CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today revealed the 37-man 2021 15U National Team Trials roster following the conclusion of the USA Baseball National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina. The invited athletes will compete for 20 spots on the final 15U National Team which will be led in 2021 by Jared Halpert, who was named manager in June.
The roster is made up of 37 athletes who were identified and selected based on their participation and performance at USA Baseball sanctioned events, including the 14U and 15U National Team Championships. Twenty-two of this year’s trials selections participated in the event in North Carolina, while 14 were identified in Arizona. Additionally, seven athletes will receive invitations to join the 15U National Team Trials following the 2021 USA Baseball 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP), finalizing a 44-man trials roster.
“We are honored to have this incredible group of athletes competing for a chance to play for Team USA,” said Charles Lane, USA Baseball Director of Baseball Operations. “After extensive evaluations and research, our staff is thrilled with the high level of talent and character all of these players bring to the field. We are confident we will bring together a 15U National Team from this group that will represent the United States extremely well at the highest levels of the game.”
In 2021, the roster is highlighted by five USA Baseball national team alumni, seven athletes who participated in the inaugural 13U ADP in 2019, and eight who were named 15U National Team Trials selections in 2020.
Tristan Bristow (Helotes, Texas), Masa Chilcutt (San Antonio, Texas), Kailand Halstead (Puyallup, Wash.), Dean Moss (Atherton, Calif.), and Michael Torres (Miami, Fla.) will reunite at the 15U National Team Trials in 2021 after playing together on the 2018 12U National Team that won gold at the COPABE U-12 Pan American Championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Bristow, Chilcutt, Halstead, Moss, and Torres also participated in the 13U ADP in 2019, along with fellow 2021 trials selections JD Crisp (Cypress, Texas) and Braeden Weckman (Winter Springs, Fla.)
Additionally, Bristow, Chilcutt, Samuel Cozart (High Point, N.C.), Konnor Griffin (Florence, Miss.), Halstead, Moss, Jackson Sanders (Opelika, Ala.), and Weckman were also recognized as 15U National Team Trials selections last year. However, USA Baseball did not name a final 15U National Team in 2020 due the postponement of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup.
The Trials roster features athletes from 16 different states across the U.S. Leading the way is Florida with six selections, followed by California and Texas with four apiece. Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina all boast three players on this year’s roster.
At the helm of Team USA in 2021 is Halpert, who will serve as a national team manager for the first time in 2021 after making his national team coaching debut as an assistant coach with the 2019 15U National Team that won gold at the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier. He is currently in his sixth season at the helm of the Harvard-Westlake School (Studio City, Calif.) baseball program where, in 2019, he led the Wolverines to the finals of both the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Championship and the USA Baseball National High School Invitational.
Joining Halpert on the 15U National Team coaching staff in 2021 will be assistant coaches Steve Butler and Jeff Sherman, as well as pitching coach Rob Shabansky.
The 15U National Team schedule is not yet finalized for 2021 and will be announced at a later time.
For the most up-to-date information on the 15U National Team, visit USABaseball.com and follow @USABaseball and @USABaseball15U on Twitter.
The 2021 15U National Team Trials roster is as follows:
- 2021 15U National Team Trials Roster
- (Name; Position; Hometown; Travel Program)
- Henry Allen; INF; Auburn, Ala.; Team Elite
- Coy Allman; C; Marietta, Pa.; Canes National
- Jax Bishop; RHP; Rome, Ga.; East Cobb Astros
- *^Tristan Bristow; RHP; Helotes, Texas; Banditos Scout Team
- Slade Caldwell; OF; Jonesboro, Ark.; BPA Black
- Cam Caminiti; LHP; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Canes National
- *^Masa Chilcutt; INF/C; San Antonio, Texas; Canes West Black
- Samuel Cozart; RHP; High Point, N.C.; South Charlotte Panthers
- ^JD Crisp; OF; Cypress, Texas; Texas Twelve
- Jase DeSantis; INF; Las Vegas, Nev.; GBG Vegas
- Dylan Franco; RHP; Las Vegas, Nev.; GBG Vegas
- Cannon Goldin; OF; Buford, Ga.; Team Elite
- Gerardo Gonzalez; RHP; Phoenix, Ariz.; Canes West Black
- Konnor Griffin; OF/RHP; Florence, Miss.; Knights Knation
- *^Kailand Halstead; C/INF; Puyallup, Wash.; Next Level Xtreme
- Aiden Harris; INF; Midlothian, Va.; Richmond Braves Platinum
- Everett Johnson; INF/OF; Youngsville, N.C.; Canes National
- Blake Larson; LHP; Des Moines, Iowa; Texas Twelve
- John Lash; LHP; Charlotte, N.C.; South Charlotte Panthers
- Cal Miller; INF; Centerville, Utah; MBA Green
- Chase Mobley; RHP; Plant City, Fla.; Canes National
- *^Dean Moss; OF; Atherton, Calif.; Canes National
- Xavier Neyens; INF; Mount Vernon, Wash.; Trosky National
- Austin Nye; RHP; Roseville, Calif.; Alpha Prime
- Luke Oblen; RHP; Chicago, Ill.; Top Tier Select
- Carson Page; INF; Hahira, Ga.; Team Elite
- Ethan Puig; INF; Miami, Fla.; Elite Squad
- Mason Russell; LHP; Santan Valley, Ariz.; Canyon Thunder
- Jackson Sanders; LHP/OF; Opelika, Ala.; Team Elite
- Ethan Schiefelbein; LHP; Corona, Calif.; Easton Prime Red
- Carter Smith; INF/RHP; Fort Myers, Fla.; Canes National
- Joshua Springer; C; Corona, Calif.; Easton Prime Red
- *^Michael Torres; LHP/OF; Miami, Fla.; Elite Squad
- Nolan Traeger; C; Spring, Texas; Texas Twelve
- Cameron Uzzillia; INF; Tampa, Fla.; TBT Ballers
- ^Braeden Weckman; OF; Winter Springs, Fla.; Dirtbags
- George Wolkow; OF/INF; Downers Grove, Ill.; Canes National
- *Denotes USA Baseball National Team alum
- ^Denotes past 13U ADP participant
