CASTAIC, Calif. - USA Baseball announced the 2018 12U National Team roster Saturday following the completion of 12U National Team Trials in Castaic, California. The 18-man roster will look to secure its first-ever gold medal at the COPABE Pan Am "A" Championships, beginning August 25 in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
All 18 players on the roster will wear the USA uniform for the first time in international competition. Athletes were invited to the 12U National Team Trials by participating in the USA Baseball National Team Identification Series, 12U Open Development Program and the 11U Futures Invitational.
"It has been an unbelievably lengthy process," said 12U National Team Manager, Todd Fine. "We have seen thousands and thousands of kids over the past nine months from coast to coast. From the depths of it (the process), we ran 40 Open Development Camps all over the country, not to mention the best youth country in the tournament, with the Futures Invitational, and it all culminated with the 12U National Open. Our coaching staff is now excited and ready to move forward with these 18 players."
Fine, a four-time national team assistant coach, is leading the U.S. in 2018, as they seek their first-ever gold medal at the COPABE Pan Am "A" Championships. USA claimed silver at the event in 2016 in Puebla, Mexico. Pitching coach Jason Sekany and assistant coaches RJ Farrell and Marc Wiese complete the coaching staff for the stars and stripes. Fine and Farrell were assistant coaches with the 2017 12U National Team, which claimed gold at the 2017 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup in Taiwan.
The 2018 12U National Team will participate in training from August 18-23 at Woodlands Baseball Academy in Houston, Texas. Team USA will take on Texas based programs on Monday, August 20 at 2:45 p.m. (CT), Tuesday, August 21 at 2:15 p.m. (CT) and Wednesday, August 22 at 10 a.m. (CT).
Following training, Team USA will travel to Aguascalientes, Mexico for the COPABE Pan Am "A" Championships beginning August 25.
For more information on the 12U National Team and the selection process, please visit USABaseball.com or follow along on Twitter, at @USABaseball12U.
2018 USA Baseball 12U National Team Roster:
(Name; Position; Hometown)
Tristan Bristow; RHP/IF; San Antonio, Texas
Masato Chilcutt; IF/C; San Antonio, Texas
Kameron Davis; SS/OF; Albany, Ga.
Paul Dominguez; IF/OF; Anaheim, Calif.
Ross Felder; SS/RHP; Springdale, Ark.
Travis Friend; OF/MIF; Whittier, Calif.
Talin Gardini; LHP/1B; San Diego, Calif.
Gavin Gargiulo; RHP/1B; Coral Springs, Fla.
Dylan Green; IF/RHP; Roseville, Calif.
Kailand Halstead; C/RHP; Aberdeen, Wash.
Christian Hamilton; OF/RHP; Lauderhill, Fla.
Dean Moss; RHP/IF; Hillsborough, Calif.
Josiah Palomino; C/OF; Riverside, Calif.
Kibru Pam; OF/RHP; Pasadena, Calif.
Julius Pfau; IF/OF; Tampa, Fla.
Brady Strohm; 3B/RHP; Winchester, Calif.
Brock Thompson; MIF/RHP; Bakersfield, Calif.
Michael Torres; OH/LHP; Miami, Fla.