US collegians to host Cuba in July in baseball series

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Des Moines, Iowa • The U.S. collegiate national baseball team will host its Cuban counterpart next month in a five-game international "friendship" series.

The Triple-A Iowa Cubs said Tuesday the series will start in Des Moines on July 18. The Americans and Cubans will then play two games each in Omaha, Neb., and Durham, N.C.

The U.S. and Cuba resumed play at the collegiate level last year in Havana after a 16-year hiatus. This year's series will be the first on American soil between the two nations since 1996.

The 24-man American roster will be announced on June 30. The team will be coached by Jim Schlossnagle of TCU.