The USA Baseball National Team Identification Series (NTIS) is an annual identification process which involves hundreds of players across the country throughout six different regions (Midwest, Northeast, Northwest, South, Southeast and Southwest). The NTIS is just the tip of the iceberg, as it quickly forms into the NTIS Champions Cup where the best players from each region travel to Cary, North Carolina, to compete for a potential spot on a national team roster.

Throughout the week, players will be on center stage as they will be evaluated by the USA Baseball Task Force and collegiate coaches, but there is one key piece of the puzzle that keeps the show running: the coaches.

Head coach Anthony Mason is one of more than 40 coaches at the 2024 15U/16U NTIS Champions Cup who will attempt to lead their respective squads to a gold medal. Mason, who heads the 15U Northeast Stripes, began his journey to the Champions Cup through a thorough process.

“We start by hosting a couple of regional events in the Maryland and Washington, D.C., area. These guys come out to our events so that we can evaluate them by using a series of metrics, and then the selection committee takes all of the participants from the regional events. They select the best players and then we travel here to the Champions Cup.

“We personally hold two events in our area, with one taking place in the fall and one in the spring. It’s an honor to be able to coach some of the best players from our area,” Mason added.

After storming off to a 7-0 victory over the 15U Midwest Stripes on the opening day of the NTIS Champions Cup, Mason and his crew felt a growing sense of confidence as they navigated their way to the second day of pool play.

Nabbing a victory and having the chance to participate in an event such as the Champions Cup is a huge achievement and one in which many coaches have immense aspirations. For Mason, the opportunity represents something much bigger as he was unsure if he would ever be able to coach baseball again.

“To be honest with you, I spent three years bedridden. I spent an entire year in the hospital and during that time there were 36 nights in a row that I should have died. There was a chance that I would lose a leg too. During that three-year span I made a promise to the universe that if I ever coach again then I’m going to coach every single game like it is my last. What people see on the field is a coach that is just grateful to be out here. I’ve been around the game my entire life, but to be able to have another chance to coach the game I love; I would absolutely do it all over again.”

With the added drive and gold in mind, Mason and the Northeast Stripes headed into day two scheduled to take on the 15U South Stripes.

To open up game two, the Northeast Stripes jumped out to a 1-0 lead after the top of the first inning, but were soon hit with adversity as the South Stripes tallied up five runs in the following half inning to garner a 5-1 advantage.

Although most coaches would start to worry about a potential blowout, Mason knew not to fret because he recognized his team possessed a mindset that most other teams do not have.

“One thing I love about this team is that we are never out of a game. Until they call time, we’re just going to keep chipping away. When we were down five runs to one, I told the guys that they needed to cut the lead in half and then they did. I told them again to keep tacking on runs and they responded. Every time I gave them a directive or a goal, they went out and hit it. We stayed calm throughout too. The energy on the bench was huge. But at the end of the day, they never gave up and they hit their goals and initiatives. That’s really the key to success. We gave them something to achieve and they went out and did it. Hats off to those guys who didn’t quit.”

Mason and the Northeast Stripes did just that and chipped away at the four-run lead. The Northeast Stripes were able to overcome the deficit and register its second win at the NTIS Champions Cup. Ben Weninger and Cayden Yoon were both massive contributors in the comeback win, as Weninger slashed a two-run double and would find his way home on a sacrifice fly. Yoon also provided offensive support at the plate as he raked in two runs via a couple of sacrifice flies.

With two wins in their back pocket, Coach Mason is confident that his group will continue to find success as they advance through the tournament field to attempt a run at a gold medal.

“I really feel good about our chances moving forward. We still have really good arms and athletes. We’re just going to stick to our plan. Most importantly is that we’re going out there and having fun. We don’t get too high and we try not to let the pressure get to us. At the end of the day, I trust these kids. We’ve bonded quickly and I think that’s a key point for our team too. We came together quickly and gelled so I like our chances.”