Senior Colby Halter was accepted to play on Team USA’s baseball team for the first time the past summer. In the spring of 2019, Team USA, a national baseball team representing the United States, reached out to Halter to give him the opportunity to try out for the team.

The organization brought 80 players down to IMG Academy, an athletic and educational boarding school located in Bradenton, Florida, that summer and the players lived there for a month training and playing together. After a month, 40 players were cut while the remaining 40 competed for a spot on the team in a high school all-star game in Cleveland, Ohio. After Ohio, the players traveled to California and the administrators cut another 20 players and the roster was finally chosen for the WBSC U-18 team, also known as the World Baseball Softball Confederation for players 18 years and younger. 

The experience was nerve wracking for Halter. Halter and the other 19 selected players then played in California, Taiwan, and South Korea. The head coach is Jack Legget, the former coach of Clemson for 25 years.

12 countries separated into two groups to compete in the opening round on Aug. 30 in Taiwan. Team USA won against Japan and went to the super round with the 6 remaining teams. Team USA played against Australia in Gijang City, South Korea on Sept. 4. A highlight at the game was that Halter had hit double and moved the eventful winning run to third with a bottom-of-the-ninth bunt, the second part of the ninth and final inning. This has the team win 2-1. 

Additionally, Halter stole second and scored another hit, helping Team USA beat Canada 5-0. 

On Sept. 7, Halter hit a double and scored from second on a wild pitch to add an insurance run, a run scored by a team after they have secured the lead. The team defeated Korea 8-5. 

“Playing for gold tomorrow!” Halter tweeted. “I’m gonna bring it back to BK in no time!!”

USA was defeated by Taiwan 2-1 in the final of the U-18 World Baseball Softball Confederation. Halter achieved one of the five American hits in the ballgame. The senior ended the tournament with 4 doubles, 2 steals, and a perfect fielding percentage and a 1.034 on-base plus slugging, the player’s on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Halter played third base, second base and pitched while he was out of the country. His memorable highlights were batting .419 with four doubles and 8 RBI in the tournament. RBI, also known as a run batted in, is crediting a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored.  “Balancing school and the team was difficult but I was just giving my best effort at both,” Halter said. 

Halter has been playing baseball since he was 3 years old. On the field, he plays shortstop and pitches. Halter has been playing Bishop Kenny base. Halter practices at least 6 days a week in preparation for playing at the University of Florida.

Halter had committed to play at the University of Florida in his first year of high school. 

“UF has been my dream school ever since I was a kid,” Halter says. “I grew up a die hard Gator and the coaching staff at UF is great, not to mention the campus is awesome and I will get a great education while I’m there.”

Halter also plays travel ball, which takes up most of his summer and fall. 

His role model growing up was Chipper Jones, a former Major League Baseball player for the Atlanta Braves.

“I love watching his highlights and I try to play the game like he did,” Halter says. “He’s a really special player and I would love to accomplish some of the things he did.”