CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today announced the 72-man roster for the 2023 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP), which is set to be held from July 26-29 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. The announcement comes following the conclusion of the National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina, which serve as primary identification events for the NTDP.

The National Team Development Program offers the nation’s top athletes an opportunity to connect with USA Baseball coaches, task force, and national team staff to better prepare for a future national team experience. Participants will take part in skill development sessions, off-field educational seminars, and a series of intrasquad games to assist in the development of the athletes as both a player and a person.

“It is our honor to welcome this talented group of players to Cary for this year’s National Team Development Program,” said Jim Koerner, USA Baseball’s Director of Player Development. “Our task force has worked hard this summer to identify the best fits for this program, and we are extremely excited to work with these outstanding athletes. We look forward to continuing the development of these players next week as the National Team Development Program continues to serve as an important piece of the gold medal process.”

The roster is highlighted by eight players from last summer’s world champion 15U National Team, which won gold at the 2022 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup in Hermosillo Mexico. All-World Team members Andrew Costello, Coy James (MVP), and Ethan Holliday reunite along with Brady Ebel, Chandler Hart, Jack McKernan, Brady Murrietta, and Dane Perry. 2021 15U National Team member Zach Strickland also represents the 15U program on this summer’s NTDP roster.

Three more USA Baseball alumni were selected to the NTDP in 2023. Vaughn Neckar will participate in the event for the second summer in a row, after he parlayed his appearance at the 2022 NTDP into a spot on the 2022 18U National Team that won gold at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier. Additionally, 2018 12U National Team alum Dean Moss–who led Team USA in batting en route to a gold medal at the 2018 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier–will be at this summer’s NTDP. Gavin Fien rounds out the USA Baseball alumni on the roster and will reunite with McKernan after both played on the 2019 12U National Team.

Seven players from last year’s NTDP will be at the event again in 2023, including Kayson Cunningham, who is making his third appearance on a USA Baseball development program roster. Cunningham, along with 11 other players on this year’s roster, also have experience competing in USA Baseball’s 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP).

Twenty-six different states are represented on the 2023 NTDP roster. California leads all states with 19 representatives, while Texas follows with 17. In total, 50 players on the 72-man squad are committed to Power Five universities.

Koerner, alongside former Team USA coach and player Brad Penny, will lead the NTDP as coordinators in 2023. Three current Division I head coaches–Illinois’ Dan Hartleb, Grambling State’s Davin Pierre, and Georgetown’s Edwin Thompson–will serve as team managers along with four-time Team USA coach Rick Eckstein. A group of established high school and college coaches round out the 12-man coaching staff.

The NTDP roster comprises athletes who were identified from both the 2023 National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina, as well as players selected following last year’s National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup. These two events serve as the primary identification events for the NTDP, in addition to recommendations from professional scouts, coaches, and the amateur baseball community.

For more information on the National Team Development Program, follow @USABDevelops on Instagram and Twitter, or visit USABaseball.com.

The 2023 16U/17U NTDP roster is as follows:

2023 National Team Development Program Roster

(Name; Position; Hometown)

• ^Evan Amos; RHP; Summerville, S.C.
• Jaxon Baker; LHP; Murrieta, Calif.
• Aiden Barrientes; RHP; Katy, Texas
• Jack Bauer; LHP; Frankfort, Ill.
• Luke Billings; RHP/OF/C; Prosper, Texas
• Jack Boucher; INF/OF; Mission Viejo, Calif.
• Thomas Brown; C/INF; Livermore, Calif.
• Anthony Brown Jr; INF/OF; Jacksonville, Fla.
• Billy Carlson; SS/RHP; Corona, Calif.
• Angel Cervantes; RHP/3B; Lynwood, Calif.
• *Andrew Costello; C; Fairview, Pa.
• Sam Cozart; RHP; High Point, N.C.
• Caden Crowell; LHP; Valparaiso, Ind.
• ^Kayson Cunningham; SS/2B; San Antonio, Texas
• ^Tristan Dalzell; LHP; Long Beach, Calif.
• *^Brady Ebel; SS/3B; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
• Griffin Enis; OF; Cornith, Miss.
• ^Conor Essenburg; LHP/1B; Manhattan, Ill.
• *^Gavin Fien; SS/2B; Temecula, Calif.
• Brock Foulds; RHP; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
• Lucas Franco; SS/3B; Katy, Texas
• ^Sean Gamble; OF/SS; Des Moines, Iowa
• ^Linkin Garcia; SS/3B; Huntington Beach, Calif.
• ^Bradyn Garner; LHP; West Monroe, La.
• Cannon Goldin; OF; Buford, Ga.
• Evan Hankins; 1B/LHP; Bristol, Va.
• *Chandler Hart; LHP; Allen, Texas
• Seth Hernandez; RHP; Chino, Calif.
• William Hill; OF; Humble, Texas
• *Ethan Holliday; SS; Stillwater, Okla.
• *^Coy James; SS/2B; Advance, N.C.
• Owen Jenkins; C/INF; Versailles, Ky.
• Tanner Johns; 1B; Las Vegas, Nev.
• Cameron Johnson; RHP; Waco, Texas
• Jacob Lombard; SS/3B; Miami, Fla.
• Griffin Loy; RHP; Somerset, Ky.
• Jordan Martin; RHP; Jefferson City, Mo.
• *^Jack McKernan; LHP; Missouri City, Texas
• Grant Mehrhoff; LHP; Marthasville, Mo.
• Blane Metz; RHP; Floyd Knobs, Ind.
• Jaxon Miller; OF; Frisco, Texas
• *^Dean Moss; OF; Atherton, Calif.
• Dillon Moss; C/OF; Atherton, Calif.
• *^Brady Murrietta; C; Yorba Linda, Calif.
• *^Vaughn Neckar; RHP; Murrieta, Calif.
• Xavier Neyens; RHP/OF; Mount Vernon, Wash.
• Joey Oakie; RHP; Ankeny, Iowa
• *Dane Perry; C; Friendswood, Texas
• Colt Peterson; RHP; Tustin, Calif.
• Mason Pike; RHP/SS; Puyallup, Wash.
• David Ramirez; LHP/OF; Kemah, Texas
• Tait Reynolds; OF/INF; Queen Creek, Ariz.
• Edward Rothlander III; RHP; Conroe, Texas
• Cooper Rummel; RHP; Austin, Texas
• Luke Ryerse; RHP; Woodbury, Minn.
• Logan Sariga; OF; Houston, Texas
• Landon Schaefer; INF; Fayetteville, Ark.
• ^Kruz Schoolcraft; LHP/1B; Beavertown, Ore.
• Omar Serna; C; Houston, Texas
• Wade Shelley; OF; Headland, Ala.
• Rookie Shepard; INF/C; North Las Vegas, Nev.
• Bricen Smith; INF/OF; Perry, Ga.
• Thomas Stewart; RHP; Lakewood, Colo.
• *^Zach Strickland; RHP; Arcadia, Calif.
• Nicholas Terhaar; RHP; Saginaw, Minn.
• ^Zion Theophilus; RHP; Cincinatti, Ohio
• Myles Upchurch; RHP; Hyattsville, Md.
• Diego Velazquez; SS; Resida, Calif.
• Miguel Velazquez; C; Fullerton, Calif.
• Brody Walls; RHP/3B; McKinney, Texas
• Miles Young; INF; Cypress, Texas
• ^Quentin Young; 3B; Camarillo, Calif.

*Denotes USA Baseball National Team alum
^Denotes past development program participant