Currier, Kolbach to Play in Goodwill Baseball Games

Capistrano Valley’s Rik Currier and Mater Dei’s Mike Kolbach are members of the U.S. baseball team that will participate this weekend in the 11th Goodwill Series at Blair Field in Long Beach.

Currier, a Times Orange County first-team selection, will be a senior this fall. He finished 9-3 last season with a 1.56 earned-run average and 97 strikeouts in helping Capistrano Valley reach the quarterfinals of the Southern Section Division I playoffs. He had a no-hitter and handed Mater Dei its only South Coast League defeat.

Kolbach was a second-team all-county selection last spring. His pitching and hitting led Mater Dei to the section Division I semifinals. He was 10-1 with a 2.36 ERA and hit .442 with eight home runs and 38 runs batted in.

The U.S. team was selected by professional scouts during the Area Code games played Aug. 15-19 at Blair Field.

Also competing are the national teams from Japan and Australia and a Latin American team composed of players from the Baseball Academy programs in Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Panama.

The tournament schedule:

Saturday: Opening ceremony, 11 a.m.; Australia vs. Japan, 11:30; Latin American vs. Japan, 2:30 p.m.; United States vs. Latin America, 6.

Sunday: Latin America vs. Australia, 11 a.m.; Australia vs. United States, 2:30 p.m.; Japan vs. United States, 5:30.

Monday: United States vs. Australia, 11 a.m.; Japan vs. Latin America, 2:30 p.m.; championship game, 5:30.