North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State's Brackman to Join USA National Team
8/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
By Tony Haynes
NC State's Andrew Brackman has worn the red and white of NC State the last two years. Now he'll be adding blue to his color scheme. The Wolfpack's two-sport star has been added to the USA National Baseball team that will soon travel to Havana, Cuba for the FISU World Championships, which begin on August sixth. After being hampered most of the college season by a hip injury, the 6-10 right-hander has recovered to pitch very well this summer in the Cape Cod League.
Brackman is slated to make his first start for team USA Wednesday night in an exhibition game in Fayetteville.
The Cincinnati native will be joining a staff that is already loaded with outstanding pitching. Currently 18-2 on its annual summer tour, the U.S. National Team boasts a team earned run average of 1.45. `Overpowering' would perhaps be the best way to describe a staff that has struck out 235 batters in 192 innings pitched.
Brackman will become the fifth player from the ACC on this year's USA roster. The others are catcher/ pitcher Tim Federowics of North Carolina, Clemson closer Daniel Moskos, first baseman Sean Doolittle of Virginia and Miami second baseman Jemile Weeks.
Following an outstanding freshman season in which he posted a 4-0 record with a 2.25 ERA, Brackman was invited to the
After his basketball season ended this past spring, Brackman never got untracked with his pitching and was eventually shut down with what was diagnosed as a stress fracture in his hip.
Once the injury healed, he joined the Cape Cod League's Orleans Cardinals, posting a 1-0 mark with a 1.06 ERA in six appearances.
Brackman becomes the second NC State pitcher to wear the Red, White & Blue in the last three years. Former Pack reliever Joey Devine had an outstanding summer with the 2004 U.S. National Team, which won a gold medal at the World Championships two years ago. Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent was an assistant on that squad.
