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Connor Graham Joins 2018 AAU International Team

By AAU Baseball, 12/17/17, 11:30AM CST

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Connor Graham AAU USA International Collegiate Team 2018 Commit

Press Release | December 17, 2017

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.—The AAU USA International Collegiate Team landed another commitment for summer 2018’s international series vs Scotland and Ireland. Connor Graham, of Anne Arundel Community College (Md.), announced he will play with the team in Europe.

The Riverhawks outfielder, from Dunkirk, Md., knew he wanted to play the moment he learned AAU Baseball was going global.

“AAU works for me,” he said. “Obviously, I also like the coaches a lot and that played a role in it.”

His dad, Mike Graham, general manager of the Maryland RBI advanced skills development team in Amateur Athletic Union of the United States (AAU) baseball, manages the AAU USA International Collegiate Team.

Maryland RBI coaching colleague and former college player Chris Cummings is head coach.

With Connor Graham’s commitment, the AAU USA International Collegiate Team has early momentum building its 2018 roster. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound sophomore said that played a role in his thinking.

"I was thinking if I decide early, it could motivate other guys to get on board and start building up again for another championship run in international collegiate summer ball," he said.

Ireland will host the AAU USA International Collegiate Team as part of the Ireland International Baseball Festival at Ashbourne International Baseball Centre, County Meath, July 10-15. Opponents include the Ireland National Team, Irish Baseball League All-Star Team, USA Military Blue Devils, and non-tournament matchups to be announced later.

Scotland will host the AAU USA International Collegiate Team for an international friendly series at Edinburgh and Glasgow July 5-10. Opponents in Scotland include the Scotland National Team and the Edinburgh (Giants, Diamond Devils, Cannons) and Glasgow (Galaxy, Comets) clubs of the Scotland National Baseball League.
This will be Graham's fourth collegiate summer campaign in Europe. He played summers 2017 and 2016 for the Sant Boi Barcelona Falcons (Spain) in the Collegiate Baseball League Europe (CBLE) in Great Britain, France, Spain, Netherlands, and Belgium.

The Falcons won back to back CBLE regular season championships playing in the league affiliated with the NORTHWOODS LEAGUE, one of America’s premier summer collegiate baseball leagues comprising teams of top college players from the Midwestern United States and Canada.

In 2015, he was a member of the North American team of U.S., Canadian and Mexican prospects who competed in Germany and at the Prague Baseball Week championships in the Czech Republic. He played against the Czech National Men’s and 18U Teams, Great Britain 23U National Team, the USA All-Stars of the European professional leagues, Germany 18U National Team, and the German professional Baseball-Bundesliga Buchbinder Legionäre Regensburg teams.

Graham said, “I enjoy the international experience and when the chance to go back out to Europe for baseball again came up I jumped at it. I'm looking forward to getting out in the world again some more. I love the international game, the competition, adventure travel, and experiencing foreign cultures.”

Third on the 2017 Falcons in total production (runs, RBIs, OPS), he hit .318/.404/.523 with 3 steals, 10 RBIs, and 12 runs. He hit 9 singles, 2 doubles, 2 triples, and a home run, becoming only the league’s third player ever to hit for the "season cycle"—at least one single, double, triple, and home run in the same season.

"I've improved each year in the sport since I got into collegiate summer ball, and that’s been one of my goals," Graham said. "I'm motivated to keep learning and be more consistent, and our coaching staff and AAU help me do that."

At Anne Arundel CC, he slashed .462/.563/.769 with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 5 runs, and 6 RBIs in fall ball. As a freshman at Virginia Wesleyan University, he was named First Team Academic All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference and State Farm© Scholar-Athlete.

Last summer in AAU 19U travel ball, Graham led Maryland RBI with a .447/.585/.723 slash line, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 47 runs, and 13 RBI’s in the Mid-Atlantic Wood Bat League.

A Perfect Game USA Follow Prospect, Rivals Maryland Top 25, and AAU All-America selection, he played scholastic baseball for Coach Bobby Gibbons at Northern HS (Md.).

"It's good to know where I will be playing next summer,” Graham said about committing to the AAU USA International Collegiate Team. “It’s been on my mind, and it's nice to get that set so I can focus on academics and the upcoming college season. The team's coaches are great, we’ve had a lot of success together, and I want to help keep that going."

About the Team
The AAU USA International Collegiate Team is a premier international collegiate summer team followed by college coaches and pro scouts. The roster includes players ages 18-23 representing all NCAA college divisions and national team, MLB academy, and club players from all over the world. The experience offers high-level baseball and cultural exposure to the world at the same time. Coaches Graham and Cummings are Major League Baseball© (MLB) certified coaches.

Notable alumni of the AAU USA International Collegiate Team coaching staff’s previous collegiate summer teams include Brian Reed (Rochester Tech, NY),
D3baseball.com All-New York Region Pitcher of the Year; Jordan Ellis (Virginia Wesleyan University); Jimmie Gentry (Albright College, Pa.), NABF All-America; Mac McGrath (Shenandoah University, Va./Eastern University, Pa.); CJ Cummings (University of Mary Washington, Va.); Josh Matthews (Hood College, Md.), AAU All-America; Netherlands pro Dave Janssen (MLB Bixie Baseball Academy, Nl.).
Brandyn Vogtsberger (Towson University, Md.); MLB Prospect Guide select Stewart Rich (Georgia State University), former teammate of MLB Atlanta Brave Danby Swanson, MLB’s No. 1 pick in 2015; Maryland junior college Anne Arundel CC’s Dominic Stanbery, AAU All-America; Brandon Snow (St. Mary’s College, Md./Farmingdale State University, NY); and Northwest Missouri State University teammates James Holler and Nikko Pablo.

For more information about the AAU USA International Collegiate Team, visit
https://aauusaict.wixsite.com/aauusabaseball.
To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan and follow AAU USA International Collegiate Team baseball on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AAUGlobal and Twitter https://twitter.com/AAUGlobal.
The AAU USA International Collegiate Team is recruiting for summer 2018. Apply to play at https://aauusaict.wixsite.com/aauusabaseball.