Fresh off of helping Arkansas finish the season in the 2025 College World Series, four Diamond Hogs have earned the opportunity to represent their country on the international stage.
Right-handed pitcher Gabe Gaeckle, lefty Cole Gibler, catcher Ryder Helfrick and infielder Cam Kozeal were invited to participate in the 2025 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp.
The training camp will consist of a five-game 'Stars vs. Stripes' intrasquad series that will be held at three different locations in North Carolina from June 29-July 3. It will feature 56 of the country's top non-draft-eligible college players and the final team will be selected by USA Baseball once Training Camp concludes on July 3.
Once compiled, the Collegiate National Team will compete in the 45th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series from July 8-13 in various locations across Japan.
The remaining players from the Collegiate National Team Training Camp who did not make the final squad will still have an opportunity to play at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis (N.C.) against the Appalachian League Select Team on the Fourth of July.
The Razorbacks have had 23 players suit up for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team since 1979, the same year they clinched their first trip to the College World Series.
Gaeckle was the most recent selection last summer and is looking to join current New York Mets reliever Ryne Stanek (2011-12) as the second Hog ever to be picked twice for the Collegiate National Team.
RELATED: Wehiwa Aloy wins Golden Spikes Award
Kozeal, a Vanderbilt transfer, was tabbed Second-Team All-SEC after slashing .333/.386/.606 with 77 hits, 18 doubles, 15 home runs and 62 RBI. Helfrick established himself as one of college baseball's best catchers due to his work behind the dish, but also excelled at the plate with his bat, compiling a .305/.420/.616 slash line with 58 hits, 10 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 38 RBI.
Gaeckle began the season as a starter, but ended up moving back to his natural role as a reliever and thrived. He appeared in 19 games with nine starts, posting a 4.42 ERA with 92 strikeouts in 71 1/3 innings, while Gibler came on quick as a freshman, as he worked 29 1/3 innings with a 3.99 ERA and punched out 57 batters in 20 appearances.
USA Baseball Collegiate National Team (24 selections, 23 players)
• Ron Reynolds (1979)
• Darrell Akerfelds (1982)
• Jeff King (1985)
• Doug Bennett (1990)
• Phillip Stidham (1990)
• Nick Schmidt (2006)
• Logan Forsythe (2007)
• Andy Wilkins (2009)
• DJ Baxendale (2011)
• Dominic Ficociello (2011)
• Matt Reynolds (2011)
• Ryne Stanek (2011)
• Ryne Stanek (2012)
• Trey Killian (2014)
• Zach Jackson (2015)
• Grant Koch (2017)
• Matt Cronin (2018)
• Dominic Fletcher (2018)
• Heston Kjerstad (2019)
• Casey Opitz (2019)
• Robert Moore (2021)
• Jaxon Wiggins (2021)
• Hagen Smith (2023)
• Gabe Gaeckle (2024)
