Texas Longhorns freshman right-hander Chance Ruffin pitched one scoreless inning to earn a win for the USA Baseball National Trials Team in a 7-1 victory over the Chinese National Team at Fuessenich Park in Torrington, Conn., on Wednesday night.
Ruffin entered a scoreless game in the top of the fifth inning and struck out all three batters he faced on 15 pitches. Team USA scored three runs in the home half of the fifth and cruised to the 7-1 win.
The Longhorns' northpaw has appeared in three games for USA Baseball posting a 1-0 mark and a 1.80 ERA. He has allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out 11 in five innings of work.
In all, 32 players were invited to the National Team Trials and 22 of those players will be selected for the National Team roster that will be announced on June 24. The trial includes a 12-game exhibition slate. After the trial period, USA Baseball's 2008 National Team schedule includes a six-game friendship series against Chinese Taipei and a month-long trip to Europe where the team will compete in the Haarlem Baseball Week in the Netherlands and the IV FISU World Collegiate Baseball Championship in the Czech Republic.
Ruffin was arguably the best freshman starting pitcher in the nation in 2008. In 10 starts, he went 7-0 with a 1.56 ERA, striking out 60 over 57.2 innings. Ruffin was named the Big 12 Conference Freshman Pitcher of the Year, posting an 8-3 record with a 1.96 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 78 innings.
He held opponents to a .191 batting average for the season.
Earlier in the month, Ruffin was named to the Louisville Slugger's Freshman All-American Team by Collegiate Baseball and the Pro-Line Athletics Freshman All-American Team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
National Team Trials competition continues Thursday as the U.S. squad travels to Newport, R.I. to face the Newport Gulls of the NECBL at Cardines Field. First pitch is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. Central.
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