St. Clair native and University of Michigan standout Jake Cronenworth has been placed on the roster for Team USA as they try to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Cronenworth, a member of the Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball club, played last season on the AAA Durham Bulls team. Cronenworth has been a part of the Rays organization for the past 4 years playing both shortstop and pitcher for the Bulls while hitting a .334 average with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs. Cronenworth was also a two-time All-Big Ten Conference second-team honoree, and was the Big Ten Tournament’s MVP in 2015.
Team USA will compete in Mexico the first week in November as part of Group A in the tournament. They will play against teams from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the Netherlands. The top two teams from Group A will play in Tokyo, in what is billed as a “super round.” Teams that make it to the super round qualify for the Olympics in Tokyo. Team USA is managed by four-time World Series champion Joe Girardi.
