The USA Baseball 18U National Team Training Camp isn’t just a proving ground—it’s a masterclass in legacy.
And it starts at the top.
Led by 18U National Team Manager Rick Eckstein, the 23-man coaching staff brings a staggering wealth of experience: 154 seasons of MLB playing time, 68 years of professional coaching, 41 years with USA Baseball, and more than a century spent mentoring high school athletes across the country.
Familiar names like David Eckstein and Brad Penny—both former big leaguers and returning staff—rejoin Eckstein and longtime high school coach Steve Stone for a second consecutive summer in Cary, North Carolina. This year, they’re joined by longtime minor-league coach Kirk Champion, who takes over as the pitching coordinator for Training Camp.
Together, they’ll lead both phases of Training Camp and help finalize the 20-man roster set to compete at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup.
But behind the gold medals and resumes, Eckstein says the mission is far more personal.
Eckstein’s journey with USA Baseball began nearly two decades ago, with an unexpected locker room conversation.
“I was with the Montreal Expos in the minors,” he recalled. “Paul Seiler (USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO) had just returned from the World Cup and came by to drop off a gift for Kip Bouknight. I stopped him—‘Excuse me, sir, you’re not supposed to be here.’ He introduced himself, and I immediately asked, ‘How do I get involved?’”
That moment led to his first USA Baseball event in 2005. What followed was a whirlwind: a trip to Holland that same year, an Olympic qualifier in Cuba in 2006, the World Cup in Taiwan in 2007, and a stint on the coaching staff at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
After stepping away to coach in the big leagues, Eckstein returned in recent years and took over as 18U manager in 2024.
Now in his second year at the helm, he sees the role as more than just wins and rosters.
“I'm closing in on 30 years of coaching, and I've coached at every level of the game of baseball, high school, community college, major college, minor leagues, major leagues, internationally, the Olympics, the WBC, that's incredible,” explained Eckstein. “When I'm with these young young men, and the level of talent that USA Baseball pulls in, and you really start to realize that you have something to share, and you have an effect over their trajectory to some degree.”
Alongside Eckstein, Doug Mientkiewicz has followed suit with USA Baseball. A Team USA alumni and former major leaguer, Mientkiewicz offers key insight on what it takes to win the gold and represent amateur baseball at the most prestigious level. After all, he won an Olympic gold medal with the stars and stripes in 2000.
“Regardless of the level, you're a product of how you were raised. You're a product of the coaches who coached you as a player. You take the good points that you learned along the way, and then you kind of develop your own style,” explained Mientkiewicz. “Here, you have young kids, and you have super talented players, the best in the country, and you try to mold them into a team quickly to understand that, yes, talent matters, but being able to pull on the same rope and take 20 to win a gold medal is a little bit different than how much talent you have. It's about winning, it's about coming together, and it's about playing for your country.”
Alongside Eckstein, Tim Raines Jr. enters his second year coaching at the 18U National Team Training Camp, bringing with him a renewed sense of purpose after a memorable debut in 2023. He recalls how eye-opening his first experience with the program was—being surrounded by 88 of the top prospects in the country, witnessing their talent, maturity, and drive up close.
“Last year was my first year coming to it. Just being around eighty-eight of the best prospects in the country—it was incredible,” he said. “These kids are physically advanced in a way we just weren’t at that age. They’ve had specific training, they understand the game on a deeper level, and they’re so developed—both physically and mentally.”
It wasn’t just the level of play that stood out to him, but the pride and responsibility that came with wearing the USA across his chest.
Now, with a year under his belt, Raines returns to Cary with a deeper understanding of the program’s standard and a commitment to helping the next wave of stars grow on and off the field.
When asked to describe Training Camp to someone who’s never seen it, Raines pointed to both structure and substance.
The staff also looks for adaptability—how players respond to being moved out of position, how they handle competition, how they prepare for international play. With the team heading to Japan this year, and after competing in Panama last year, those off-field adjustments matter just as much.
“A lot of the coaches really want to find out, are they playing for themselves? Are they playing for the team? How much does it mean for them to play for Team USA? You’re not going to be in a comfortable spot. Can you handle unfamiliar food? Different structure? A new strike zone?” Raines asked. “It’s about being comfortable with the uncomfortable.”
For the players who don’t make the final roster, Raines hopes they still walk away changed, not just as ballplayers, but as young men.
He wants them to carry the lessons learned in Cary—the discipline, the attention to detail, the accountability—into whatever comes next in their journey.
“A lot of it is just about truly understanding why they’re here,” he said. “You might be a shortstop at your high school, but to make this team, maybe you need to show you can play outfield or first base. The mental side is the hardest part of the game—and that’s where the biggest growth happens.”
That message is something Eli Willits knows firsthand. An 18U National Team alum from a summer ago, Willits was recently selected No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals—a testament to the caliber of players the program continues to produce.
Though his schedule didn’t allow him to return in person, Willits made time to join Training Camp via Zoom, speaking directly to the players about the impact the program had on his development, both as a player and as a person.
He explained:
“Just leave it all out there. Don't worry about the results, worry about playing hard, going about your business the right way. Not everyone in the country gets to go out there and try out for Team USA, so just enjoy it and have fun.”
Training Camp brings together 88 of the nation’s top high school players, all competing for just 20 roster spots. It’s a pressure-cooker environment where every pitch, swing, and sprint could make the difference.
One of Training Camp’s most meaningful traditions happens before a single pitch is thrown. Players are divided into groups numbered one through 17 and assigned a coach from the 18U National Team Training Camp staff. Their task: research the coach’s career and prepare a formal introduction to deliver at the team dinner.
It’s more than just an icebreaker—it’s a moment of respect, connection, and perspective. Before the grind of competition begins, players take the time to learn the journeys of the men leading them, many of whom bring decades of MLB and professional baseball experience. It sets the tone for what the program is all about: honoring the game, those who’ve come before, and the opportunity to represent Team USA.
At first, new coaches like Raines didn’t know what to expect.
“Then all of a sudden, Rick (Eckstein) goes, ‘hey, group one.’ And then all of a sudden, there are six different kids delivering notes to us. I think it truly shows them and explains to them what we've done in our past, in the sport, and the different things that we were able to accomplish. It gives value now, when we're having conversations with them.”
“It’s not busy work. It’s about building appreciation, building connections. They realize, ‘Okay, this guy did that—I want to learn from him.’”
That sense of legacy permeates every corner of camp, from the coaching room to the dugouts. And few embody it better than Doug Mientkiewicz.
The former major leaguer, Olympic gold medalist, and longtime USA Baseball contributor is back in Cary for his fifth summer with the 18U team.
“I played on the Collegiate National Team in 1994 and won gold in Sydney in 2000,” Mientkiewicz said. “It means a lot to give back to the program that gave so much to me.”
His presence is more than symbolic.
With experience as both a player and coach, Mientkiewicz brings a valuable perspective to an elite group of teenage athletes, many of whom are already considered top MLB Draft prospects.
“These kids are crazy talented,” he said. “But to win a gold medal, it’s not just about skill—it’s about pulling together.”
And for those who may not find themselves a roster spot?
“This isn’t the end of the road,” Raines echoed. “Some of the kids who didn’t make the team last year just got drafted. It’s about growth. This is a stepping stone, not a finish line.”
From the moment players arrive in Cary to the first time they pull on the red, white, and blue, Training Camp is a complete experience, rooted in pride, legacy, and development.
Mientkiewicz, Raines, Eckstein, and the rest of the staff bring unmatched baseball experience and a unified passion for mentorship. Because at USA Baseball, every jersey tells a story and under this staff’s leadership, those stories are just getting started.
