Gainesville, Fla. – Former University of Florida catcher and current Cincinnati Reds Minor Leaguer Mark Kolozsvary was officially named to the U.S Olympic Team roster on Friday, as announced by USA Baseball.
In making the Team USA roster, Kolozsvary will have the opportunity to compete in baseball’s first Olympic action since 2008. Following the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, baseball was dropped from the Summer Olympic program, but will be revived for the 2020/21 Summer Olympics in Tokyo later this month.
The 2021 Olympic Baseball slate is scheduled to take place from July 27 to August 7. Team USA is joined by Israel and Korea in Group B, while Japan, Mexico and the Dominican Republic compose Group A. Team USA is aiming to secure their first Olympic gold medal in baseball since claiming the nation’s first and only finish atop the podium at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
As a three-time letterwinner for the Gators and seventh round pick by Cincinnati in the 2017 MLB Draft, Kolozsvary starred for Team USA during Olympic qualifying earlier this summer. En route to helping Team USA secure a spot in the upcoming Olympics, Kolozsvary batted .417 (5-for-12) with two home runs, one double, five runs and three RBI while starting all four games behind the plate.
Now in the midst of his fourth year in the Minor Leagues, Kolozsvary is enjoying a breakout season with Double-A Chattanooga in the Reds’ system. Over the course of 25 games in 2021, the backstop is slashing .275/.371/.495 with three home runs, 11 doubles, 21 runs, 20 RBI and 12 walks.
Across three seasons with Florida from 2015-17, the Tavares, Fla. native played in 78 games including 39 starts. Kolozsvary finished with a career .272/.367/.444 batting line with five home runs, one triple, nine doubles, 32 RBI, 27 runs, 19 walks and three stolen bases. Defensively, Kolozsvary posted a .992 fielding percentage over 241 chances during his time in Orange and Blue.
Equally as successful in the classroom throughout his days in Gainesville, Kolozsvary was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2016 and 2017.
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