Notebook from Team USA
7/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
July 14, 2006
FORT WORTH, Texas -TCU baseball standout and 2006 All-American, Jake Arrieta has the distinction of being the first-ever TCU baseball player to earn a spot on Team USA. After an outstanding start to his TCU career as a sophomore in which he tied for the national lead in wins (14), Arrieta was selected to participate in the team trials and was named to the 22-man roster on July 2. He took some time out of his busy schedule to reflect on his time with the National team.Q: Describe your experience with Team USA so far this summer.
A: "My experience with Team USA thus far has been a very good one. It has been extremely beneficial to me in many different ways. I have had the honor to be a part of such an elite team with 21 other exceptional players. Meeting new people and visiting new places are two things that I enjoy very much, and being able to do that with Team USA has been great."
Q: What does it feel like to put on the Red, White and Blue and represent your country?
A: "It's hard to put into words how much it means to me, and how honored I feel to be a part of this team. Wearing the USA uniform makes me feel like I am out there to prove to the world that USA baseball is above and beyond the competition. That is what we plan to prove to everyone in Havana, Cuba during the World Championships."
Q: Being with 21 other talented players, what is the team atmosphere like?
A: "During the first week of the trials, the atmosphere was a bit different than it is now. Everyone was fighting for a spot on the 22-man roster and at this point, competition came before friendships. All the players were trying to get a feel for each other and once the trials came to an end, many friendships began to form. It was hard to see some of your buddies head home, but that was something everyone anticipated coming into the trials. Now that the team has been put together, all of us get along great and we have good team chemistry to go along with tremendous talent."
Q: How do you feel this experience will help you next season and later on in life?
A: "I will use the experience of this summer to help me next spring in many ways. I have continued to work on things I need to improve as far as pitching mechanics and the mental side as well. The biggest thing that will help me in the future is the experience of non-stop traveling. Once I make my way into minor league baseball, it will emulate Team USA almost exactly; getting on a plane for three hours then hoping on a bus for another three hours. You have to be strong mentally to endure the long travel days."
Q: Does it help you having Coach Schlossnagle on staff? What is it like having both of you on the team?
A: "Having Coach Schlossnagle on the USA staff has helped a lot. He knows what I need to work on to prepare for my next start, what makes me a better pitcher, what I do when I'm most successful, etc. It says a lot about TCU having both of us on this team. In the past, TCU has not been well known for its baseball program, but Coach Schlossnagle has done a lot to improve its reputation as a contender for a national championship."
Q: What has been your most memorable moment thus far?
A: "Two moments stand out in my mind when I look back on this summer so far. One was when we won our opening game versus Taiwan on the 4th of July in the bottom of the ninth inning. The stadium was completely packed with screaming fans, it felt like a scene form a movie. The other moment was when I started game four versus Taiwan at the Triple-A Durham Bulls stadium."
