CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today revealed its annual organizational award winners, recognizing the top athletes, coaches, performances, and staff from its 2024 national teams and development programs. After being named Tournament MVP and guiding the 18U National Team to a gold medal finish, Kayson Cunningham took home the Richard W. “Dick” Case Award, recognizing the athlete of the year.
Alongside Cunningham, 18U National Team Manager Rick Eckstein earned Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year honors after guiding his squad atop the podium. Eckstein was also the hitting coach for the Premier12 team and helped the U.S. earn a bronze medal in Japan. Casey Lawrence, who was on the Premier12 roster with Eckstein, struck out seven batters in six shutout innings during the bronze medal game to collect International Performance of the Year honors. Meggie Meidlinger was named the Sportswoman of the Year after a stellar showing out of the bullpen during the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals in Canada.
Fresh off a gold-medal run at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in Panama, the 18U National Team was awarded Team of the Year honors for the fifth time, leading the race amongst all national teams. Additionally, Skylar Meade received the “Doc” Counsilman Science Award while Roy Hallenbeck earned Coach Educator of the Year honors.
Byron Campbell (Service Provider of the Year), Charlie Condon (Golden Spikes Award), Josh Ellison (Volunteer Coach of the Year), and Bryan Madsen (Developmental Coach of the Year) round out the 2024 award winners.
“It is an honor to celebrate and reward our outstanding athletes, coaches, and staff for their remarkable accomplishments throughout 2024,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball’s Executive Director and CEO. “This year provided another strong showing for the organization, adding two gold medals, a silver medal, and a Premier12 podium finish to our account. As we shift our focus to maintaining our success in 2025, it is vital to take a moment to acknowledge and appreciate all of those who played a role in making 2024 another successful campaign for USA Baseball.”
The complete list of the 2024 USA Baseball organizational award winners is as follows:
Richard W. “Dick” Case Award: Kayson Cunningham (18U National Team)
Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year: Rick Eckstein (18U National Team and Premier12 Team)
Sportswoman of the Year: Meggie Meidlinger (Women’s National Team)
International Performance of the Year: Casey Lawrence (Premier12 Team)
Team of the Year: 18U National Team
Developmental Coach of the Year: Bryan Madsen (12U National Team)
Volunteer Coach of the Year: Josh Ellison (12U National Team and 18U National Team Training Camp)
Coach Educator of the Year: Roy Hallenbeck
“Doc” Councilman Science Award: Skylar Meade (Collegiate National Team)
Service Provider of the Year: Byron Campbell (Premier12 Team)
Golden Spikes Award: Charlie Condon (University of Georgia)
Kayson Cunningham led the 18U National Team to a gold medal at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier to secure Richard W. “Dick” Case Player of the Year honors. Cunningham was named the Tournament MVP after batting .417 and finishing in the top five in many offensive statistical categories: OPS (1.025), total bases (13), RBIs (12), hits (10), runs (7), and doubles (3). Cunningham picked up at least one hit in every game and drove in at least one run in seven of Team USA’s eight games, including four in the tournament opener against Costa Rica and the go-ahead run in the sixth inning of the gold medal game against Panama. He played every inning at shortstop for the United States and earned a spot on the all-tournament team at that position. Cunningham’s stint with the stars and stripes was his national team debut after he spent several years participating in USA Baseball’s development programs. He was a member of the 13U Athlete Development Program (ADP) in 2019, spent two summers at the 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP) in 2022 and 2023, and competed at 18U National Team Training Camp in 2023 before earning his spot on the team in 2024.
Rick Eckstein served on two coaching staffs and won two medals in 2024, earning him the Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year Award. Eckstein, a seven-time Team USA coach, first managed the 18U National Team in August at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in Panama. The U.S. went 8-0 and won a gold medal with Eckstein at the helm, outscoring opponents 58-9, leading the tournament with a .280 batting average, and posting a 1.08 ERA on the mound. Eckstein coached three players to spots on the all-tournament team, including Tournament MVP and Richard W. “Dick” Case Player of the Year Award winner Kayson Cunningham. After bringing a gold medal home from Panama, Eckstein then served as hitting coach on Mike Scioscia’s staff for the Professional National Team at the Premier12 tournament in November. The U.S. offense ranked second in the tournament in hits (83), runs scored (51), and home runs (12), with Eckstein leading the charge in capturing a bronze medal. Eckstein, who now has five medals as a USA Baseball coach, was previously named the organization’s Coach Educator of the Year in 2023.
An eight-time national team alum, Meggie Meidlinger earned USA Baseball’s Sportswoman of the Year honors after a strong showing on the bump during the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals in August, helping the United States secure a silver medal in the first Women’s World Cup since 2018. She made three appearances in relief for the U.S. and was Team USA's go-to arm in the bullpen as she compiled a spotless 0.00 ERA and a 2-0 record. On July 30 against Canada, she closed out the game by yielding just one hit in an inning of work. She then proceeded to toss 2.1 hitless innings against Japan on August 1 to secure Team USA’s spot in the gold medal game. In a rematch with Japan in the gold medal game on August 3, she hurled another scoreless inning and allowed just one hit.
Meggie Meidlinger pitching for Team USA at the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup
Casey Lawrence’s spectacular start in the bronze medal game of the 2024 Premier12 presented by RAXUS was tabbed USA Baseball’s International Performance of the Year. Facing Venezuela–which hit a tournament-most 13 home runs and batted .280 as a team during the Premier12–Lawrence tossed six shutout innings with seven strikeouts and just four hits allowed to help the United States win the bronze medal. The veteran right-hander needed just 70 pitches to get through six innings and only permitted one baserunner to reach second base in the outing. Lawrence was able to dance around leadoff singles in the second and third innings to keep Venezuela off the board as the U.S. took the lead, and he stranded runners in the fourth and sixth frames to ensure his side would stay in front. The 37-year-old became just the third U.S. pitcher to throw six innings in a start at the Premier12 and the first to do so without issuing a single walk.
The 18U National Team was named USA Baseball’s Team of the Year after an unbeaten, gold-medal run at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in Panama in August. Team USA’s tournament got off to a strong start as Nico Partida and Xavier Mitchell combined to no-hit Costa Rica, the team’s first no-hitter since 2014. Wins over Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Brazil, and Panama got the U.S. into the quarterfinal, where Aiden Stillman allowed just one hit in six innings to beat Mexico and secure Team USA’s spot in next year’s World Cup. The stars and stripes then beat Puerto Rico to advance to the gold medal game against host Panama, where two runs in the sixth inning lifted the U.S. to a 4-2 win. The United States led the 13-team tournament with 58 runs scored, a .280 team batting average, and a .758 OPS. On the mound, Team USA posted a 1.08 team ERA and allowed just 27 hits in eight games, the fewest number of hits allowed in a single tournament in team history. The staff permitted just nine runs and only two extra-base hits across eight games. 2024 marks the fifth year that the 18U National Team has won Team of the Year and the first since 2014.
After leading the 12U National Team to a gold medal at the 2024 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier, Bryan Madsen is the 2024 Developmental Coach of the Year recipient. In his first year as manager, Madsen’s team was nothing short of dominant; Team USA outscored opponents 57-9, owned a 0.86 ERA, and went on a seven-game unbeaten streak en route to securing its eighth gold medal in 12 years. In addition, Team USA tossed four shutouts, one no-hitter, and broke previous 12U National Team records such as most combined strikeouts as a staff in a game (13). Under his guidance, Madsen saw three players named to the all-tournament team, including Tournament MVP Carlo Rivero. Madsen’s dedication to USA Baseball is seen in his consistent work ethic, evaluating players year-round and regularly taking part in 12U National Team efforts. Madsen has been involved with the 12U National Team in some capacity since 2021 in addition to coaching at USA Baseball’s 13U/14U ADP in 2022.
Josh Ellison exemplifies what it means to help grow the game of baseball at all levels with passion, leading him to being named USA Baseball’s Volunteer Coach of the Year. Ellison had his first stint on a national team staff in 2024, serving as an assistant coach for the 12U National Team. With Ellison on staff, Team USA won gold in the 2024 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier, hit .357 as a squad, notched 45 RBIs, and scored 57 runs over a seven-game stretch. Ellison oversaw the high-powered Team USA offense that led the tournament in hits, batting average, and runs scored. This past year, Ellison also assisted at the 2024 18U National Team Training Camp, helping prepare the squad to win gold at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier. Year in and year out, Ellison has proved his dedication to America’s pastime, serving in various capacities within USA Baseball’s organization since 2019, including numerous national team training camps and development programs.
Josh Ellison at the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier
A consistent presence in USA Baseball Community Clinics, Roy Hallenbeck was named the 2024 Coach Educator of the Year. In 2019, Hallenbeck stepped down as the winningest baseball coach in Millville High School (NJ) program history. After his 21-year career, he turned his attention to helping shape the next generation of coaches and players. Hallenbeck has been a featured presenter at Community Coach Clinics and Virtual Coach Clinics, impacting hundreds of coaches across the nation. In 2024, he was selected as a coach for the MLB ID Tour, which focuses on discovering baseball talent among underexposed and diverse groups of athletes. Hallenbeck traveled to 18 cities in 16 states and helped develop and identify more than 1,100 players. Additionally, he has served on the USA Baseball Task Force for several years, aiding in finding players for future USA Baseball national teams and development programs.
Collegiate National Team Pitching Coach Skylar Meade, who coached the International Friendship Series roster, is the 2024 “Doc” Counsilman Science Award recipient. Meade’s commitment to the use of scientific data and state-of-the-art technology paid great dividends for Team USA this past summer in the 21st USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series and Fourth of July Game against the Summer League Tour roster. Meade utilized the data provided by PDP Performance Assessments and Rapsodo to help Team USA sweep Chinese Taipei in a five-game series and secure a 4-3 walk-off win over the Summer League Tour roster on the Fourth of July. The IFS pitching staff compiled a 1.12 ERA and undefeated record over six games, allowing just six earned runs, and fanned 62 batters compared to 18 walks allowed.
Byron Campbell, the 2024 Service Provider of the Year, served as strength and conditioning coach for the Professional National Team during the Premier12 bronze-medal run. Campbell spent a month with the team starting in Arizona for training camp, to Tepic and Guadalajara, Mexico, for the Opening Round, and ending in Tokyo where Team USA defeated Venezuela for a third-place finish. The Premier12 roster that Campbell helped develop through strength and conditioning was made up of 15 pitchers and 13 position players who were not on MLB 40-man rosters, ranging from 44-year-old Rich Hill to the No. 4 overall prospect in Carson Williams. Campbell is a former Division I and professional baseball player who currently serves as senior physical therapist for the Baltimore Orioles.
Georgia’s Charlie Condon was named the 46th winner of the Golden Spikes Award presented by Chinook Seedery earlier this year. Created in 1978, the Golden Spikes Award honors the top amateur baseball player in the United States based on their athletic ability, sportsmanship, character, and overall contribution to the sport. After being the fifth finalist in Georgia program history, Condon became the first-ever winner from the school and the 11th winner from the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which is the most of any conference in the nation. Condon sat atop the national leaderboard in nearly every statistical category after a record-setting season in 2024. He set the BBCOR-era record with 37 home runs and led the nation in batting average (.433), slugging percentage (1.009), total bases (233), and OPS (1.565). Condon took home SEC Player of the Year and First Team All-SEC honors, and was named the conference’s player of the week on three separate occasions during the season. He also earned a spot on the NCAA Athens Regional All-Tournament Team after guiding the Bulldogs to a Super Regional appearance with a .500 average and a home run over three games, and is a member of the annual SEC Academic Honor Roll.
