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College  | Story | 7/7/2026

USA Collegiate National Team: Stripes

Craig Cozart
Photo: Rett Johnson (NC State Athletics)
Collegiate National Team: Stars Notes
Quick Hits 
Each year at the end of June and beginning of July, top collegiate baseball talent from around the nation arrives in Cary, NC at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.  Typically, the rosters are filled with top underclass, non-draft-eligible talent but this year, we will see a sprinkling of upper-classmen as the coaches evaluate just under 60 players to get to their final 28 roster spots.  For a total of two weeks, the Stars Squad and the Stripes Squad will compete against outside competition in North Carolina as well as Virginia before finishing their slate with 5-games against each other at the NTC Complex.  Once the final roster has been announced the team will depart for Taiwan to compete in the 2026 World Baseball Championships, July 11-15.   




CNT Stripes Position Players 
Nico Partida 
FR / INF / Texas A&M 

As the season progressed, the Aggies offense proved to be one of the most dangerous in the nation.  With Partida hitting in the middle of the lineup, they hit home runs in bunches and were awarded the opportunity to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.  Unfortunately, the Perfect Game 1st Team Freshman All-American saw his season cut short due to injury right as he was making his case for National Freshman of the Year.  A stout 6-0/205, his calling card is elite barrel feel with easy loft and plus power that plays consistently.  He finished his season batting .313 with 8 doubles, 12 home runs and 43 RBIs, and has picked up right where he left off at the trials.  At the trials, Partida was arguably the best overall hitter, showcasing his barrel accuracy and power.  He was an impressive 11 for 22, scoring 5 runs, collecting 3-RBIs, with a home run, 2 doubles and 2 stolen bases as well, locking himself into a spot on the final CNT Roster headed to Taiwan. 

Draft Outlook:  1st round draft talent in 2028 

 
Hogan Denny 
SO / UTL / Indiana 

It was an unusually difficult season for the Hoosiers, but Denny was one of the bright spots as he put together a career year in ’26.  The 6-0/210 athlete either led or was in the top 2 of virtually every offensive category for his team, but they just never got things rolling at one time.  Denny is just a compact and densely muscled hitter with a short stroke, and he gets the ball elevated off his barrel in a rush.  For the season, he batted .357 with 18 doubles, 14 home runs, 44 RBIs and he also stole 11 bags.  While Denny didn’t have the loudest showing with the stick at trials, he did flash plus tools, scoring a couple runs, driving in 2 RBIs and launching a home run.  With his ability to defend at a high level around the diamond, he earned a spot on the final CNT Roster. 

Draft Outlook:  Day 1 draft potential in 2027 

 
Everett Johnson 
FR / OF / NC State 

The NC State offensive machine continued its ways in 2026, and Johnson was the fire-starter at the top of the potent lineup.  A late surge in their season, as it seems is customary for the Wolfpack, got them an at-large bid to the Auburn Regional where their season would end.  Johnson, the Perfect Game 2nd Team Freshman All-American, started the season as the leadoff hitter and quickly established himself as one of the best table setters in the nation.  At 5-9/160 he’s not going to jump off the roster page, but he is relentless with feel for the barrel and reached base at an incredible .490% this season.  He finished with a .381 batting average, with 10 doubles, stole 14 bags and put together an unheard of 42:17 BB:K ratio in 197 at bats.  At the trials, he was his usual difficult self at the plate batting .333 for the week, scoring 5 runs, driving in 3 runs and will serve as a consummate leadoff hitter for the club in Taiwan as he made the final roster.   

Draft Outlook: Day 2 draft potential in 2028 

 
Brayden Jaksa 
FR / UTL / Oregon 

If there was a club that was the most intimidating as they got off the bus, it would have been the Ducks in 2026.  They fielded a massively physical lineup and backed up that physicality with power up and down the lineup.  Jaksa, the Perfect Game 2nd Team Freshman All-American, fit right in at 6-5/220 and while he was known for his prowess behind the dish with the glove in high school, he seamlessly made the transition to 1B for most of the spring.  With long limbs, he creates significant leverage and displayed the ability to manipulate the barrel and get the bat head through the zone with strength.  For the season, he batted .318 with 6 doubles, 10 home runs, 36 RBIs and managed to swipe 7 bags.  While he didn’t make the final roster, Jaksa did collect 5 hits in 14 at-bats with a run, an RBI and double added in for the event. 

Draft Outlook:  Early 1st round talent in 2028 

 
Ethin Bingaman 
FR / INF / Auburn 

The Tigers were one of the most well-rounded teams in the nation in 2026 and once again hosted the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing in the Super Regional.  Their postseason hosting opportunities were a bit in flux until the offense threw it into overdrive in the second half of the season.  One of the reasons they became such an offensive juggernaut was the hot bat of Bingaman in the heart of the order.  The Perfect Game 1st Team Freshman All-American works from a balanced stance, simple load and heavy hands at impact, he finished the season batting .330 with 9 doubles, 15 home runs and 50 RBIs all told.  Bingaman showed great at trials, letting his bat earn him a spot on the final CNT Roster as they prepare to head to Taiwan.  He finished by collecting 7 hits in 23 at-bats, scoring a run, securing 4 RBIs and he also swiped a bag. 

Draft Outlook:  Late Day 1 draft potential 2028 

 
CNT Stripes Pitchers 
Will Sanford 
SO / RHP / Oregon 

The Ducks were as good on the mound in 2026 as they have been in quite some time and much of that was facilitated by the consistency of Sanford.  The 6-0/200 righty was the kind of starter that put the pitching staff in position to maximize its capabilities by giving them length each time out.  Armed with a quality 3-pitch arsenal, his best stuff made its way to the trials as his fastball lived in the mid-90s, grabbing 96 mph and better at times.  The depth on his upper-70s curve and the deception on his firm changeup gives him plenty of opportunity to miss barrels.  During the regular season, he made 17 starts with a 3.74 ERA, going 9-2 over 84.1 IP allowing only 57 hits and registered 126 strikeouts with 46 free passes.  Over his two appearances during camp he logged 5.0 IP, surrendering just 2 hits, no runs or walks and punched out 6 batters.  His performance earned him a spot on the final CNT Roster, and he will head to Taiwan with the club. 

Draft Outlook:  Strong Day 1 draft talent in 2027  

 
Ethan Lund 
SO / LHP / Oklahoma State 

As they seem to do every season, the Cowboys were one of the hottest clubs in the nation in the second half.  It all seemed to click as they went on a tear offensively and things settled down on the mound.  This was the same trend that Lund, the 6-5/220 lefty followed as he was stellar in his last four or five starts of the regular season.  His stuff was always electric, but it was just a matter of throwing enough strikes with his mostly two-pitch mix.  During the season and the trials, his fastball cruised 93-95 mph but showed even better at times, setting the stage for a dominant mid-80s slider.  He finished 2026 with a 5-3 record over 16 starts, carrying a 5.34 ERA over 84.1 IP and he punched out an incredible 137 batters but a troublesome 53 free passes.  At trials, Lund was the best version of himself, pitching 5.0 innings over 2 appearances, allowing 3 hits, 1 earned run on 2 walks with 7 strikeouts.  He made the final cut and should be a major factor for the CNT in Taiwan. 

Draft Outlook:  Day 1 draft potential in 2027 

 
Andrew Johnson 
SO / RHP / Southern Cal 

The Trojans put together an epic season, one that will go on record as arguably their best season in over a quarter of a century.  You could make a case that they fielded the best pitching staff in the nation and Johnson was part of a 3-headed monster rotation.  The 6-3/210 righty made 23 appearances in 2026 with 12 of those being starts and went 8-2 with an ERA of 3.23 over 92.0 IP accumulating a solid 85:29 K:BB ratio.  The feel for pitching and competitiveness is off the charts for Johnson as he rides his low-to-mid-90s heater and finishes hitters with a tight mid-80s slider and fading changeup.  At the trials he made 3-appearances, spanning 5.0 allowing just 3 hits, 1 earned run, issuing no free passes while striking out 5 batters.  Johnson’s ability to give length in a starting role and handle high leverage situations out of the pen made him a must for the CNT as he made the final 28-man team. 

Draft Outlook:  Day 2 draft talent in 2027 


Joshua Whritenour 
FR / RHP / Florida 

As was well documented, the Gators season was unpredictable at best and a lot of that stemmed from the pitching staff and what it had to offer in a given weekend.  Dominant if not unhittable at times, Whritenour’s season started off in incredible fashion, not surrendering a single run through his first 8 appearances.  The 6-3/215 righty has incredible upside and is just now refining his repertoire that sports a mid-90s fastball that will touch the upper-90s and an upper-80s slider that baffles hitters when in the zone.  Making 25 appearances in 2026, all out of the pen, he amassed a 4-4 record with 7 saves on a 5.40 ERA and a stellar 49:14 K:BB ratio.  During the trials, Whritenour was his best version, being ultra efficient over his 2-outings pitching 2.0 innings, allowing no hit, runs or walks, while he struck out 2-batters.  Making the final 28-man roster, he could be a real factor at the back end of games for the CNT in Taiwan. 

Draft Outlook:  Early Day 1 draft talent in 2027 


Trey Williford 
FR / LHP / UNC Wilmington 

The Seahawks are one of the most consistent and successful mid-major programs in the nation and churn out talent at a high rate.  This, of course, means they must battle the portal defections and do a great job of identifying projectable talent to bring in annually.  Williford, the 6-3/215 Perfect Game Freshman All-American, is an example of what this program does.  With a fastball that will reach the mid-90s and a quality blend of a curve, slider and changeup, he can put hitters in a rocking chair.  During the 2026 regular season, he made 17 appearances, 8 of which were starts, with a 3.34 ERA and a 7-2 record over 67.1 IP leading to an 89:28 K:BB ratio.  Williford went off in the trials in his single appearance where he went 3.0 IP, surrendering just 1 hit, no runs, 2 walks and struck out an impressive 7 batters all told.  While he was not chosen for the final roster, his appearance was worth highlighting and bodes well for his future.  

Draft Outlook:  Day 1 draft potential in 2028 
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College | Story | 7/7/2026

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