The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Former Longhorn named to USA Baseball Pan American Games squad
09.19.2011 | Baseball
Sept. 19, 2011
DURHAM, N.C.-- Former Texas Longhorns standout outfielder Jordan Danks was named the Team USA roster for the 2011 IBAF World Cup and Pan American Games, USA Baseball recently announced.
The roster features 24 players not currently on MLB 40-man rosters. This fall, Team USA will compete in both the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) World Cup in Panama City, Panama, October 2-15, and the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, October 20-25. Danks will gather with the team September 27-29 in Cary, N.C. for training at the U.S.A. Baseball National Training Complex.
Team USA will be looking to win its third straight IBAF World Cup title. The USA has defeated Cuba in the gold medal game in each of the last two World Cup finals.
The United States last fielded a pro team at the Pan Am Games in 1999 - USA Baseball's first club featuring professional athletes. Team USA has not won a gold medal at the event since 1967 in Winnipeg.
In 2007, Danks helped a Team USA squad featuring college players secure a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as well as a third-place finish at the World Port Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands. For the summer of 2007, Danks led Team USA with 35 games, 37 runs, 25 walks and two triples. He hit .287 (33-of-115) with four doubles, two home runs, 12 RBI and five stolen bases.
While at Texas, Danks was named second-team All-Big 12 Conference in 2008 and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention in 2007. In 2008, he led the Longhorn squad with 70 runs, 22 doubles and seven triples and ranked third on the team with a .321 batting average.
Danks was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the seventh round of the 2008 MLB draft. In 2011, Danks has hit .257 with 24 doubles, six triples, 14 home runs, 65 RBI and 18 stolen bases with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights.
