Twenty teams entered into the 17U National Team Championships in Cary, North Carolina, with hopes of taking home hardware for their squad.
USA Prime’s head coach Drew Briese and the Scorpions’ Ethan Holliday led their respective teams through the first two days, granting each a trip to the quarterfinals on Thursday with both of their sights now set on gold. This time, the two would be forced to square off against a familiar face for a chance to advance to the semifinals.
In 2022, Briese coached at the World Baseball Softball Confederation U-15 Baseball World Cup in Mexico, managing the 15U National Team in which Holliday was a member of. The duo marched their team all the way to a gold medal, defeating Colombia 9-5 in the championship game.
Fast forward to 2024, Briese and Holliday were able to reunite on the baseball field once again at the quarterfinals of 17U Champs NC where both expressed excitement to be competing in the tournament.
“It's always great coming back to the National Training Center.Whether it's coaching a team that's in one of the championships, working on a scouting Task Force, or being a member of the national team staff, it's always a special time to come back to Cary,” Briese stated.
In the matchup between the two, Holliday’s Scorpions got the best of USA Prime and topped Briese’s squad, 6-5, in dramatic fashion with the game being finalized after an errant throw allowed the Scorpions to sneak a run home and push them to the semifinals.
“We knew we were a good team and that we could come back at any point. We just kept fighting and had some good at-bats, driving some runs in. We always knew that we were in the game,” Holliday said postgame about his team's mindset.
Although the two came to the tournament representing different teams, they had the opportunity to catch up and reminisce on their 2022 gold medal run.
“The memories of the 2022 World Championship team run deep for both of us. Ethan and I met up by the batting cages the other day, and we were talking about some of the times that we had in Mexico and some of the closer games, and even some of the off-field stuff,” Briese stated. “We were just reliving some old memories that, for me as an older guy, will always be really special to me. Hopefully as a younger guy, those are memories that he'll take forward with him forever. It was a special time to share with him.”
Briese and Holliday both recognize the impact that donning the stars and stripes has had on their lives.
“Representing your country and wearing the U-S-A jersey is a dream come true because we have an understanding that there's a deeper meaning behind it,” Briese said. “When we went to Mexico, we were carrying the support of an entire country and the expectation was to go there and win a gold medal. Lucky enough, we were able to pull that off and bring it home.”
Winning the gold medal is an impressive feat, especially when you are only 15-years-old. Holliday credits his development to Coach Briese and all of the effort that he has put into coaching at the national level.
“He's great. He's a very influential coach in my life,” Holliday stated on Briese. “We got to win the gold medal together and go through that process together, and seeing him out here was really a surprise. He's great and I’m proud to be able to call him my coach.”
While many people may think players and their teams are solely competing for a medal, there is also a chance that players can be selected to represent the red, white, and blue.
The National Team Championships serve as a primary identification event for USA Baseball’s national teams and development programs. Holliday and other players have the opportunity to make their mark throughout Champs NC and secure a spot on the 18U National Team.
“It would be an honor,” Holliday said about attempting to make the national team again. “It's going to be a grind to get there. It's something I want to accomplish, and I want to win a gold medal with the team. It's an honor to play for your country and that's something I want to do again.”
Holliday’s drive to succeed on the national scale derives from the ones closest to him. Holliday comes from a baseball family as his older brother, Jackson, was the first overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and currently plays in the Baltimore Orioles organization. His father, Matt Holiday, enjoyed a 14-year career in the big leagues where he registered seven All-Star Game selections.
“We've trained together and been around the game together as a family. I watched my brother growing up, and getting to see him play in the minor leagues and get some time in the big leagues is really cool and influential. It's something pretty cool we have as a family,” said Holliday.
For Holliday and Briese, baseball is more than a game as it signifies something bigger than themselves. Both will look to return to the diamond to represent the stars and stripes once again on the big stage.
