CHARLOTTE – Polk State Baseball pitcher Aiden Butler will soon be switching from Polk State black and red to Florida State University garnet and gold, but in between, he'll don the red, white, and blue.

Butler, a 6-foot-6 right-hander, is among 24 junior college players who will represent Team USA as part of the NJCAA All-Star Team at Baseball Week Haarlem in the Netherlands. Known in the Netherlands as "Honkbal Week," the event lasts from July 12 through 19.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity," Butler said. "It's a huge privilege to represent the USA. To play with some of the best JUCO players in the country is a real honor."

Butler is coming off a stellar sophomore season for Polk State in which he finished 8-4 with a 3.67 ERA. The Tallahassee native earned first-team All-Citrus Conference honors and second-team All-FCSAA honors. Butler led the Eagles in wins, innings pitched (81), strikeouts (83), and complete games (2).

"I want us to be able to show what USA baseball is all about," he added. "I want to perform well."

First held in 1961, Baseball Week Haarlem is a bi-annual event and one of the most prestigious amateur baseball tournaments in the world. This year will mark the first time that a NJCAA national team has competed since 2010.

The state of Florida will be well represented as Butler is one of six FCSAA players to get the nod. The team is coached by College of Central Florida Head Coach Marty Smith. It began practice on Saturday in Charlotte and will fly out on Tuesday.

"Being able to represent Team USA is awesome, but this is a great group of guys to be around," Butler noted. "Getting to know them has been really fun."

For Butler, this won't be the first time that he's traveled abroad on athletic business. He previously helped his mother, softball legend Heather Compton-Butler, coach the Israel National Softball Team in the Czech Republic as part of the 2022 European Cup.

Team USA will begin play in the Netherlands on Friday against the hosting nation. Butler is scheduled to make his international debut on Saturday as the starting pitcher against Japan. It will be his first start in game competition since pitching the finale of the FCSAA Tournament Niceville Regional for Polk State against Northwest Florida State College on May 4.

"Getting to pitch in Europe and represent my county is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Butler concluded. "It's going to be different facing Japan. I'm really excited."