CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today named the coaching staff for the 2025 12U National Team, led by Bryan Madsen, who is tabbed manager for the second consecutive year. Alongside Madsen is a seasoned group of coaches, featuring pitching coach Wes Brooks, Alabama Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Famer Roger Wright, and assistant coach Erick Quesada.
Madsen and Quesada make their second appearance on a World Cup roster, having previously served on staff of the gold medal-winning 2023 12U National Team. Rounding out the group are Brooks and Wright, who will each log two consecutive summers in a Team USA uniform. The experienced coaching quartet will lead the stars and stripes at the eighth edition of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup, set to take place from July 25-August 3 in Tainan, Taiwan. There, the team will compete for its fifth consecutive gold medal and aim to defend its WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup title won in 2023.
“I'm extremely thankful and proud to be named manager of the 12U National Team,” said Madsen. “It's a privilege and an honor to represent this program and our country, show what we’re about, and show why we are the greatest country in the world. Being able to wear this uniform again and having the opportunity to win another gold medal is not something I take lightly. I can’t wait to get back to work with our incredible staff and the most talented young athletes and coaches in the world.”
“We are excited to announce the coaching staff for this year’s 12U National Team,” said 12U National Team Program Director Cole Beeker. “This group is incredibly accomplished, with decades of experience in both playing and coaching baseball. I have full confidence that they will lead the United States to a gold medal at this year’s World Cup in Taiwan. Bryan Madsen is a proven leader who unequivocally prepares his team for the spotlight while Wes Brooks is an exceptional pitching coach who knows how to dictate a game from start to finish. Roger Wright has a track record of piloting high-caliber teams to championships and Erick Quesada’s commitment to coaching and developing amateur athletes is an invaluable asset to this group.”
After taking the helm for the first time in 2024, Madsen earns the honor to lead Team USA to the top of the podium for the second time in as many years. Madsen proved his ability to lead a national team to glory by guiding the U.S. to a 7-0 record, outpacing opponents 57-9, and securing a gold-medal finish at the 2024 WBSC U-12 Baseball Americas Qualifier in Panama. Prior to his first stint as manager, Madsen served as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2023 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup in Taiwan, helping lead the U.S. to its second consecutive WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup title. Team USA batted .440 as a team with Madsen on staff, outscoring opponents 120-37 and launching a tournament-high 18 home runs. Before joining the 12U staff, Madsen coached at the 12U National Team Training Camp in both 2021 and 2022 and assisted in the selection of the final roster. He also held a coaching position at the 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP) in 2022 and has been on the USA Baseball Task Force at numerous different events, including the Futures Invitational and the National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup.
Madsen prepares the 12U National Team prior to its first contest at the 2024 WBSC U-12 Baseball Americas Qualifier in Panama
Madsen, who served six years in the United States Marine Corps from 1999-2005, is currently in his first season as assistant coach at Episcopal School of Jacksonville. Before relocating to Florida, the California native etched three seasons as the head coach at St. Joseph’s High School (Santa Maria, Calif.) and earned 2024 Santa Maria Times All-Area Baseball Team Coach of the Year honors. In 2023, he led the Knights to a 19-11 overall record with a 12-2 mark in league play, reaching the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Central Section Baseball Championships. Prior to taking over at St. Joseph’s, Madsen was an assistant coach at Arroyo Grande High School (Arroyo Grande, Calif.) for six seasons. He is also the co-owner of Coastal Empire Baseball, which provides training and workouts for baseball players in Southern California, and is a coach with the Florida-based Cannons Baseball University (CBU).
Overseeing the arms of the stars and stripes is Brooks, who will be navigating his second tour in a Team USA uniform. Brooks reprises his role as pitching coach for the U.S. in back-to-back summers after making his first appearance on staff in 2024. Brooks’ pitching staff played an integral role in capturing gold at last year’s WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier, as the squad boasted a 0.86 ERA, hurled four shutouts, and tossed one no-hitter. Brooks has been involved with USA Baseball in several different roles for over a decade, including a coaching stint at the 2023 12U National Team Training Camp and USA Baseball Task Force for multiple events, including the Futures Invitational and the NTIS Champions Cup.
A longtime high school baseball coach, Brooks was the head coach at Oxford High School (Oxford, Ala.) for 18 years, taking over in 2005 before transitioning to an athletics supervisor position following the 2023 season. He led the Yellow Jackets to state titles in both 2012 and 2023, guiding the program to a 39-6 overall record in his final year at the helm. Brooks’ team also competed in the first-ever USA Baseball National High School Invitational (NHSI) in 2012 and went 2-1 in tournament play. Prior to becoming the head coach at Oxford, Brooks held the same role for four seasons at his alma mater, Wellborn High School (Anniston, Ala.), where he initially joined as an assistant in 2001. Brooks played collegiately at Jacksonville State before spending one year in the minor leagues.
Wright brings a bevy of experience, joining Madsen and Brooks on a national team staff for the second consecutive year. Prior to his time coaching with Team USA, Wright was the head coach at Buckhorn High School (New Market, Ala.) for over two decades, taking over the program in 1997 and concluding his time with the Bucks in 2019. He amassed 453 wins at Buckhorn and led the Bucks to a combined 14 Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) state playoff appearances, including eight at the 5A level and six at the 6A level. Wright is currently a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH), where he previously spent three seasons as the pitching coach in 2015, 2016, and 2020. At UAH in 2020, he helped lead the Chargers to an NCAA South Regional appearance. Wright was named the Huntsville Metro Coach of the Year five times and, after over 20 years of service to baseball in the state of Alabama, was inducted into the Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016 and the ABCA Hall of Fame in 2022. Additionally, his son Kyle played for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team in 2016 and is currently a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals.
Completing the coaching staff is Quesada, who will make his second appearance alongside Madsen on a 12U National Team World Cup staff after assisting in the team’s gold-medal run in 2023. For the past 10 years, Quesada has serviced USA Baseball in many capacities, such as USA Baseball Task Force for the Futures Invitational, National Team Championships Arizona, and NTIS Champions Cup. Quesada currently serves as the head coach of the baseball team at Mingus Union High School (Cottonwood, Ariz.), where he has led the program since 2018. Prior to his time at Mingus Union, Quesada coached at Texas Wesleyan, where he played baseball during his senior year. In addition, Quesada has experience playing collegiate ball at Western Oregon and Chandler-Gilbert Community College.
The 12U National Team has won eight gold medals in international competition, including its most recent victory at the 2024 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier, marking its seventh gold medal in 11 years. The U.S. has medaled in five out of the six WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cups it has participated in, and currently leads all nations with five gold medals.
The 12U National Team Training Camp will take place from June 23-27 in Cary, North Carolina, featuring five days of intrasquad games, on-field workouts, and player development. The final 18-player roster will be announced on June 27.
The full 2025 12U National Team schedule can be found here. Follow along with the action by following @USABaseball12U on X and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
