Virginia's Ryan Zimmerman Ties RBI & Hits Record As Team USA Defeats Danbury, 19-2

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July 12, 2004

DANBURY, Conn. – University of Virginia third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (Virginia Beach, Va./Kellam) tied the Team USA single-game records with five hits and seven RBI, going 5-for-6 to lead the 2004 USA Baseball National Team to a 19-2 victory over the Danbury Westerners on July 11th. The contest was part of the Team USA vs. New England Collegiate Baseball League.

Zimmerman led an offensive charge that saw every Team USA starting position player and three pitchers record at least one hit. Team USA’s 23 hits are tied for third in the single-game record books. Zimmerman fell just a triple short of hitting for the cycle and tied single-game records with seven RBI and five hits. He shares the record with four other players, including Jake Gautreau (2000), John Gall (1999), Doug Mientkiewicz (1994) and Robin Ventura (1988). Zimmerman also shares the hits record with seven other players, including Futures Game MVP Aaron Hill (2002).

Team USA will play two more games against teams from the NECBL before returning to Durham, N.C. for a four-game series against Chinese Taipei at Durham Bulls Athletic Park (July 15-18). Team USA will then travel to Tainan, Taiwan to play in the FISU World University Games (July 22-August 1).

Prior to the start of competition in the Team USA vs. New England Collegiate Baseball League, Zimmerman played in 10 of the 11 games that Team USA competed in during the USA vs. Canada Friendship Series (June 23-29) and the 33rd Annual USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series (July 2-8). Team USA went 6-0 against Canada and 0-5 against Japan to post a 6-5 record through its first 11 games. Zimmerman started six of the 10 games he appeared in and was second on the team with a .414 batting average after going 12-for-29 at the plate including three doubles and two home runs to go along with a team-high 11 RBI and eight runs. He also led the team with a 1.000 fielding percentage and a .724 slugging percentage.

— UVa —