McDowell, Crosby Lead U.S. Team On All-Star Tour of the Far East

Former Notre Dame High pitcher Jack McDowell and El Camino Real infielder Todd Crosby are among 24 players and coaches on the United States national baseball team that leaves today for a series of all-star games in the Far East.

McDowell, the Southern Section 4-A Player of the Year in 1984, finished his freshman season at Stanford as the No. 2 pitcher, behind senior left-hander Jeff Ballard. A major part of Notre Dame’s No. 1 ranking by USA Today last season, McDowell’s Pacific-10 conference record was 5-1, including four complete games and a four-hit shutout of UCLA.

In his only start for the U.S., an 8-4 loss to a minor league team from Visalia, McDowell allowed nine hits and five runs in five innings.

Crosby, a switch-hitter at the University of Hawaii, entered an exhibition game against local all-stars at Cal State Long Beach on Thursday batting .385. Crosby led the Rainbows in five offensive categories in 1985 to earn All-Western Athletic Conference honors.

Crosby was also named to the second-team freshman All-American team, and is already considered one of the best second basemen in the university’s history.

The U.S. team, which serves as the nation’s Olympic squad in non-Olympic years, will meet the college all-stars of Japan in a seven-game series in Tokyo beginning June 25. From there, the team goes to Seoul, South Korea, July 10.