run July 10-14. The first four games are scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m. ET and the series finale will be played at 10 a.m. ET.
In Monday's game, Japan wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, using a two-run double off the bat of Yukiya Ito to grab a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
The U.S. quickly got one of the runs back in the second though when Jung laced a double down the left-field line before coming around to score on a Spencer Torkelson (Arizona State) RBI single.
Team USA then grabbed the lead in the top of the fourth, when the first five batters of the frame all reached on singles. The fourth of those base hits came off the bat of Bryson Stott (UNLV) and brought two runs in to make it a 3-2 game.
Just two innings later, however, a walk and three wild pitches allowed Japan to tie the game back up and that is where the score would remain at the end of the ninth, prompting extra innings and the international tiebreaker rule to be implemented.
Despite having runners on first and second with nobody out, neither team was able to plate a run in the 10th. U.S. rightfielder Dominic Fletcher (Arkansas) made an outstanding play to keep the game alive in the home half of that inning as he caught a flyball and unleashed a laser to the plate where he was able to cut down a runner trying to tag-and-score for the frame's third out.
In the top of the 11th, the red, white, and blue looked primed to take the lead back when Braden Shewmake (Texas A&M) laid down a leadoff bunt and beat it out for an infield single that loaded the bases.
Japanese pitcher Hiromi Ito escaped the jam, however, sandwiching a pair of strikeouts around a foul out to keep the score deadlocked.
In the bottom of the inning, Japan was able to score the winning run when Toshiya Sato laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position and Takashi Umino followed with a game-winning sacrifice fly to center.
Both Jung and Torkelson finished the game with three hits to lead a 15-hit U.S. attack, while Andrew Vaughn (California) and Bryant Packard (ECU) had two hits apiece.
Continue to follow @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.
USA Baseball CNT Manager Paul Mainieri
(On the Japan series)
"Japan was just so impressive all series with the quality of their defense and their pitching. They just never gave in, never gave you a good pitch to hit, and they all had good stuff. We had 15 hits today, but we left a small army on base, a lot of which were in scoring position. You preach clutch hitting to every player that ever plays for you. It is what separates players. When you don't come through with the clutch hits it is hard to win. Our pitching was phenomenal once again and we played good defense, but we just didn't take advantage of our scoring opportunities. I'm proud of the fact that we won the series. It would have been nice to close it out with another win, but it didn't happen so now we just have to turn the page and get ready to head down to Cuba."
(On getting ready for the Cuba series)
"Obviously they are one of the premier baseball-playing countries in the world and we will be playing them in a very unique environment for everybody. We are just going to have to go after them and hopefully we can get a few more clutch hits and come through in our scoring opportunities."
(On the opportunity to play at SunTrust Park)
"It is just amazing. Between Eric Campbell, Jim Hendry, John Schuerholz, and some of the other Braves' people, they really gave us an incredible opportunity. For these players to be able to play in a Major League stadium was just an awesome experience."
USA Baseball Catcher Adley Rutschman
(On winning the Japan series)
"It's big. I think the guys are really happy even though today didn't turn out how we wanted it to. We wanted to end on a high note, but I think the guys are really excited just to have the opportunity to play teams like Japan and Cuba. Just to be able to be in this atmosphere and this ballpark and just get a taste of what it is like is exciting. This team feels very fortunate and now everyone is looking forward to getting on that plane tomorrow and starting a new five-game series against Cuba."
(On the upcoming Cuba series)
"I don't know a whole lot about Cuba but we are all really excited to kind of see the unknown. We know their stadium holds quite a few people and we hope they get a good crowd there. Everyone is just excited to get rid of the uncertainty, see what Cuba has in store for us, and see how that series unfolds. Their style of play is unique and there are certain things that they do which are a lot different than what we have seen from Japan. But they get after, they play hard, and it should be a fun series."
(On being named MVP of the U.S.-Japan series)
"More important are the bonds we are creating as a team here. At the end of the day, this award is just a bat. It is a tremendous honor and I am grateful to have won it, but all of that kind of stuff takes care of itself when you are out here having fun playing the game and enjoying being around your teammates."
Team USA Clinches Series Victory with 7-6 Win Over Japan
|Win: P. Caracci Loss: N. Shimizu Save: M. Meyer
|Box Score | Play-by-Play | U.S. Cumulative | Japan Cumulative
MACON, Ga. - Sparked by a mammoth two-run home run by Bryson Stott (UNLV), the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team bounced back from a three-run deficit and held off a furious ninth-inning rally to clinch the series win over Japan with a 7-6 victory at Luther Williams Field, home of the Macon Bacon.
Trailing 3-0 going into the sixth, the Team USA bats caught fire in the final three innings. After recording just two extra-base hits in the first three games of the series combined, the red, white, and blue had three doubles and two home runs in the last three frames on Sunday alone.
With its third win, the U.S. has officially clinched the 42nd U.S. vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series, improving its series record to 24-18, including a 21-1 mark in series held in the United States. The Collegiate National Team now holds a 127-105-2 record all-time in games against Japan.
After getting rained out in Charleston on Saturday, the fifth and final game between the U.S. and Japan has been rescheduled to take place at SunTrust Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, at 2:30 p.m. ET on Monday. The contest is open to the scouting community and those on the team pass list.
Four different players had multi-hit contests on Sunday as Team USA tallied a series-high 12 hits. Stott and Dominic Fletcher (Arkansas) both hit two-run home runs in the win, while Andrew Vaughn (California) and Adley Rutschman (Oregon State) each finished 2-for-4 with a single and a double each.
Josh Jung (Texas Tech) also had a solid day at the plate, reaching in all four of his appearances with a single, three walks, and a run scored.
Pitching in relief, Parker Caracci (Ole Miss) picked up the win with 3.1 shutout innings. He struck out three and allowed just one hit. Max Meyer (Minnesota) pitched the ninth to record his team-leading fifth save of the summer and third against Japan.
Making his second start of the series, Japan right-hander Wataru Matsumoto was terrific once again, striking out seven in 5.2 innings. For the series, he now has 23 strikeouts in 12.2 innings of work, allowing just three runs on 10 hits.
Team USA had an early opportunity to break the game open, loading the bases with nobody out in the home half of the second, but Japan was able to escape unscathed, retiring a runner at the plate on a fielder's choice before Matsumoto snared a one-hopper back to the mound to start an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play.
Japan took the momentum and ran with it, scoring three runs in the next frame. Motoki Mukoyama got the ball rolling with a solo home run over the wall in left in his first at-bat of the series. A couple of two-out RBIs later in the inning on a perfectly executed hit-and-run and a run-scoring, quickly put the U.S. in a 3-0 hole.
The red, white, and blue wasn't about to go quietly though with a long sacrifice fly by Bryant Packard (ECU) plating the team's first run in the bottom of the sixth. The next batter then tied the game as Stott (UNLV) launched a towering moonshot down the right-field line and into the train yard beyond the wall for a two-run home run that brought the game back to even at 3-3.
Vaughn then gave the U.S. its first lead of the day in the seventh with a two-RBI double to left. Although Japan got one of those runs back in the top of the eighth, Fletcher responded in the home half of the stanza with what would turn out to be a critical two-run longball over the wall in right.
With a 7-4 lead and two outs in the ninth, Team USA looked well on its way to victory, but Japan had other ideas. After a walk put runners on the corners, Japan pinch-hitter Ryosuke Aizawa punched a seeing-eye single into right. Two U.S. throwing errors later, he stood on third as the potential tying run as both runners on base crossed the plate to cut the Team USA lead down to one.
Meyer was able to buckle down, however, inducing a pop-out to Stott at short two batters later to seal the win and the series victory.
Continue to follow @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.
USA Baseball CNT Manager Paul Mainieri
(On the team's offensive effort on Sunday)
"We had a great opportunity early in the game that we squandered with the bases loaded and nobody out, so it seemed like more of the same as the first three games. But we finally came to life. First of all, in that inning Shea Langeliers just missed a two-run homer by a couple of feet and we ended up not scoring so I felt like we were a little bit snake-bit right there. Later on, we were able to come through with some big ones though. Bryson Stott obviously had the big home run to tie the ball game right after Bryant Packard came up big off the bench with a long sacrifice fly for our first run. I thought it was going to go off the wall, but their guy made a great catch. Then Andrew Vaughn, who in all honesty has been struggling in this series, came up with a big two-run double. We got a lucky bounce and then, of course, Fletcher's two-run homer. We thought that was icing on the cake, but it turned out to be critical."
(On the key to the victory Sunday)
"It was great to see us swing the bats a little bit better and hit in the clutch, but for me the key to the game was Parker Caracci. Him coming in and doing what he did was huge, especially his last few innings. He only threw six pitches to get through one of his innings, so his pitch count didn't get elevated. Then Matt Cronin was awesome. Max (Meyer) didn't have his best game today but they started running all those left-handed pinch hitters in there and his slider isn't quite as effective against lefties. Then we had that one crazy play to make it a one-run game but, at the end of the day, he was able to get that last out and that is what closers are supposed to do."
(On winning the series against Japan)
"Winning a series against Japan is really hard. I have so much respect for them, just the way they go about their business, the way they work, the fundamentals they play the game with. They are a very well managed team so to win three consecutive games after losing the first one says a lot about our guys, but every single game has been a hard-fought nail-biter. We expect tomorrow will be more of the same even though we have won the series. We still want to play to win every day."
(On Japan starting pitcher Wataru Matsumoto)
"We struck out 16 times in seven innings against him the other day, so we made a lot of improvement against him. He is a warrior out there. If he was a college kid in the United States he is a clear first-round draft choice. He is really something. He has pitchability with great stuff, but our guys battled him hard. We got some hits today and had some tough at-bats against him. Even when we weren't scoring runs early in the game, we were forcing him to throw an awful lot of pitches and he was pitching on only three days' rest. I think he started to get a little fatigued at the end, but it was key that we made him throw so many pitches even when he was getting us out."
(On playing the finale at SunTrust Park)
"We were so disappointed to get rained out last night in Charleston because it is a beautiful ballpark and we were excited about playing. We really wanted to have a day off before going to Cuba but the opportunity to play in a Major League stadium kind of lifts the guys up. I think they were willing to give up the off day to play in a Major League park and I think they are really looking forward to it."
USA Baseball Shortstop Bryson Stott
(On hitting a home run in the series-clinching win over Japan)
"It is awesome. That team over there is really good or they wouldn't have come this far to play. They obviously don't like to lose so to be up in that situation and come through for our team was pretty cool."
(On playing for Team USA)
"It is unmatched. Wearing these three letters is something I will never take for granted and remember for the rest of my life. Doing it with this group of guys and representing our country is something none of us will ever forget. Being able to win a series against Japan is something we are really proud of and now we want to go down and win a series in Cuba too."
Game Four in Charleston Rained Out
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Following heavy rains Saturday evening in Charleston, S.C., the field conditions at Joseph P. Riley, Jr., Park were deemed unplayable. The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team and Japan will play game four of their series at 5 p.m. ET at Luther Williams Field in Macon, Ga., on Sunday.
Details regarding the fifth and final game of the series are yet to be determined.
Continue to follow @USABaseballCNT on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the Collegiate National Team.


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Johnny Manziel will be suspended for the first half of this Saturday's Rice game, according to Billy Liucci of TexAgs and confirmed by a bunch of other media outlets.
ESPN's Brett McMurphy reports that the suspension "closes the book" on the Johnny Football autograph scandal, and that the NCAA is acknowledging that he never sold his autograph.
If the NCAA found that he accepted money for autographs, the penalty would have been longer.
According to Liucci, they could be punishing him under a secondary violation for allowing the use of his name for a commercial purpose.
It's also possible that it's an internal punishment from the school itself. We'll have to wait for the official release.
Bottom line: It looks like Johnny Football is avoiding any major penalty.


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VIDEO: Derrick Rose talks about his long road back to the Bulls
HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — Can we finally get all those people who climbed on Derrick Rose's back to play last spring to admit they were wrong, wrong, wrong?
This was the guy who was supposed to risk his MVP career on a surgically repaired left knee to go out and lift the Bulls up, up, up and over the Heat?
This guy who, six months later, has made 15 of his 52 shots (28.8 percent), turned the ball over 17 times, dealt just 13 assists and grabbed only 11 rebounds in three games? This guy who couldn't keep up with rookie Michael Carter-Williams' drives to the hoop?
The Bulls are now 1-2 after falling to the indomitable Sixers and, as noted by Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago, the All-Star is taking responsibility:
"If it was up to me, I would blame tonight on me," Rose said after shooting 4-for-14 with eight turnovers in Philly. "Turnovers, missed shots, missed communication on defense — I just can't wait to get in my groove. But I can't hang my head; I know I've worked too hard for that, so it's going to come."
That's just the point. The old Rose is going to come, eventually. Now some of those who were so foolishly prodding him to get back on the floor late last season when he did not yet have full confidence in his knee are complaining that Rose could have gotten the "rust knocked off" six months ago, and now would be in full bloom again.
It simply doesn't work that way. Those who sit at home and watch on TV or even those who plunk down big money for the expensive seats have little understanding what it takes to overcome a major injury/surgery. Then, an Adrian Peterson pulls off a virtually unprecedented feat in the NFL last season and the bar is suddenly raised for everyone.
"Amnesia," Rose said of his mindset, noting that the season is just three games old. "I have games like this. [I'm] coming off a big surgery or whatever, but all I can do is get the most out of every practice, every shootaround, every shooting session, and go out there and play, but it's going to come to me."
It is certainly admirable, and perhaps expected from what we know of his personality, that 35-year-old Kobe Bryant vows to push the limits of credulity and his body in getting back into the Lakers lineup sooner than most anyone thought possible. However, Kobe is Kobe and only time will tell if can live up to his own always high expectations.
Rose's struggles now only prove that he made the right decision back then.


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By Steven Jonas, MD. Republished from The Greanville Post.
Photo: Rappelling Lincoln – Mount Rushmore ca. 1936 – from tumblr
The United States has a serious Federal debt/deficit problem, and it is important for progressives to recognize that fact. There is no danger of the United States, with its enormous productive power and its enormous borrowing power, "becoming Greece" at any time in the foreseeable future. But the two problems are important, and must be dealt, not for the reasons the "small government" GOPers give, but for two very real ones: interest payments are taking up an ever-increasing portion of total Federal expenditures, and less and less money is available for national domestic spending, whether it be for infrastructure, education, research, or, let's say, the National Weather Service and the Federal Aviation Administration. (Just wait for some Republican to propose that the FAA be given just enough funds to put every other flight under Air Traffic Control and for the NWS get along with being able to track every other hurricane. After all, Romney proposed a major defunding of FEMA.) That the current problem is largely the result of George W. Bush's unpaid-for wars and Medicare expansion, and his tax cuts for his "you are my base" rich folks, needs to receive even more mention.
The GOP actually just loves "big government" when it comes to, for example, the criminal enforcement of religious determinism in the outcome of pregnancy and loves big spending on the military, the prison-industrial complex, and etc. But they do want to use this manufactured crisis to pursue Grover Norquist's true agenda (1): "shrinking the Federal government [that is the parts they don't like] to the size of a bathtub and then drowning it in the bathtub." Their immediate targets are, of course, those announced by Romney/Ryan: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Social Security happens to be funded completely outside of the Federal annual budget and can be fixed easily by, for example, raising the upper income limit on payments-in. Medicare and Medicaid do pose threats to Federal spending capabilities, but only because a) health care is so expensive in the United States and b) precisely because of the existence of Medicare, spending is so heavily tilted towards the elderly when the same services if provided to people at a younger age could serve to, among other things, reduce the costs of care when they get older. This situation, however, cannot be rectified without a major overhaul of the US health care delivery system (as in single-payer), but that is not going to happen anytime soon. So where do we go from here, in a way that makes sense for the whole of the American people.
We hear a lot about "Simpson-Bowles," actually a failure, which happened to focus heavily on major reductions in the paid-for-benefits programs (mis-named "entitlements"), Social Security and Medicare, and Medicaid. (The latter is actually as much a subsidy for the health care system as it is a health care benefit for the poor, because without it hospital emergency services would be even more overburdened with the un-insured than they are now). Interestingly enough, Erskine Bowles is an old right-wing, DLC, Democrat, a former banker who was once Mr. DLC-er himself, Bill Clinton's, Chief of Staff. The chief claim to fame of Alan Simpson, a former far-right wing GOP Senator from Wyoming, is that he was the mentor of Dick Cheney. And boy do they get publicity, as the pressure builds and builds to use the "fiscal cliff" to indeed start taking aim at the paid-for-benefit programs, even, apparently, reaching to the White House. But there is another way, and it is what progressives should be rallying around.
What has received virtually no publicity (although it has received some very nice endorsements, including one from the aforementioned Bill Clinton, see the document on the web) is the "Peoples' Budget," first released in 2011 (2). It was produced by the Congressional Progressive Caucus under the leadership of Cong. Raul Grijalva of Arizona and supported by other Congressional figures like Sen. Bernie Sanders and presumably the newly re-elected Cong. Alan Grayson. The US is fortunate as compared with many other advanced capitalist countries that came a cropper during the 2007-2009 blow-up of finance capitalism in that it has some very deep pockets from which all kinds of money can be drawn (given the political will). And many of those pockets would be dug into with some form of the following measures (many of which appear in the People's Budget, but some of which have been drawn from other sources over the years)
1. Raise personal income taxes on the rich and raise the collected taxes on the large corporations, embracing "tax and spend" under the slogan "Tax the rich; spend for the Nation." (On paper, US corporate tax rates rank fairly high; however as collected [the corporations employing many accountants] they rank rather low.)
2. Close all the tax loopholes for the same parties. (We are not talking about the charitable deductions and mortgage interest payments here, of course. But such measures would put lots of accountants out of work.)
3. Restrict the export of capital so that employment and the tax base here could expand.
4. Tax overseas profits.
5. Create a separate national capital expenditure budget like the state and localities have, funded by specific bonding authority. This would take all infrastructure spending off the Federal budget, and allow the nation to really deal with its rapidly deteriorating roads, railroads, mass transit, water supply, electrical grid, and internet systems.
6. End the so-called "drug war" which commits billions of dollars annually to law enforcement and imprisonment of non-violent "drug offenders," which would significantly reduce the size of the US prison-industrial complex (highest number of incarcerated people in the world, by proportion overwhelmingly non-white) and tax the sale of the formerly "illicit" drugs (a potential biggie).
7. Create a Medicare-for-all/single-payer health care financing system that would save several hundred billion dollars per year in administrative costs.
8. End the subsidies for the agribusiness and the extractive industries.
9. Make massive cuts in military spending (while providing jobs in a re-industrialized United States for the 100s of thousands of displaced workers), beginning with the ending of the current US foreign wars and going on to a drawdown of the massive overseas military base system.
10. Institute a transaction tax on securities trades (3), as France has just done for certain types of transactions. (This one alone, at say 1%, could bring in huge amounts of revenue.)
It is essential in the present fight over how to deal with the "fiscal cliff or slope" that progressives come up with more than "tax the rich" and "don't touch Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid." Some form of this aggressive approach is what progressives need to be undertaking, loudly and clearly. And it is time for people like our friends at MSNBC to begin to provide a forum for the Congressional Progressive Caucus to be heard.
Senior Greanville Post editor Steven Jonas, MD, MPH is a Professor of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University (NY) and author/co-author/editor/co-editor of over 30 books. In addition to being a columnist for BuzzFlash/Truthout (http://www.buzzflash.com, http://www.truth-out.org/), he is the Managing Editor of and a Contributing Author to TPJmagazine.net.
1. Jonas, S., "Grover Norquist's Wet Dream," Published on BuzzFlash@Truthout (http://blog.buzzflash.com/node/12601), April 15, 2011. Revised, April 20, 2011, for http://www.opednews.com/articles/Grover-Norquist-s-Wet-Drea-by-Steven-Jonas-110707-971.html, further revision, Dec. 10, 2012
2. The People's Budget of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=70§iontree=5,70).
3. "The Financial Transaction Tax," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_transaction_tax.


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More information about the BlackBerry 10 continues to leak ahead of the January 30 launch event. This time The Gadget Masters has posted a video showing off a pre-release version of the BlackBerry Z10. As you can see in the video the camera app has cropping and rotation tools (nothing new), but also has built-in filters reminiscent of Instagram.
Not bad RIM. Keep the features coming!