By Sean Duncan

For years Ryan Koziol has been overshadowed by his older brother, Kevin, a three-time Prep Baseball Report All-Stater who’s now a freshman at LSU.

No longer.

The little brother established himself as one of the nation’s top Class of 2012 prospects when Koziol was one of nine players selected to the 2011 18U National Team Trials on Wednesday. The 6-foot-3, 165-pound Brother Rice shortstop/right-handed pitcher earned the high honors after he tore it up at the 2010 National Team Identification Series trials at USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. on Sept. 9-12.

Playing on USA Baseball’s at-large team, the left-handed hitting Koziol opened the weekend with a pair of doubles and finished 5-for-12 with three doubles and five RBI. He was also lights out on the mound in an inning work, pitching at 87-89 mph with a three-pitch repertoire. Koziol was the only player from the Midwest to be selected.

Koziol, who’s ranked No. 2 in the Class of 2012, has been an impact performer at Brother Rice since his freshman year. Last year as a sophomore he posted an 8-0 record on the mound while batting .410 with 40 RBI at the plate. Always known as one of the premier prospects in Illinois, Koziol is now one of the most coveted juniors in the country.

For the second year in a row, the announcement was made via an online selection show, which was streamed live on www.USABaseball.com. Click Here to view the show.