KANNAPOLIS, NC – North Carolina A&T infielder Tyler Smith suited up for the Team USA Baseball tonight as a part of the 2025 Collegiate National Team Training Camp.
The five-game series between Team USA Stars versus Stripes started on Sunday, June 29, and will conclude on Thursday, July 3. Smith becomes the second player in program history to make USA Baseball's National Team Training Camp, joining Xavier Meachem in 2023.
"What an exciting honor for Tyler and our program," said A&T head coach Ben Hall. "He is our second USA Baseball invite in the last couple of years. It is a unique experience for Tyler to compete and train amongst the 56 best players in the country."
Smith started at third base for Team Stripes on Sunday at Atrium Health Ballpark, going 1-for-2. He grounded out to first in his first at-bat before an infield base hit in the visitor's fifth inning. He also had a stolen base in the fifth before getting stranded at third base.
The next three games will be played at USA Baseball's National Training Complex in Cary at 6:30 p.m. The series finale will be hosted at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville at 6:35 p.m. ET.
Smith led the team in batting average at .323. Smith is also the only Aggie to play all 52 games in 2025. He earned his CAA Rookie of the Week honor on March 24 after batting .389 (9-22) with two doubles, a home run, eight RBIs, and nine runs scored in five starts. In addition, he helped the Aggies rally from a 7-0 deficit against William & Mary that week to win 11-8 with his two-run RBI single in the fourth to tie the game 8-8.
During the season, Smith posted 13 doubles, two triples, nine homers, 36 RBIs, and 39 runs scored. Smith led the team in on-base plus slugging percentage (.956), slugging percentage (.542), and on-base percentage (.414).
The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp features 56 of the premier non-draft-eligible college players. USA Baseball will name the final Collegiate National Team following Training Camp on July 3. The Collegiate National Team will participate in the 45th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series, taking place in various locations across Japan from July 8-13.
The remaining players from the Collegiate National Team Training Camp will play in a Fourth of July game against the Appalachian League Select Team at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis at 6:35 p.m. ET.
