Troy University Athletics
Brooks Bryan and Skylar Meade See Successful Week at USA Baseball
7/9/2024 1:17:00 PM | Baseball
TROY, Ala. - The Troy baseball program was well represented during the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team's International Friendship Series last week, with catcher Brooks Bryan and head coach Skylar Meade playing a pivotal role in USA's five-game sweep of Chinese Taipei.
The experience brought together a collection of the best non-draft-eligible college players in the country, allowing them to compete with and against each other while representing their country.
"Team USA was an experience for the ages," Meade said. "The food, environment, first class treatment, high level players and camaraderie certainly couldn't be beat. But above all, being able to don the red, white and blue was as great an accomplishment as I have had in my 17 years of coaching."
Coming off an All-Sun Belt sophomore campaign, Bryan qualified for the International Friendship Series roster after standing out in two USA Baseball Training Camp games while Meade served as the team's pitching coach after leading Troy to a third-place finish in the Sun Belt Conference.
Bryan, an Opelika, Ala., native, appeared in 6-of-8 games for Team USA and was an on-base machine, drawing seven walks with four hits. Playing among the nation's best, Bryan showcased his power with a pair of home runs and 9 RBIs, which included an opposite-field grand slam to lead USA to a 6-0 win over Chinese Taipei on July 3.
𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲🎆@brooksbryan17 x @USABaseballCNT #EverythingCounts x #OneTROY⚔️⚾️ pic.twitter.com/AluuhT8btX
— Troy Baseball ⚔️ (@TroyTrojansBSB) July 4, 2024
Bryan also impressed while behind the plate for Team USA, catching a Meade-led pitching staff that combined for a 0.92 ERA in the five-game sweep of Chinese Taipei. Bryan was in the squat for a shutout victory on July 3, gunning down a Chinese Taipei base stealer in the process.
"Being able to share this time with Brooks was very cool for the both of us," Meade said. "However, Brooks was one of the stars of the show during our eight-game tour. He caught at the highest level I have seen yet, and like he always does, he produced a lot of runs for USA."
Bryan will continue his summer in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League with the Cotuit Kettleers.
