SARASOTA, Fla. – USA Baseball today announced the 2021 18U National Team, following the conclusion of the 2021 18U National Team Trials. The final 26-man roster will compete in a seven-game friendship series against Canada from September 3-9.

The friendship series will take place in Bradenton and Sarasota, Florida, and each of the seven games will be streamed live on the USA Baseball Facebook page. Live stats will also be available for every game on USABaseball.com.

“This process is always a lot of fun but at the same time when it comes down to making the final decisions, it’s always difficult,” said 2021 18U National Team Manager Jason Maxwell. “But with the players that we have selected, we are very excited about them moving on and representing USA the way that we should be representing. There is a standard when you put on a USA uniform and we’re looking forward to these guys living up to that standard and making USA Baseball proud.”

Four members of the 2021 18U National Team have suited up for the red, white, and blue previously, including Karson Bowen (Anaheim Hills, Calif.), who has now been named to his fourth national team. Bowen, Termarr Johnson (Atlanta, Ga.), and Louis Rodriguez (Long Beach, Calif.) are reuniting on Team USA in 2021 after playing together on the 2019 15U National Team that won gold at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier. Bowen and Rodriguez were also teammates on the 2016 12U National Team.

Ryan Clifford (Raleigh, N.C.) is also playing for Team USA for the third time in his career in 2021 after having won world championships with both the 2015 12U National Team and the 2018 15U National Team. Bowen was also a member of the 2018 15U National Team that won the program’s first-ever WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup.

The 26-man roster also features six athletes that have participated in the National Team Development Program (NTDP). Clifford was a member of the 2017 14U NTDP and the 2019 16U and 17U NTDPs, while Bowen participated in the 2018 14U NTDP. Additionally, Kade Anderson (Madisonville, La.), Walter Ford (McCalla, Ala.), Walker Jenkins (Oak Island, N.C.), and Blake Mitchell (Sinton, Texas) all played in the 2021 16U/17U NTDP earlier this summer.

Twenty-two members of the 2021 18U National Team were selected from the 2021 Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP League), which serves as a primary identification event for the 18U National Team program. The PDP League, which took place in Cary, North Carolina, from July 24-31, is an invitation-based development and assessment opportunity for high school players eligible for the following year’s MLB Draft. It provides athletes with an unprecedented amateur experience, including competitive gameplay, player development sessions, educational seminars, and additional programming aimed to prepare players for a professional baseball career.

The 18U National Team is led in 2021 by Manager Jason Maxwell, who is serving as a national team manager for the second time after guiding the 15U National Team to its first world championship in 2018. Maxwell is joined on staff by assistant coaches Michael Cuddyer and Jack Wilson, as well as Brad Penny, who is serving as the team’s pitching coach.

Beginning on September 3, Team USA will take on Canada in a seven-game friendship series that was added to the calendar following the postponement of the 2021 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup to 2022.

The series will be hosted at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, and LECOM Park and Pirate City in Bradenton. The schedule for the series is as follows:

• Friday, September 3: Ed Smith Stadium at 6:00 p.m. EDT
• Saturday, September 4: Ed Smith Stadium at 4:00 p.m. EDT
• Sunday, September 5: Ed Smith Stadium at 6:00 p.m. EDT
• Monday, September 6: Tropicana Field at 4:00 p.m. EDT
• Tuesday, September 7: LECOM Park at 2:00 p.m. EDT
• Wednesday, September 8: Pirate City at 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Thursday, September 9: LECOM Park at 2:00 p.m. EDT

The full 2021 18U National Team schedule can be found here.

For the most up-to-date information on the 18U National Team, visit USABaseball.com or follow @USABaseball and @USABaseball18U on Twitter.

• 2021 18U National Team Roster
• (Name; Position; Hometown; School)
• Joe Allen; RHP; Hampton Falls, N.H.; Winnacunnet
• ^Kade Anderson; LHP; Madisonville, La.; St. Paul's
• RJ Austin; UTIL; Atlanta, Ga.; Pace Academy
• *^Karson Bowen; C; Anaheim Hills, Calif.; Orange Lutheran
• *^Ryan Clifford; OF/1B; Raleigh, N.C.; Pro5 Academy
• Andrew Dutkanych; RHP; Indianapolis, Ind.; Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory
• Jackson Ferris; LHP; Mount Airy, N.C.; IMG Academy
• Cade Fisher; LHP; Dalton, Ga.; Northwest Whitfield County
• ^Walter Ford; RHP; McCalla, Ala.; McAdory
• Elijah Green; OF; Windermere, Fla.; IMG Academy
• Gavin Guidry; UTIL; Lake Charles, La.; Alfred M. Barbe
• Jackson Holliday; MIF; Stillwater, Okla.; Stillwater
• Jayden Hylton; 1B; Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; Palm Beach Gardens
• ^Walker Jenkins; OF; Oak Island, N.C.; South Brunswick
• *Termarr Johnson; MIF; Atlanta, Ga.; Mays
• Druw Jones; OF; Suwanee, Ga.; Wesleyan
• Michael Kennedy; LHP; Troy, N.Y.; Troy
• Gavin Kilen; MIF; Milton, Wis.; Milton
• Paxton Kling; OF; Roaring Spring, Pa.; Central
• ^Blake Mitchell; UTIL; Sinton, Texas; Sinton
• Owen Murphy; UTIL; Riverside, Ill.; Riverside Brookfield
• Jack O'Connor; RHP; Arlington, Va.; Bishop O’Connell
• Brennan Phillips; LHP; Owasso, Okla.; Owasso
• *Louis Rodriguez; RHP; Long Beach, Calif.; Orange Lutheran
• Oliver Santos; LHP; Newport Coast, Calif.; Orange Lutheran
• Riley Stanford; OF/RHP; Gainesville, Ga.; Buford
•  
• *Denotes USA Baseball National Team alum
• ^Denotes past NTDP participant