Baseball's Stein Selected to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team

CARY, N.C. – University of South Carolina sophomore-to-be infielder JD Stein was selected to the 2026 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, it was announced by the organization on Sunday, July 5. Stein is one of 28 players on the final CNT roster.

Stein will head to Taichung City, Taiwan, to play in the inaugural World Collegiate Baseball Championship at the Taichung City Intercontinental Baseball Stadium from July 11-15. The roster was named after 11 days of workouts, practices and intrasquad scrimmages across North Carolina and Virginia.

The World Collegiate Baseball Championship format will feature five days of games, with three days of pool play followed by the semifinals and medal games. The U.S. will open its pool play slate on July 11 against Korea at 12:30 a.m. ET/12:30 p.m. local, face Chinese Taipei on July 12 at 6:30 a.m. ET/6:30 p.m. local, and then play Japan on July 13 at 12:30 a.m. ET/12:30 p.m. local. The semifinals will be played July 14 and the finals, which will consist of gold- and bronze-medal games, will be held July 15.

Stein hit .357 in the eight games of the trials with a double and a pair of RBI. He had eight walks and stole six bases while not committing an error in the infield.

Stein played his freshman season at Wake Forest, where he played in 58 games and had 38 runs scored, 10 doubles, five home runs and 41 RBI for a Demon Deacon squad that advanced to the NCAA Morgantown Regional. Stein was 13-for-15 in stolen base attempts and had a .384 on-base percentage.

Stein becomes the first Gamecock to play overseas for the Collegiate National Team since Tyler Johnson in 2016. Will Sanders played in the Stars and Stripes series in 2021 for the USA Baseball CNT with all the games in the United States. Ray Tanner was a head coach for the CNT in 2003.

The team leaves for Taiwan on the morning of July 6. Check the USA Baseball and Gamecock Baseball social media accounts for updates from the Word Collegiate Baseball Championship.

GAMECOCKS ON THE TEAM USA COLLEGIATE NATIONAL TEAM
2016 – Tyler Johnson
2013 – Grayson Greiner
2010 – Jackie Bradley Jr.
2007 – Justin Smoak
2003 – Matt Campbell, Ray Tanner (Head Coach)
2002 – Landon Powell
1997 – Adam Everett
1994 – Jason Haynie
1993 – Jason Haynie
1991 – Jared Baker
1989 – Brian Williams
1986 – Dave Hollins

Note: Christian Walker was selected to the 2011 team but could not participate due to injury. Grayson Greiner was selectd to the 2012 team but could not participate due to injury. Will Sanders played in the Stars and Stripes tour in 2021 as the CNT did not travel overseas.