CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today named the coaching staff and evaluators for the 2021 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP). Former USA Baseball 15U National Team Assistant Coach Drew Briese will serve as the 13U/14U ADP field coordinator in 2021.

The field coordinator, with the assistance of additional coaches and evaluators, will assess 40 athletes during the ADP. Joining Briese on the coaching staff is a collection of former professional players and respected collegiate and high school coaches, including Erik Bakich, Eric Borba, Josh Ellison, Scott Grove, David Houseton, Brett Kay, Casey Scott, Troy Tulowitzski, and John Weber.

The ADP features unparalleled instruction provided by USA Baseball national team coaches, college coaches, and select premier high school coaches from across the country. The program includes skill development sessions, off-field educational seminars, an intrasquad series between Stars and Stripes teams, and exposure to professional scouts, college recruiters, and USA Baseball staff and national team coaches.

“We are incredibly excited about the staff that will guide and teach the athletes invited to the 2021 13U/14U Athlete Development Program,” said Ben Kelley, USA Baseball Director of Baseball Operations. “There is a wealth of talent and experience on this staff that will make this year’s Athlete Development Program a truly unparalleled opportunity for these young players to grow and develop both on and off the field. We cannot wait to get started.”

Briese returns to the USA Baseball coaching ranks as the 2021 13U/14U ADP Field Coordinator after serving as a pitching coach for the 2019 National Team Development Program (NTDP). He has also served as an evaluator and coach with USA Baseball since 2013, including stops as an assistant coach for the 2016 15U National Team and as a coach at the 2015 14U NTDP.

Recently finishing his fifth season as the head coach at his alma mater, Centre College (Danville, Ky.), Briese guided the Colonels to their highest win total (24) in program history during the 2019 season. Prior to his time at Centre, he was part of the Birmingham-Southern College (Birmingham, Ala.) coaching staff for ten seasons. Briese helped lead the Panthers to 10 conference tournament and regular season titles with four straight NCAA Division III Regional appearances.

Scott Grove will join Briese on the staff and will serve as the pitching coordinator. Grove recently finished his ninth season as the head coach at The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.). Under his leadership, the Royals participated in the 2014 and 2016 USA Baseball National High School Invitational (NHSI), winning the title in 2014. He was named Sunbelt Classic National Coach of the Year in 2010 and earned both Metro’s Coach of the Year and Florida Coach of the Year honors in 2010 and 2011. Grove is no stranger USA Baseball’s development programming as he was a pitching coach for the 2016 14U NTDP and served as an assistant coach in both the 2017 and 2018 editions.

University of Michigan Head Coach Erik Bakich will lead the Stars team in 2021. Bakich recently finished his ninth season at the helm of Michigan’s baseball program, where he was named 2019 NCBWA National Coach of the Year after leading the Wolverines to their third College World Series appearance in school history. Under his guidance, Michigan has made the NCAA Tournament a total of three times and claimed the Big Ten Tournament Championship in 2015.

Joining Bakich on the Stars staff will be Cypress High School (Cypress, Calif.) Head Coach John Weber, Covenant Day School (Matthews, N.C.) Head Coach David Houseton, and JSerra Catholic High School (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) Head Coach Brett Kay. Weber will lead the team’s pitching staff, while Houseton and Kay will serve as assistant coaches.

Former MLB All-Star and current University of Texas Assistant Coach Troy Tulowitzki will take the reins for the Stripes this summer. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2005 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies, Tulowitzki earned two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers, finished in the top-10 in MVP voting three times, and was a five-time MLB All-Star (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015) in 13 years in the big leagues. He also helped lead the Rockies to the organization’s first-ever World Series appearance in 2007 and finished his playing career with a .290 average, 780 RBIs, and 225 home runs before starting his coaching career with the Longhorns in 2019.

Tulowitzki will be joined by Bishop Verot High School (Fort Myers, Fla.) Head Coach Casey Scott, Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.) Head Coach Eric Borba, and Chaparral High School (Scottsdale, Ariz.) Assistant Coach Josh Ellison on the Stripes staff. Scott will guide the squad’s pitching staff, while Borba and Ellison will serve as assistant coaches for the Stripes.

The 2021 13U/14U ADP will take place August 2-5 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. The 13U/14U ADP will once again serve as an identification event for the 15U National Team Trials roster.  A minimum of four athletes will be selected to the 15U Trials roster and will compete for a spot on the 2021 15U National Team.  Additionally, a minimum of four athletes from the event will earn an invitation to the 2022 15U National Team Trials. 

USA Baseball will utilize a rolling invitation process for the 13U/14U ADP participants in 2021. The athletes will be selected from the 2021 14U National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina, and through recommendations from scouts, coaches and the amateur baseball community.

For more information on the USA Baseball National Team Development Program, visit USABaseball.com or follow @USABDevelops on Twitter.

The full ADP staff and their bios are as follows:



• Name; ADP Position; Current Position
  
• Erik Bakich; Stars Manager; University of Michigan Head Coach
• Eric Borba; Stripes Assistant Coach; Orange Lutheran High School Head Coach
• Drew Briese; Field Coordinator; Centre College Head Coach
• Josh Ellison; Stripes Assistant Coach; Chaparral High School Assistant Coach
• Scott Grove; Pitching Coordinator; The First Academy Head Coach
• David Houseton; Stars Assistant Coach; Covenant Day School Head Coach
• Brett Kay; Stars Assistant Coach; JSerra Catholic High School Head Coach
• Casey Scott; Stars Pitching Coach; Bishop Verot Catholic High School Head Coach
• Troy Tulowitzki; Stripes Manager; University of Texas Assistant Coach
• John Weber; Stars Pitching Coach; Cypress High School Head Coach

 

Erik Bakich just finished his ninth season as the head coach at the University of Michigan. In 2019, Bakich’s squad enjoyed one of its most successful seasons in program history. Entering the NCAA Tournament unseeded, the Wolverines made it all the way to the College World Series Final for just the third time in school history under Bakich’s leadership. The feat earned him NCBWA National Coach of the Year honors. Michigan has made three trips to the NCAA Tournament with Bakich at the helm and the program has claimed the Big Ten Tournament Championship once. Before his time at Michigan, Bakich spent three years as the head coach at the University of Maryland. He also had stints as an assistant coach at Clemson and Vanderbilt. Bakich played collegiately at East Carolina University before spending a professional season in the Independent Professional Baseball League.

Eric Borba is currently the head coach at Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.), where he has led one of the Trinity League’s most consistent programs since his arrival in 2009. He has amassed a 268-106-1 record and four Trinity League championships in 13 years at the helm of the Lancers. He also led Orange Lutheran to an unprecedented three consecutive USA Baseball National High School Invitational titles from 2017-19, becoming the first program in the event’s history to accomplish such a feat. In addition to his success at Orange Lutheran, Borba served as the head coach for the 2016 12U National Team and was also an assistant coach for the 2014 12U National Team that won a silver medal in the 2014 COPABE Pan American “A” Championships.

Drew Briese returns to the USA Baseball coaching ranks as the 2021 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP) Field Coordinator after serving as a pitching coach for the 2019 National Team Development Program. He has also served as an evaluator and coach with USA Baseball since 2013, including stops as an assistant coach for the 2016 15U National Team and as a coach at the 2015 14U NTDP. Briese just finished his fifth season as the head coach at his alma mater, Centre College (Danville, Ky.). He guided the Colonels to their highest win total (24) in the 2019 season. Prior to his time at Centre, Briese was part of the Birmingham-Southern College (Birmingham, Ala.) coaching staff for ten seasons. He helped lead the Panthers to 10 conference tournament and regular season titles with four straight NCAA Division III Regional appearances.

Josh Ellison is currently an assistant coach at Chaparral High School (Scottsdale, Ariz.). He previously served as an assistant coach at Arcadia High School (Phoenix, Ariz.). Prior to his time at Arcadia, Ellison began his coaching career at Tonopah Valley High School (Tonopah, Ariz.) in 2009 and then coached at Desert Edge (Goodyear, Ariz.) from 2011-2014 and Shadow Ridge (Surprise, Ariz.) from 2015-2016. He was selected in the 11th round of the 2001 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners after a stellar high school career at Westminster Academy and amassed five years of professional baseball experience, bringing a wealth of knowledge to the staff. In four years with the Mariners – where he reached Triple-A in 2004 – and one season in the Yankees system in 2005, Ellison hit .281 while collecting 217 hits, 139 runs, and 78 RBIs.

Scott Grove recently finished his ninth season as the head coach at The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.). Under his leadership, the Royals participated in the 2014 and 2016 USA Baseball National High School Invitationals (NHSI), winning the title in 2014. Grove is familiar with the National Team Development Program (NTDP), as he was a pitching coach at the 14U NTDP in 2016, as well as an assistant coach in both 2017 and 2018. Grove was named Sunbelt Classic National Coach of the Year in 2010 and Metro's Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2011. He was also recognized as the Florida Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2011. Most recently, Grove guide his team to the program’s first-ever FHSAA state championship in 2021. Before beginning his coaching career, Grove was selected in the 1987 MLB First-Year Player Draft and played in the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays minor league systems.

David Houseton is currently in his 13th season as the head coach at Covenant Day School (Matthews, N.C.). He has led the Lions to the NCISAA 3A state playoffs multiple times in his career and has twice been named Coach of the Year by Matthews Mint Hill Weekly. He has experience with USA Baseball as part of the 13U NTIS Task Force and was on staff for the inaugural 13U ADP in 2019. Houseton has 17 years of coaching experience at the high school level, along with travel ball, operating the South Charlotte Braves Baseball Academy. Houseton played collegiately at Motlow State and University of North Alabama before entering the coaching ranks.

Brett Kay currently serves as the head coach at JSerra Catholic High School (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.). In 14 seasons, Kay has won four Trinity League titles. He is the longest-tenured coach in the Trinity League, leading the Lions to three top-10 rankings in the past six seasons as well as consistent rankings amongst Orange County’s best. The 2009 Orange County Coach of the Year, Kay’s team won an unprecedented three-consecutive Trinity League titles from 2014-16. He has led JSerra to six 20-win seasons, including a program-best 27 wins in both 2015 and 2016. He got his coaching start in 2006 at Capo Valley Christian, leading the team to the playoffs en route to being named Academy League Coach of the Year. Kay has coached future pros such as 2017 MLB Draft first-overall pick Royce Lewis and 2019 MLB Draft second round selection Chase Strumpf. Kay was an eighth-round pick by the New York Mets in the 2001 MLB Draft and played for three seasons in the Mets organization.

Casey Scott joins the 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP) staff as a pitching coach after most recently serving in the same role on the 2019 14U National Team Development Program (NTDP) staff. He was named the head coach at Bishop Verot Catholic High School (Fort Myers, Fla.) in 2019 after spending a season as an assistant coach for the State University of New York at Cortland. Prior to his time in Cortland, Scott spent four seasons as the head coach at Ave Maria University in Florida. He also served as head coach of the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs of the New York Collegiate Baseball League, where he led the squad to a league title and was named the league’s Coach of the Year in 2012. Scott began his coaching career as an assistant coach at SUNY Brockport after playing there collegiately. 

Five-time MLB All-Star Troy Tulowitzki played in the big leagues for 13 years before joining the University of Texas as an assistant coach in 2019. In addition to his five All-Star game selections (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015), Tulowitzki was a two-time Gold Glove award winner and a two-time Silver Slugger in his career. He was drafted with the seventh overall pick by the Colorado Rockies in the 2005 MLB Draft and made his Major League debut for the club on August 30, 2006. In ten seasons with the Rockies, he helped lead the franchise to its first-ever World Series appearance in 2007 and finished in the top-10 in MVP voting three times during his tenure in Colorado. A career .290 hitter, Tulowitzki racked up 1,391 hits, 780 RBIs, and 225 home runs. During his 2011 All-Star season, the California native recorded career highs in hits (162), doubles (36), home runs (30), and RBIs (105). Following his retirement from professional baseball, Tulowitzki was named to the Longhorns staff and began working with infielders and hitters, helping lead Texas to a first-place finish in the Big 12 in 2021. Additionally, Tulowitzki was a two-time All-American at Long Beach State prior to his professional playing and collegiate coaching careers. He played for the 2004 Collegiate National Team during that time, helping lead Team USA to a gold medal at the FISU World University Championships that summer. He was inducted into the Long Beach State Hall of Fame in 2013.

John Weber is in his sixteenth season as the head coach at Cypress High School (Cypress, Calif.), making him the longest-tenured head coach in school history. Weber joins the 2021 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP) staff as no stranger to USA Baseball, having served on the Task Force for the 12U National Team in 2014 and serving in the same role for both the 12U and 18U National Teams in 2015. In his time at Cypress, Weber’s teams have won 10 league championships and he was named the 2013 Orange County Register’s Coach of the Year. He has also coached a handful of future professional players, including current Los Angeles Angels infielder David Fletcher and top Boston Red Sox prospect Jarren Duran. Prior to taking the job at Cypress, Weber held jobs as an assistant coach at Los Alamitos High School and Santa Ana College. He also coached in the Alaskan Summer League.