CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today finalized the roster for the 2024 18U National Team Training Camp, which is scheduled for July 17-21 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. The 84-player roster will compete for a spot on the final 20-player 18U National Team.
The final 18U National Team roster will be named on July 22 and will then compete in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier from August 2-11 in Panama City, Panama. Team USA is the defending champion at the Americas Qualifier after winning gold in Mexico in 2022.
“The 18U National Team Training Camp is annually a collection of the best 18-and-under players in the country, and this year is no different.” said Brett Curll, USA Baseball’s 18U National Team Program Director. “We are excited to watch these eighty-four players compete in Cary as we take the next step toward defending our gold medal at the World Cup Americas Qualifier.”
Sixteen Team USA alumni will make the trip to Cary to battle for a spot on this year’s 18U National Team. Coy James and Jack McKernan return to Training Camp after earning spots on last year’s 18U National Team, while Vaughn Neckar will aim to secure his spot on the roster following a gold-medal run with the 2022 18U National Team. Including James and McKernan, nine players from the World Cup-winning 2022 15U National Team are on this year’s Training Camp roster: Zane Burns, Andrew Costello, Brady Ebel, Grady Emerson, Ethan Holliday, James, McKernan, Brady Murrietta, and James Tronstein.
Additionally, 12U National Team alums Gavin Fien, Josiah Hartshorn, Rashad Hayes, and Dean Moss will attempt to earn spots on the stars and stripes for the second time, along with 2021 15U National Team alum Zach Strickland.
Thirty-eight players on this summer’s 18U Training Camp squad have previously participated in a USA Baseball Development Program. Twenty-nine athletes from last year’s 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP) will return to Cary as part of the 2024 Training Camp, while 15 total players have competed at USA Baseball’s 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP). Thirteen players on the roster have participated in multiple development programs: Kayson Cunningham, Ebel, Connor Essenburg, Sean Gamble, James, McKernan, Moss, Murrietta, Neckar, Kruz Schoolcraft, Strickland, and Tronstein.
In total, 22 different states are represented on the 2024 Training Camp roster. California leads the way with 27 athletes on the roster, followed by Texas, which features 14 players. Florida has five players on the 84-man squad, while Arizona and Illinois each have four. Seventy-two athletes on the roster are committed to Power Five schools, including 42 Southeastern Conference (SEC) commits.
The 2024 18U National Team will be managed by five-time Team USA coach Rick Eckstein. He will be joined on staff by his brother, 2006 World Series MVP David Eckstein, along with two-time MLB All-Star Brad Penny and longtime high school coach Steve Stone. The full 18U National Team Training Camp staff can be found here.
The 2024 18U National Team Training Camp roster is as follows:
2024 18U National Team Training Camp Roster
(Name; Position; Hometown; School)
Alonzo Alvarez; C; Brentwood, Calif.; Heritage
Cameron Appenzeller; LHP; Springfield, Ill.; Glenwood
Ethan Baiotto; RHP; Southlake, Texas; Southlake Carroll
Tyler Baird; RHP; Huntersville, N.C.; William Amos Hough
Caleb Barnett; INF; Mountain Brook, Ala.; Mountain Brook
^Jack Bauer; LHP; Frankfort, Ill.; Lincoln Way East
^Luke Billings; C/OF; Prosper, Texas; Prosper
Ethin Bingaman; RHP; Redlands, Calif.; Corona
^Alec Blair; OF; Lafayette, Calif.; De La Salle
Tye Briscoe; LHP; Abilene, Texas; Wylie
^Thomas Brown; C; Livermore, Calif.; Granada
Charlie Buckles; 1B/OF; Bethesda, Md.; Walt Whitman
*Zane Burns; RHP; Chandler, Ariz.; Corona Del Sol
^Billy Carlson; INF/RHP; Corona, Calif.; Corona
^Angel Cervantes; RHP; Lynwood, Calif.; Warren
*^Andrew Costello; C; Fairview, Pa.; Cathedral Preparatory
Brett Crossland; RHP; Phoenix, Ariz.; Mountain Pointe
^Kayson Cunningham; INF; San Antonio, Texas; Johnson
Slater de Brun; OF; Bend, Ore.; Summit
Patrick Dudley; LHP; Virginia Beach, Va.; Atlantic Shores
*^Brady Ebel; INF; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; Corona
Lamar Edwards; OF; Lake Helen, Fla.; Spruce Creek
*^Grady Emerson; INF; Argyle, Texas; Argyle
^Connor Essenburg; LHP; Manhattan, Ill.; Lincoln Way West
Jaden Fauske; OF/C; Willowbrook, Ill.; Nazareth Academy
*^Gavin Fien; INF; Temecula, Calif.; Great Oak
Nick Frusco; LHP; Miller Place, N.Y.; Miller Place
^Sean Gamble; OF; Des Moines, Iowa; IMG Academy
Trent Grindlinger; C; Huntington Beach, Calif.; Huntington Beach
Steele Hall; INF/OF; Trussville, Ala.; Hewitt-Trussville
Connor Hamilton; RHP; Thompson Station, Tenn.; Mongomery Bell Academy
River Hamilton; RHP; Woodvillage, Ore.; Sam Barlow
Josh Hammond; RHP; High Point, N.C.; Wesleyan Christian Academy
Landon Harmon; RHP; New Albany, Miss.; East Union Attendance Center
*^Brady Harris; OF; Saint Augustine, Fla.; Trinity Christian Academy
*^Josiah Hartshorn; INF; Anaheim, Calif.; Orange Lutheran
*^Rashad Hayes; INF; Oakland, Calif.; Bishop O'Dowd
^Seth Hernandez; OF/RHP; Chino, Calif.; Corona
^William Hill; OF; Humble, Texas; Summer Creek
Landon Hodge; C; Agua Dulce, Calif.; Crespi Carmelite
*^Ethan Holliday; INF; Stillwater, Okla.; Stillwater
RJ Holmes; INF; Menifee, Calif.; Vista Murrieta
Brayden Jaksa; INF/OF; Fremont, Calif.; Irvington
*^Coy James; INF/OF; Advance, N.C.; Davie County
Jack Lafflam; RHP; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Brophy College Preparatory
^Jacob Lombard; INF; Pinecrest, Fla.; Gulliver
^Jordan Martin; RHP; Jefferson City, Mo.; Arkansas
*^Jack McKernan; LHP; Missouri City, Texas; Ridge Point
Xavier Mitchell; LHP; Garland, Texas; Prestonwood Christian Academy
*^Dean Moss; OF; Antherton, Calif.; IMG Academy
*^Brady Murrietta; C; Yorba Linda, Calif.; Orange Lutheran
Clayton Namken; C; New Braunfels, Texas; New Baunfeels
*^Vaughn Neckar; RHP; Murrieta, Calif.; Vista Murrieta
^Xavier Neyens; INF; Mount Vernon, Wash.; Mount Vernon
Josh Owens; INF/RHP; Jonesborough, Tenn.; Providence Academy
Anthony Pack Jr.; OF; Lakewood, Calif.; Milikan
Nico Partida; INF/RHP; Manvel, Texas; Pearland
William Patrick; OF; Monroe, La.; St. Frederick
Ty Peeples; OF; Lavonia, Ga.; Franklin County
^Mason Pike; INF/RHP; Puyallup, Wash.; Puyallup
Eli Pitts; OF; Lilburn, Ga.; Parkview
^Ethan Porter; INF/OF/RHP; Costa Mesa, Calif.; Huntington Beach
^David Ramirez; LHP; Kemah, Texas; Clear Falls
Reagan Ricken; RHP; Temecula, Calif.; Great Oak
^Cooper Rummel; RHP; Austin, Texas; Dripping Springs
CJ Sampson; INF/RHP; Tomball, Texas; Tomball
^Landon Schaefer; OF; Fayetteville, Ark.; Fayetville
^Kruz Schoolcraft; 1B/LHP; Beaverton, Ore.; Sunset
Brock Sell; OF; Stockton, Calif.; Tokay
Miguel Sime Jr.; RHP; Queens Village, N.Y.; Poly Prep Country Day
Johnny Slawinski; LHP; Johnson City, Texas; Lyndon B Johnson
^JD Stein; INF; Carmel, Ind.; Carmel
Aiden Stillman; LHP; Winter Park, Fla.; Trinity Preparatory
*^Zach Strickland; RHP; Arcadia, Calif.; Maranatha
*^James Tronstein; OF; Los Angeles, Calif.; Harvard-Westlake High School
^Myles Upchurch; RHP; Hyattsville, Md.; St. Albans School
Aaron Watson; RHP; Jacksonville, Fla.; Trinity Christian Academy
Austin Weiss; LHP; Rockville, Md.; Georgetown Preparatory
Tyler Wick; INF; San Diego, Calif.; Saint Augustine
Eli Willits; INF; Fort Cobb, Okla.; Fort Cobb-Broxton
Dylan Wood; RHP; Elk Grove, Calif.; Franklin
Tyler Wood; RHP; Lee Summit, Mo.; Lees Summit West
Hagen Wright; OF; Mesa, Ariz.; Red Mountain
^Quentin Young; INF; Camarillo, Calif.; Oaks Christian
* denotes USA Baseball alumni
^ denotes USA Baseball development program participant
