A pair of former TCU pitching stars, Jake Arrieta and Eugene Espineli, have been named to the USA Olympic Team and will compete in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
TCU Baseball was the only program in the country to have two former players selected for the elite USA Olympic Baseball Team.
Arrieta, a two-time All-America selection while at TCU, is having another outstanding season again this year, posting a 6-4 record with a 2.75 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 101 innings while pitching for the Frederick (Maryland) Keys, the High Class A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles. He leads his team and league in ERA, strikeouts, and innings pitched.
Arrieta has also excelled in international competition before, having posted a 4-0 record with a 0.27 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched as Team USA won the gold medal in the 2006 World Championships in Havana, Cuba.
Espineli, a talented left-handed relief pitcher and a member of TCU's 2004 baseball team, is also enjoying a fine season this year. Pitching for the Fresno (California) Grizzlies, the Class AAA affiliate of MLB's San Francisco Giants, Espineli has appeared in 34 games, winning one, saving one, and posting an impressive 2.06 ERA and 7-1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio, while striking out 42 batters in 52 innings pitched.
Congratulations to both players from BigPurpleNation.com!