CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today announced the 40-man 2022 18U National Team Training Camp roster selected following the conclusion of the 2022 Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League on July 6. The 18U National Team Training Camp will be held from August 29 through September 2 at the Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Meyers, Florida. The final 20-man 18U National Team roster will be named on September 2 and will then compete in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup on September 9-18 in Bradenton and Sarasota, Florida.
In addition to the 40 athletes selected from the PDP League, a select number of athletes from the upcoming USA Baseball 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP) will be chosen to compete for a spot on Team USA, finalizing the 2022 18U National Team Training Camp roster. The 16U/17U NTDP is set to take place from July 25-29 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.
“We are excited to have this talented group of athletes join us for the 2022 18U National Team Training Camp,” said Ashley Bratcher, USA Baseball 18U National Team General Manager. “There was an incredible amount of competition and depth at this summer’s PDP League, and it made for some difficult decisions for our coaches and staff, but we are confident in the ability of each of these players to represent the U.S. at the highest level. We look forward to determining our final roster that will represent the United States in September at the Baseball World Cup.”
The 40 players named to this year’s training camp roster hail from 19 different states and were selected out of the pool of 100 athletes that participated in the 2022 PDP League, which was held at the National Training Complex from June 29-July 6. The event is an invitation-based development and assessment opportunity for high school players eligible for the following year’s MLB Draft. Since its inception in 2019, it provides athletes with an extraordinary amateur experience, including competitive gameplay, player development sessions, educational seminars, and other programming to prepare players for a professional baseball career.
Four of the 40 players selected to the 18U Training Camp roster are alumni of past USA Baseball national teams, including two-time alum Aidan Miller (Trinity, Fla.), who was a member of the 2016 12U National Team and the 2019 15U National Team that won gold at the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier. Additionally, Colt Emerson (Cambridge, Ohio) was a member of the 2017 12U National Team squad that won the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup, while Walker Jenkins (Oak Island, N.C.) and Blake Mitchell (Sinton, Texas) will reunite after both were teammates on last year’s 18U National Team roster.
Twenty-six athletes on the roster are new to USA Baseball programming in 2022. Fourteen are past participants of the NTDP, along with Kendall George (Houston, Texas), RJ Hamilton (Hoover, Ala.), Cameron Johnson (Upper Marlboro, Md.), and Zion Rose (Chicago, Ill.), who have all participated in past diversity-focused development programs led by MLB and USA Baseball.
The 18U National Team will be led in 2022 by Denny Hocking, who is making his national team managerial debut after he was a manager at last year’s PDP League and 18U National Team Trials. He will be joined on staff by pitching coach Adam Mosely as well as assistant coaches Roberto Vaz and Jack Wilson.
For the most up-to-date information on the 18U National Team, visit USABaseball.com or follow @USABaseball and @USABaseball18U on Twitter.
The 2022 18U National Team Training Camp roster is as follows:
2022 18U National Team Training Camp Roster
(Name; Position; Hometown; School)
- ^Blake Balsz; C; Racho Santa Margarita, Calif.; Santa Margarita Catholic
- ^Eric Bitonti; INF; Hesperia, Calif.; Aquinas
- ^Casey Borba; INF; Santa Ana, Calif.; Orange Lutheran
- Jake Brown; LHP; Sulphur, La.; Sulphur
- ^Maxwell Clark; OF; Franklin, Ind.; Franklin
- Alexander Clemmey; LHP; Middletown, R.I.; Bishop Hendricken
- ^Dylan Cupp; INF; Cedartown, Ga.; Cedartown
- Matthew Dallas; LHP; Arlington, Tenn.; Briarcrest Christian
- Parker Detmers; RHP; Chatham, Ill.; Glenwood
- Blake Dickerson; LHP; Virginia Beach, Va.; Ocean Lakes
- Hunter Dietz; LHP; Trinity, Fla.; Calvary Christian
- ^Bryce Eldridge; RHP/INF; Vienna, Va.; James Madison
- *^Colt Emerson; INF; Cambridge, Ohio; John Glenn
- Jonny Farmelo; OF; Centreville, Va.; Westfield
- Chance Fitzgerald; RHP; Sanford, Fla.; Lake Howell
- Gabe Gaeckle; RHP; Aptos, Calif.; Aptos
- Kendall George; OF; Houston, Texas; Atasocita
- ^Gavin Grahovac; INF/OF; Orange, Calif.; Villa Park
- RJ Hamilton; INF; Hoover, Ala.; Hoover
- ^James Hays; RHP; Hawkinsville, Ga.; Westfield
- ^Ryder Helfrick; C; Discovery Bay, Calif.; Clayton Valley
- *^Walker Jenkins; OF; Oak Island, N.C.; South Brunswick
- Cameron Johnson; LHP; Upper Marlboro, Md.; Bishop McNamara
- Aidan Keenan; RHP; Morgan Hill, Calif.; Live Oak
- Barrett Kent; RHP; Pottsboro, Texas; Pottsboro
- Camden Kozeal; INF; Omaha, Neb.; Millard South
- Justin LeGuernic; LHP; Dix Hills, N.Y.; Half Hollow Hills West
- Roman Martin; INF; Whittier, Calif.; Servite
- Kevin McGonigle; INF; Aldan, Penn.; Monsignor Bonner Archbishop
- Noble Meyer; RHP; West Linn, Ore.; Jesuit
- *^Aidan Miller; IF/OF; Trinity, Fla.; JW Mitchell
- *^Blake Mitchell; C/RHP; Sinton, Texas; Sinton
- Tai Peete; INF/RHP; Tyrone, Ga.; Trinity Christian
- Edward Phelps III; INF; Atlanta, Ga.; Georgia Premier Academy
- ^Christian Rodriguez; RHP/OF; Coral Springs, Fla.; Marjory Stoneman Douglas
- Zion Rose; C/OF; Chicago, Ill.; Brother Rice
- Stone Russell; INF; Bradenton, Fla.; IMG
- Charlee Soto; RHP; Kissimmee, Fla.; Reborn Christian
- Cameron Tilly; RHP; Newburgh, Ind.; Castle
- Thomas White; LHP; Rowley, Mass.; Phillips Academy
*Denotes USA Baseball National Team alum
^Denotes past NTDP participant
