North Carolina Central University baseball alum Kobe Phillips (Charlotte, N.C.) has taken his first step in his post-collegiate baseball career as he has been selected to serve on 2021 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Staff, the organization announced on Wednesday, June 23.
Phillips is the second Eagle to work on the coaching staff for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, following Jim Koerner (Buffalo, N.Y.) who served with the CNT three times between 2018 and 2019, and is now the Director of Player Development with USA Baseball. Phillips will work with the Stripes team as the bullpen coach.
“It’s truly an honor to be a part of such a prestigious baseball program,” Phillips said. “I’ve been familiar with the USA Baseball organization since high school, and I’ve always admired their mission in creating and developing ball players from all ages. To have a hand in helping them to achieve that goal is what makes this very special to me. I want to thank them for the opportunity and I can’t wait to get started!”
Phillips played two seasons at NCCU from 2019-20 after transferring from Spartanburg Methodist College, and appeared in 37 games with 32 starts as an Eagle. He collected 25 hits and knocked four home runs for a .421 slugging percentage in his NCCU career.
Team USA will kick-off its 11-game tour on Friday, July 2, in Danville, Virginia, followed by a game in Burlington, North Carolina, on Saturday, July 3. USA Baseball will host the July 4 game at its National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, before hitting the road again to finish its season.
Greeneville, Tennessee, will host the U.S. on Tuesday, July 6, followed by Johnson City, Tennessee; Bristol, Virginia; Elizabethton, Tennessee; and Kingsport, Tennessee, in four consecutive nights.
The 11-game tour will conclude with a trio of games in Pulaski, Virginia; Princeton, West Virginia; and Bluefield, West Virginia, from July 13-15, respectively.