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One of USA Baseball’s core values is providing the opportunity for players to represent their country through the game of baseball on the international stage. Within those opportunities to make a national team, the organization takes pride in creating ways for players to develop their skills in order to compete at the highest level of the game.

Two key opportunities come from developmental programs which are held annually at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina: the 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP) and the 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP). They help to provide a unique on- and off-field experience for those players selected, and are essential in USA Baseball’s efforts of identifying the top talent in the country for its 15U and 18U National Teams.

This year’s ADP roster featured 50 of the nation’s top 13- and 14-and-under athletes, while the NTDP roster boasted 72 of the best 16- and 17-and-under athletes. Both programs consisted of Team USA alumni as well as attendees whose invitation was their first experience with the organization. They allowed the players to not only further their development, but also gain exposure to USA Baseball coaches in hopes of earning a spot on a future national team.

“These developmental programs that USA Baseball has created are a great way for young players to get exposure not only to high-level coaching, but it’s an unbelievable opportunity for them to learn more about the game,” said Mike Kinkade, who served as the 2023 ADP hitting coordinator. “Especially as the game is changing with travel ball, it’s great for them to come and actually learn the game of baseball.”

Kinkade is a six-year MLB veteran and 2000 Olympic gold medalist, and spent time coaching at the high school, college, and minor league ranks for nearly a decade. Additionally, he has given back to the organization and the next generation of baseball players by serving as a coach with USA Baseball numerous times over the years.

The programs provide attendees the chance to grow as baseball players on the field through advanced skills development and intrasquad games, while simultaneously gaining exposure to professional scouts, college recruiters, USA Baseball staff, and national team coaches. They additionally give players the ability to develop off the field through various educational seminars, character and leadership development, and much more.

“One thing the ADP does is that it gets these players' names involved with USA Baseball,” Kinkade said. “It’s a great opportunity for them to get better as baseball players, and hopefully, if they do get selected for Team USA, they have improved and have learned more about the game as they move on to the 15U National Team.”

“I think the NTDP is important for numerous reasons,” stated Brad Penny, who assumed the role as this year’s NTDP pitching coordinator. “One, these athletes don’t get a lot of practice and developmental instruction in on a consistent basis. They are always competing in weekend showcases and tournaments where you can’t really focus on the actual game of baseball. Two, this program is a build up for the 18U National Team; not only are there are four spots given to players to compete at Training Camp, but a core group of the guys will likely be competing for a spot on the following year’s team.”

Penny, who is in his second year as the NTDP pitching coordinator, has an extensive resume as a player and coach. He had a 14-year MLB career, which was highlighted by two All-Star selections and a World Series championship, and helped Team USA win gold at the 1999 Pan American Games. Additionally, he was the pitching coach for the 18U National Team in 2021 and 2022, helping the stars and stripes win gold at last year’s World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier.

While the four-day schedule that is put together for the athletes is an important piece to these programs, the coaches who come together to make up these staffs are critical in providing a top-notch experience. These coaches come from all backgrounds of the game, ranging from the high school level all the way to the professional realm, and help provide guidance and lessons that will stay with attendees well into their baseball careers.

“We have a bunch of different coaches with a bunch of different experiences, but the one thing we have in common is that we all know how to play the game,” Kinkade explained. “We’ve all been around it for 30-plus years, and we’re trying to pass along our knowledge of baseball to these young athletes. I hope they take away from these programs that we as coaches care about them and we care about USA Baseball, and that they know what an honor and privilege it is to be selected.”

“To have the ability to come and talk to ex-big leaguers and coaches and people that have a lot of experience within the game at their age is incredible,” Penny said. “They have a lot of knowledge at their grasp that could help them not only get to the next level, but help them when they are at the next level.”

With having these developmental programs implemented, it creates a pipeline in which players can continue to grow in the game of baseball, bridging the gap between national teams. They remain engaged with the USA Baseball community, and prepare for the chance to compete for a spot on a future national team.

One great example of the opportunity this pipeline provides is two-time alumnus Jack McKernan. The left-handed pitcher and outfielder was a part of the 2019 12U National Team and the 2022 15U National Team which won gold at the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup in Mexico.

“Any time you can wear the U-S-A letters across your chest, it’s just unbelievable,” McKernan stated. “Going to Mexico and winning gold, especially with all my guys, was an incredible experience. Winning gold on international soil is an amazing feeling.”

In between his national team stints, he attended the 2021 ADP. He credits his experience in Cary as a catalyst for preparing him to compete with the 15U National Team and bring home a gold medal.

“Being able to develop under coach Troy Tulowitzki (2021 ADP hitting coordinator), was an amazing experience,” McKernan said. “He, along with all of the coaches there, had so much knowledge to give. It really helped me to develop into a pitcher and learn the ins and outs of the game.”

This summer, the Missouri City, Texas, native continued his USA Baseball involvement by returning to Cary to attend the NTDP and earning an invitation to the 18U National Team Training Camp later this month. At Training Camp, he will compete for a spot on the final 20-man roster which will travel to Taiwan next month for the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup.

“It’s amazing to be able to compete against the best kids in your class and really see where you stack up,” McKernan explained. “There’s a bunch of different people there to get eyes on everyone, and it's always great any time you get the chance to get to compete at the National Training Complex.”

The experience of being a part of a USA Baseball developmental program is invaluable to a player’s career. Once they get the exposure to everything that is provided, from the instruction on and off the field to the relationship-building opportunities, it becomes something that they carry with them as they continue on their journey to representing Team USA.

“The programs really bridge the gap between the national teams,” McKernan said. “You get to develop and be ready for the next year when you have the chance to be selected for Team USA.”

“You can’t get the experience of international play unless you go through the USA Baseball process,” Penny added. “It’s so much fun and everything is on the line, every game. As far as baseball goes, in my opinion, there is no better experience.”

CARY, N.C. – Stellar performances at the plate and dominant mound work lifted Navy and White to big victories and concluded 2023 NTDP at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

GAME ONE: NAVY GETS IT DONE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL IN AN 8-3 VICTORY OVER LIGHT BLUE ON DAY FIVE OF 2023 NTDP

Box Score | Plays

Coy James and Sam Cozart left it all on the field on the final day of 2023 NTDP, as a 3-for-4 day at the plate and six strikeouts over 3.0 frames, respectively, helped Navy earn the 8-3 win over Light Blue.

Navy improves to 2-0-1 while Light Blue registers its first loss of the week and finishes 2-1.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Navy got off to a hot start after Dean Moss drilled a ball down the left field line to plate James and was followed by an RBI groundout off the bat of Evan Hankins to score Moss.
• James’ second hit of the day resulted in a run while a wild pitch later in the inning plated Logan Sariga and put up another two spot for Navy.
• Scoring paused in the third, but not for long, as James’ bat stayed hot with another RBI shot in the fifth. A double steal led to the fifth and sixth runs being scored while the inning was then capped off by Mason Pike’s line-drive RBI base hit.
• Sean Gamble widened the Navy lead even further in the seventh with a deep shot to center for a ground rule double, scoring Moss who led off the inning with a base knock.
• Light Blue finally replaced the zero in the run column with a three-run seventh, which began with Omar Serna drilling a one-out offering up the middle to plate a pair. A sacrifice fly by Thomas Brown scored Bricen Smith and trimmed the deficit by another run before the rollover rule flipped the frame.

NOTABLE STATS

• Cozart dazzled on the mound for Navy as he faced the minimum through 3.0 innings while tallying six strikeouts in the process.
• James notched a 3-for-4 outing with a pair of RBIs and runs scored while Moss also did damage at the plate, going for 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
• Serna led Light Blue at the plate; he posted a 2-for-3 performance with two runs driven in while Smith and Jaxon Miller each registered 1-for-2 outings.

GAME TWO: WHITE FLOODS THE BOARD WITH RUNS TO CRUISE PAST RED, 10-3, IN THE FINAL CONTEST OF 2023 NTDP

Box Score | Plays

Multi-hit performances from Griffin Enis, Lucas Franco, and Xavier Neyens powered White in a 10-3 rout of Red on the final day of the 2023 NTDP.

White picks up its first win of the week and concludes 2023 NTDP with a record of 1-1-1 while Red drops its third game and moves to 0-3.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• White wasted no time getting on the board as Gavin Fien kicked off the five-run rally after scorching a ball down the left field line to clear the bases and put his team up by three. RBI base knocks by Franco and Enis tacked on two more runs to make it a 5-0 contest after one inning.
• White and Red traded two-run frames the inning after, as a wild pitch and a Neyens RBI infield single expanded the White lead. The seven-run deficit was short lived thanks to a deep RBI triple by Dillon Moss and a sacrifice fly by Miguel Velazquez, making it 7-2.
• Runs continued to come across the board for White, first with Enis punching a ball through the right side then with an RBI shot to center off the bat of Seth Hernandez. Red got one back, however, as a wild pitch reached the backstop and allowed Rookie Shepard to trot home and make it 9-3.
• Enis drove in White’s tenth run and notched his third hit of the day by blasting a triple to deep left center field, solidifying the 10-3 final score.

NOTABLE STATS

• Enis carried out an offensive masterpiece, notching three RBIs on three hits while Fien also showed out, as he scored once and drove in three runs on his one hit of the day.
• Neyens registered an RBI and a run scored in his 2-for-3 performance for Team White.
• Billy Carlson and Jack Boucher each tallied perfect 2-for-2 days at the plate for Team Red while Moss collected an RBI and a run scored as he went 1-for-3 with a triple.

The first three days of the 2023 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP) at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, were highlighted by exceptional talent and camaraderie on and off the field and a stellar performance by Dean Moss.

Moss, an outfielder/infielder from Hillsborough, California, made a memorable impression on all in attendance at the NTDP starting on the first day of competition on Wednesday, July 26.

The IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) student-athlete kicked things off by going 2-for-2 with a three-run homer in Team Navy’s first game of the week against Team Light Blue.

Moss continued his hot streak on day two of the development program, scoring once, recording a hit and driving in a run by drawing a bases-loaded walk in the sixth.

The Vanderbilt University commit is both a Team USA and USA Baseball Developmental Program alumnus, winning gold in international competition as a member of the 2018 12U National Team and attending the 2019 13U Athlete Development Program (ADP).

Moss talked to USA Baseball about his performance at NTDP and experiences with USA Baseball ahead of Team Navy’s second game of the week:

Q: What do you think of your performance on day one of NTDP and what’s been working for you at the plate this week?

A: “I think it was a good performance for me. It was good for confidence. At the plate I was getting my pitch, trying to lay off the slider and trying to get the fastball where I wanted it. I got it there so I executed.”

Q: What do you focus on when developing your approach and swing?

A: “In terms of approach, I just try to stay within myself, be myself and get the fastball that I want. I try not to swing at change-ups and get pitches I can do damage with. Then for my swing, I just try to stay short and get to fast balls that I can get to.”

Q: You were a member of the 2018 12U National Team which won gold at the COPABE U-12 Pan-American Championships. What was that experience like for you?

A: “It was a really cool experience. I was really young so it was good for me to get that experience early and learn what Team USA is all about. It set the tone for my relationship with USA Baseball.”

Q: You also attended the 2019 13U ADP, how did that program help you to develop as a player?

A: “These programs help you develop a lot because you’re playing with the best players in the country and you have to play at that level or you’re not going to be able to compete. I think it’s cool to be out here.”

Q: What has it been like to come to the National Training Complex and play with and against the top talent in your age group?

A: “It’s really cool this week seeing all the people from around the country that I know. It’s fun seeing them again and competing with them.”

Q: What has it been like playing against some of your current and former teammates from Team USA and travel baseball?

A: “It’s fun. I faced Vaughn yesterday so that was fun. He walked me so it’s going to be even, we got to talk about it. It’s cool to learn from them, like what they tried to throw at me and what I could’ve done better and what they could’ve done better and feed off that information.”

Q: What are your goals for the week?

A: “Just pick up information from all these coaches. They’re really experienced in the game and it’s really cool to be able to be out here with all these coaches. There’s so many of them and they’re so experienced. I think the goal is just to play to the level I know I can and pick their brains.”

CARY, N.C. - Navy plated four to force a 5-5 tie while a four-run seventh by Navy led to a 6-5 victory over Red on the second day of the 2023 National Team Development Program (NTDP) at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

GAME ONE: TEAM NAVY FORCES A 5-5 DRAW AGAINST TEAM WHITE AFTER CLAWING BACK FROM A 4-0 DEFICIT IN THE SECOND ROUND OF 2023 NTDP LEAGUE PLAY

Box Score | Plays

A 5-5 tie between Team Navy and Team White was highlighted by White’s Brady Murrietta going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate in a back-and-forth contest at the 2023 NTDP.

Navy concludes day two with a record of 1-0-1 while White has yet to register a win as the team moves to 0-1-1.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• A two-out walk in the first came back to bite Navy, as Xavier Neyens dropped a ball into right center for an RBI to put Team White up early.
• White widened its lead after Tait Reynolds sent a shallow flare to right for an RBI and was followed up by a pair of errors, making it 4-0.
• Miscues on the mound trimmed Navy’s lead by two after multiple wild pitches plated first Dean Moss then Diego Velazquez, who reached on a double and a walk, respectively.
• Evan Hankins tied the contest at four runs apiece after his splintered bat altered the path of the ball for an unorthodox two-RBI infield single.
• Team White picked up the lead once again in the fifth after Jacob Lombard reached on a two-out throwing error by the third baseman, allowing William Hill to score.
• A bases-loaded walk to Navy’s Moss in the sixth plated Sean Gamble to make it 5-5, which would go on to be the final score.

NOTABLE STATS

• Murrietta proved himself at the plate for Team White, as he posted a 3-for-3 outing with a trio of singles.
• White’s Reynolds did a bit of everything at the plate. He was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored while Hill also recorded a 1-for-2 performance with a pair of runs scored.
• Hankins dealt a majority of the damage for Navy; he picked up a pair of RBIs, collecting a base knock along with a walk.
• Moss picked up where he left off in yesterday’s game as he scored once, recorded a hit, and drove in a run by drawing a bases-loaded walk in the sixth.

GAME TWO: LIGHT BLUE PLATES FOUR IN THE SEVENTH TO STAY UNDEFEATED IN A 6-5 CONTEST ON DAY TWO OF 2023 NTDP

Box Score | Plays

CARY, N.C. – Red and Light Blue traded four-run innings as Team Light Blue ultimately came out on top with a 6-5 victory over Team Red at the 2023 NTDP.

Light Blue stays undefeated and improves to 2-0 while Red collects its second loss in as many days and falls to 0-2.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Landon Schaefer broke the 0-0 deadlock with a leadoff 401-foot bomb to left center field to put Team Red up 1-0 after two.
• Light Blue reined in the lead in the fourth on a sac fly off the bat of Omar Serna advanced Quentin Young to third and scored Ethan Holliday, who reached base on a leadoff walk. Young came around to score the next at-bat after a throwing error on a dropped third strike reached the outfield to easily plate the second run.
• Team Red’s offense found its groove in the home half of the sixth as four runs crossed the plate to hand the team a 5-2 advantage. The frame saw runs score as the result of a wild pitch, sac fly, and RBI base knocks by Kayson Cunningham and Billy Carlson.
• Light Blue bounced back in the following inning, beginning with a wild pitch followed by an RBI base knock by Cannon Goldin plated the third and fourth runs. Jaxon Miller played hero and scored the winning run with a two-RBI base hit through the left side.

NOTABLE STATS

• Serna posted a 2-for-2 performance at the plate with an RBI while Young also knocked in a run during his 1-for-3 outing for Light Blue.
• Starting pitcher Jack McKernan stood out on the mound and tossed 3.0 solid innings for Light Blue. He collected seven punchouts and allowed only one run on two hits.
• Blane Metz also showed out on the mound, as he threw 3.0 shutout innings of two-hit ball for Team Red.
• Cunningham went 2-for-3 at the plate for Red as he gathered an RBI and a run apiece.

ON DECK

Navy plays its final contest against Light Blue while White concludes NTDP league play with a matchup against Red on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. ET respectively. All games at the NTDP can be streamed live on USABaseball.TV.

CARY, N.C. – The 2023 NTDP got underway Wednesday afternoon, as Light Blue and Navy each picked up wins on day one. Game one was a tightly contested one with Light Blue pulling through a 4-3 win while Dean Moss homered in game two to lead Navy past Red, 9-4.

GAME ONE: LIGHT BLUE KICKS OFF 2023 NTDP WITH WIN IN BACK-AND-FORTH CONTEST

BOX SCORE | PLAY-BY-PLAY

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Scoring alternated in the first two frames beginning with Team White’s Seth Hernandez striking a two-out pitch well out to right-center to plate the first run.
• Team Light Blue took advantage of Quentin Young’s leadoff double in the second and evened things out with a run-producing groundout.
• Team White regained the lead in its half of the second, as RBI doubles collected by both Gavin Fien and Lucas Franco made it 3-1.
• The game turned into a one-run contest in the fourth after a trio of base knocks was capped off by Omar Serna driving in Ethan Holliday from second for an RBI. Light Blue loaded the bases later in the frame but was not able to capitalize due to pitch-count rollover rules, ending the inning with only one out on the board.
• Light Blue threatened and loaded the bases in the sixth, but were once again denied runs despite only one out being recorded due to the rollover rule.
• Light Blue finally broke through in the seventh as back-to-back triples by Bricen Smith and Thomas Brown came around to give the team its first lead of the game and score the winning run.

NOTABLE STATS

• Brody Walls shut down the Light Blue offense when it mattered most as he tossed a pair of two-hit, scoreless innings to earn the win for Team White.
• Young was perfect at the plate for Team White, posting a 2-for-2 performance with a run scored.
• Designated hitter Brown picked up a critical RBI triple for his one hit on the day and scored the winning run for Team Light Blue.
• Griffin Enis led Team White in hits as he went 2-for-3 with an extra-base hit while Fien produced a run in his 1-for-2 outing.
• Hernandez and Franco each drove in a run and were 1-for-3 for Team White.

GAME TWO: DEAN MOSS GOES 2-FOR-2 WITH A THREE-RUN BLAST TO POWER TEAM NAVY PAST TEAM RED, 9-4, IN THE SECOND GAME OF COMPETITION AT THE 2023 NTDP

BOX SCORE | PLAY-BY-PLAY

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Moss made some noise early for Team Navy as he was all over a two-out offering in the second and hammered a ball over the right field wall for a three-run shot.
• Navy tacked on another run in the third after Sean Gamble registered a leadoff triple and came around to score on an RBI groundout off the bat of Mason Pike.
• Runs kept piling on for Navy in the top of the fifth as a Coy James RBI triple off the right field wall was followed up by Mason Pike punching a ball up the middle to plate James. Evan Hankins concluded the three-run inning with a two-out, RBI double to deep center field, widening the lead to 7-0.
• A sixth-inning wild pitch immediately followed by a passed ball allowed Moss and Anthony Brown Jr. to score the eighth and ninth runs for Team Navy and put the contest well out of reach.
• Team Red would not go down without a fight, however; back-to-back RBI base knocks by Rookie Shepard and Tanner Johns made it 9-2. A pair of wild pitches ensued to trim the deficit and make it 9-4 before the inning ended due to the rollover rule.

NOTABLE STATS

• Moss was a force to be dealt with for Team Navy. He went a perfect 2-for-2 while racking up three RBI with his three-run homer.
• Hankins picked up a pair of hits in addition to scoring and plating a run for Navy while Gamble collected two RBIs and registered a triple in his 1-for-3 outing at the plate.
• Aiden Barrientes and David Ramirez dominated the mound for Navy, combining for 4.0 shutout innings of two-hit ball.
• Kayson Cunningham led Team Red at the plate as he went 2-for-3 with a run scored while Shepard and Johns each went 1-for-3 and gathered an RBI apiece.

ON DECK
Team White next plays Team Navy while Team Light Blue will compete against Team Red in its second matchup, both games will be held at Coleman Field on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. respectively. All games at the NTDP can be streamed live on USABaseball.TV.

Since 2012, the USA Baseball 13U/14U Athlete Development Program and 16U/17U National Team Development Program have served as two of the primary methods for identifying up-and-coming athletes as potential fits for the organization’s national teams.

Between the two programs, more than 100 players will participate in on-field skills development, off-field education training sessions, intrasquad scrimmages, and more over the course of four days this summer. The USA Baseball Task Force, which is a group made up of coaches who have experience at the high school, college, and professional levels, takes this time to evaluate these players on their overall skill sets, and by the events’ conclusions, a select few will earn an invitation to participate in future USA Baseball national team programming.

In order to get the best out of these young athletes, the ADP and NTDP have historically brought on star-studded lineups of current coaches across all levels of the game and former players to the coaching staff to impart their wisdom accordingly. The groups chosen for 2023 are no exception to this, as the coordinators tabbed to lead the programs this year bring a wealth of baseball experience to the table, both out on the field and in the dugout.

Captaining both the ADP and NTDP as the field coordinator is Jim Koerner, the Director of Player Development with USA Baseball. He returns as the head of both events after serving in the same roles a year ago for the first time.

Prior to joining the organization, Koerner was the longtime head coach at North Carolina Central University, where he set the school record for most wins in a season on two separate occasions in 2013 and 2018. He also spent time on the coaching staffs at numerous other collegiate programs, including Buffalo, Marshall, Monmouth, and Medaille College.

Despite being relatively new to the programs, Koerner has already seen firsthand how important they are to USA Baseball as a whole.

“It's an exciting process,” Koerner said. “We look to bring in the best players in those age groups that we can find throughout the country, and expose them to the best coaches and techniques that are at our disposal to give them the best baseball experience we can.”

Leading the pitchers at the NTDP is longtime MLB veteran Brad Penny, who returns to the program after working as a pitching coach and roving instructor last year. Penny played 14 seasons in the major leagues, finishing his career with 121 wins, 1,273 strikeouts, and a 4.29 ERA in 1,925 innings pitched. He won a World Series Championship as a member of the Florida Marlins in 2003, made two All-Star teams while with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and finished third in the National League Cy Young Award voting in 2007.

In addition to all of this, Penny also featured as a player for Team USA himself both before and during his major league career. The right-hander won a silver medal at the 1999 Pan American Games while playing for the organization’s first ever Professional National Team, and a year later, he took home the gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. On the coaching side, Penny led the U.S. pitchers in 2022 as the 18U National Team secured a gold medal at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier.

“I think Brad brings a few different things to the table that are really unique,” Koerner said. “He's a World Series winner and a USA baseball alumnus, so to have to have both of those different aspects as part of his resume, I think is really relatable for these types of athletes for their coaching. These are aspirations that we want our players to have, and to have a pitching coordinator that's been there and done that, it's just a great example.

“On top of that, Brad is so relatable with these kids. He is a great communicator, and his passion and caring for these kids is evident from the moment he gets on the field. I haven't met a player, coach, or person that doesn't have great things to say about Brad Penny and what he does for USA Baseball and these athletes.”

On the ADP side of things, Georgia Southern pitching coach AJ Battisto will work with the young arms as the pitching coordinator in 2023 after recently wrapping up his second season with the Eagles. In 2022, he helped his alma mater finish with a 41-20 record and earn a bid to host its first-ever NCAA Regional where the pitching staff gave up just nine runs in its three games. Prior to Georgia Southern, Battisto coached at the University of New Orleans for two separate stints as well as at North Carolina Central University.

Additionally, he has coached several pitchers who have gone on to sign contracts with MLB organizations, including Eric Orze and Devin Sweet. 

Before entering the coaching ranks, he spent seven years in the minor leagues, making 167 appearances and going 21-10 with a 3.62 ERA and nine saves. Prior to his professional career, he played collegiately at Georgia Southern where he posted a perfect 12-0 record in three seasons with the Eagles.

“We’re excited to have AJ as this year’s ADP Pitching Coordinator. He brings a tremendous amount of coaching experience at the highest levels of college baseball with stints at three different Division I schools,” said Koerner. “His pitching staff has found much success in his short time at Georgia Southern by hosting an NCAA Regional in 2022, and he has coached multiple players who have gone on to play professionally.

“Additionally, AJ had a successful playing career at Georgia Southern and in the minor leagues, having pitched as high as AAA baseball in the Miami Marlins organization. What he’s learned from his playing career, combined with his coaching background, will be an invaluable resource for our ADP athletes.”

Finally, Mike Kinkade will be tasked to lead the hitters at the ADP this year as the program’s hitting coordinator, the latest stop in his lengthy list of positions on various coaching staffs over the years. He most recently coached at the 2022 Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League, serving as an assistant coach for the Team Gray squad that took home third place that year. Prior to that, he spent time on the staffs at the inaugural MLB Draft combine, the 2021 Women’s National Team Development Program, Cal State Bakersfield, Pullman High School (Pullman, Wash.), the Whitman County American Legion Program, and the Seattle Mariners’ minor-league affiliates.

Like Penny, Kinkade also featured in the majors as well as with Team USA during his playing career. He spent six years in the big leagues after making his debut in 1998, hitting .256 with 13 home runs and 48 RBIs in 222 games played with the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Dodgers. In the stars and stripes, Kinkade played an important role on the Professional National Team that won gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, driving in three runs and scoring four more throughout the tournament. He also played for the national team during the 2006 Olympic Qualifiers, hitting .333 while driving in a team-leading 11 runs.

"Mike’s experience working with these athletes and familiarity with these athletes is a tremendous asset,” Koerner said. “His knowledge from professional baseball, both as a coach and a player, just brings tremendous experience to these events, and our players just have a great time working with him. He’s easy to talk to, he loves being on the field, and his passion and energy are evident. He’s just a really good baseball person to have around USA Baseball and these national level players.”

These four coordinators all bring different things to the table for the athletes chosen to participate in the ADP and NTDP, and in Koerner’s eyes, being willing to learn from all of them and soak up all the available information is the key to getting the most out of their time with the program.

“I definitely want them to be open-minded to new concepts and new techniques, probably some things that they haven’t heard before from a coaching standpoint, but also be open to the life lessons and the experiences that these coaches are going to bring from different aspects of baseball,” Koerner said. “From your former major leaguers to your current college coaches to your high-level high school coaches, there’s a lot of different experiences on the field. If they’re open-minded to hearing what each coach has to say, I feel like they’re going to gain a lot of insight, not just from a baseball player perspective, but from a character development and work ethic perspective as well.”

The NTDP roster has been released, and the ADP roster is slated to be revealed later this week. Both events will take place at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, as the NTDP will run July 26-29 and ADP will be held August 3-6.

CARY, N.C. – Nineteen USA Baseball alumni were selected in the first round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Sunday night, including first overall pick Paul Skenes. USA Baseball has now had 569 total athletes drafted in the first round since 1972, and 2023 marks the 20th time in the last 23 years that the first overall pick played for Team USA.

Skenes (No. 1, Pittsburgh Pirates) is the 37th USA Baseball national team alumnus to be selected first overall and the second consecutive player to do so, joining last year’s top pick, Jackson Holliday. Other first overall picks who have donned the red, white, and blue include 2023 MLB All-Stars Gerrit Cole (2011), Dansby Swanson (2015), and Adley Rutschman (2019). Pittsburgh has now selected a USA Baseball alum four of the five times it has owned the first pick of the Draft (Jeff King [1986], Kris Benson [1996], Bryan Bullington [2002], and Cole [2011].

The next seven picks following Skenes were also USA Baseball alumni, marking the most consecutive alumni selections to open an MLB Draft since 2007 (nine). Four-time Team USA alum and 2023 Golden Spikes Award winner Dylan Crews went second overall to the Washington Nationals, followed by Max Clark (No. 3, Detroit Tigers). Wyatt Langford was the Texas Rangers’ pick at No. 4, and Walker Jenkins went to the Minnesota Twins at fifth overall.

A pair of 2022 Collegiate National Team members went with the next two picks, as Jacob Wilson went sixth to the Oakland Athletics and the Cincinnati Reds took Rhett Lowder with the seventh pick. Two-time Team USA alum Blake Mitchell capped the eight-consecutive pick streak, going eighth overall to the Kansas City Royals.

Four Team USA alumni were then taken off the board consecutively beginning with the 14th pick, which saw two-time Collegiate National Team alum Kyle Teel get selected by the Boston Red Sox. Jacob Gonzalez was the next pick at 15th overall to the Chicago White Sox, followed by Bryce Eldridge going 16th to the San Francisco Giants. The Baltimore Orioles chose Enrique Bradfield Jr. at No. 17 and Brayden Taylor went 19th to the Tampa Bay Rays, making it four 2022 Collegiate National Team teammates drafted in a six-pick span.

Colt Emerson was the Seattle Mariners’ pick at No. 22 before five more USA Baseball alumni were selected in the Draft’s first round: Ralphy Velazquez (No. 23, Cleveland Guardians), Hurston Waldrep (No. 24, Atlanta Braves), Aidan Miller (No. 27, Philadelphia Phillies), Kendall George (No. 36, Los Angeles Dodgers), and Kevin McGonigle (No. 37, Detroit Tigers).

Four of USA Baseball’s national team programs were represented in Sunday night’s opening round. The Collegiate National Team had 10 representatives, the 18U National Team featured nine players, four athletes were previously members of the 12U squad, and the 15U National Team had two players chosen.

Additionally, 11 participants of the USA Baseball National Team Development Program (NTDP) were selected in the first round, including five players who participated in the 2021 event. Twenty-one players chosen in the first round played in MLB/USA Baseball’s Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League, with 18 of those players competing at the event in 2022.

The full list of USA Baseball alumni selected in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft is as follows:

Round-Pick; Name; MLB Team; USA Baseball National Team(s)

• 1-1; Paul Skenes; Pittsburgh Pirates; 2014 12U, 2021 & 2022 Collegiate
• 1-2; Dylan Crews; Washington Nationals; 2017 15U, 2018 18U, 2021 & 2022 Collegiate
• 1-3; Max Clark; Detroit Tigers; 2022 18U
• 1-4; Wyatt Langford; Texas Rangers; 2022 Collegiate
• 1-5; Walker Jenkins; Minnesota Twins; 2021 18U
• 1-6; Jacob Wilson; Oakland Athletics; 2022 Collegiate
• 1-7; Rhett Lowder; Cincinnati Reds; 2022 Collegiate
• 1-8; Blake Mitchell; Kansas City Royals; 2021 & 2022 18U
• 1-14; Kyle Teel; Boston Red Sox; 2021 & 2022 Collegiate
• 1-15; Jacob Gonzalez; Chicago White Sox; 2022 Collegiate
• 1-16; Bryce Eldridge; San Francisco Giants; 2022 18U
• 1-17; Enrique Bradfield Jr.; Baltimore Orioles; 2022 Collegiate
• 1-19; Brayden Taylor; Tampa Bay Rays; 2022 Collegiate
• 1-22; Colt Emerson; Seattle Mariners; 2017 12U, 2022 18U
• 1-23; Ralphy Velazquez; Cleveland Guardians; 2016 & 2017 12U
• 1-24; Hurston Waldrep; Atlanta Braves; 2022 Collegiate
• 1-27; Aidan Miller; Philadelphia Phillies; 2016 12U, 2019 15U, 2022 18U
• 1-36; Kendall George; Los Angeles Dodgers; 2022 18U
• 1-37; Kevin McGonigle; Detroit Tigers; 2022 18U

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today named the coaching staff for the 2023 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP), including the appointment of Team USA alum and gold-medal-winning coach Brad Penny as pitching coordinator. Penny, along with field coordinator Jim Koerner, USA Baseball’s Director of Player Development, will lead the on-field programming at the event from July 26-29 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

The NTDP, which features a 72-man roster, will include four days of games and workouts, skill development sessions, off-field educational seminars, and exposure to professional scouts, college recruiters, USA Baseball staff, and national team coaches. Additionally, the coaching staff will assess and evaluate players for possible future participation in USA Baseball national team programming.

“The coaching staff for this year’s National Team Development Program is a collection of some of the nation’s best coaches across all levels of baseball,” said Koerner. “Year in and year out, the National Team Development Program serves as a valuable event for the country’s top amateur baseball players, and we look forward to watching them interact with the coaches on this year’s staff as they prepare for future national team opportunities. We are set for another great four days of baseball this summer in North Carolina.”

In addition to Koerner and Penny, the NTDP staff includes four managers for the event. Veteran major-league hitting coach Rick Eckstein will manage Team White, while longtime University of Illinois Head Coach Dan Hartleb will lead Team Light Blue. Grambling State skipper Davin Pierre will guide Team Navy, and Georgetown Head Coach Edwin Thompson will be at the helm of Team Red.

The full coaching staff for the 2023 16U/17U NTDP is as follows (coaches’ bios enclosed below):

COORDINATORS

• Field Coordinator: Jim Koerner – USA Baseball
• Pitching Coordinator: Brad Penny

TEAM LIGHT BLUE

• Manager: Dan Hartleb – University of Illinois
• Pitching Coach: Kirk Champion
• Assistant Coach: Dave Webb – Corona Del Sol High School (Tempe, Ariz.)

TEAM NAVY

• Manager: Davin Pierre – Grambling State University
• Pitching Coach: Alex Sogard – Wright State University
• Assistant Coach: Xan Barksdale

TEAM RED

• Manager: Edwin Thompson – Georgetown University
• Pitching Coach: Marty Reed
• Assistant Coach: Curtis Pride – Gallaudet University

TEAM WHITE

• Manager: Rick Eckstein
• Pitching Coach: Tom Carty – Columbia University
• Assistant Coach: Steve Stone – Hebron High School (Carrollton, Texas)

The 2023 16U/17U NTDP will take place from July 26-29 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. The roster will feature players identified from the National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina, as well as last year’s 2022 National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup. Twenty-four players from the 2022 15U and 16U NTIS Champions Cup have already been selected for the 2023 16U/17U NTDP.

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

COACHES' BIOS

Xan Barksdale returns to the NTDP as an assistant coach for Team Navy this summer after previously working in the program as a coach from 2016-2018. He also served on the staff of the Collegiate National Team in 2022 as an assistant coach and in 2019 as the bullpen coach, the latter for which he earned USA Baseball’s first-ever Service Provider of the Year Award. At the collegiate level, Barksdale spent four years as an assistant coach at East Tennessee State and five seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Louisville. During that time, the Cardinals won three consecutive Big East Championships (2008-2010) and advanced to the 2007 College World Series. As a player, he spent two years in the Atlanta Braves minor league system from 2004-2006. Barksdale is also the author of Amazon Best Seller, “Catching-101: The Complete Guide for Baseball Catchers.”

Tom Carty will join the NTDP staff as a pitching coach for Team White, bringing many years of college coaching experience with him to the dugout. Carty is currently the pitching coach at Columbia University, a position he was hired for in August of 2022 after six years in the same role with Long Island University (LIU). During his tenure at LIU, he helped lead the Sharks to Northeast Conference championships and NCAA Regional appearances in both 2018 and 2022, the latter two being their first tournament berths since 1972. In that time span, six of his pitchers were named to All-NEC teams, and three of them went on to sign professional baseball contracts. Carty served as the head coach at Georgia College prior to working at LIU, where he recorded an overall record of 311-169.

Former USA Baseball coach Kirk Champion rejoins the organization this summer at the 2023 NTDP as Team Light Blue’s pitching coach. Champion has featured on the coaching staffs of many high-profile national teams in the past, including at the 2001, 2009, and 2011 International Baseball Federation Baseball World Cups, the 2006 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the 2010 Pan American Games Qualifying Tournament, and the 2011 Pan American Games. When not coaching Team USA, he has been a longtime member of the Chicago White Sox organization. Champion started in Chicago in 1989 when he was named the pitching coach of the Class-A South Bend White Sox. From there, he made his way up the minor league ladder, working in the same role with the High-A Sarasota White Sox, Double-A Birmingham Barons, and the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, Calgary Cannons, and Charlotte Knights. Champion became the minor league pitching coordinator for the organization in 2003, and he has since gone on to work as their minor league field coordinator, Director of Minor League Instruction, and most recently, Director of Minor League Pitching Instruction.

Rick Eckstein is set to take the reins as the manager of Team White at the 2023 NTDP, bringing a wealth of professional and collegiate coaching experience along with him. Eckstein started his coaching career in 1997 when he served as a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Florida following the end of his playing career at the school. In 1999, he joined the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as a bullpen coach and batting practice pitcher before taking the same role with the Minnesota Twins a year later. Eckstein got his first hitting coach position shortly after this, joining the University of Georgia’s coaching staff during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. In the subsequent years, he bounced around multiple different minor league teams in that role, including the Harrisburg Senators, Vermont Expos, New Orleans Zephyrs, Memphis Redbirds, and Columbus Clippers. He got his first major league coaching role at the end of 2008 with the Washington Nationals, where he served as the hitting coach until the end of the 2013 season. Eckstein joined the Los Angeles Angels as a player information coach in 2014 before returning to the college ranks as an assistant coach for the University of Kentucky, a position he held for two years. After that, he was brought on by the Minnesota Twins as a minor league hitting coordinator and worked in that role from 2016-2018. His most recent coaching position was as the hitting coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates, which he held until the end of the 2021 season. Eckstein also has prior experience with USA Baseball, serving on the coaching staff for the Professional National Team from 2005-2008. He was an assistant at both the 2005 and 2007 International Baseball Federation’s Baseball World Cups as well as the 2006 Olympic Qualifier before serving his most recent tour with the U.S. at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in China. He was named USA Baseball’s Doc Counsilman Science Award winner in 2008 for his coaching efforts through scientific data and technology with the stars and stripes in Beijing.

University of Illinois Head Coach Dan Hartleb joins the NTDP as manager of Team Light Blue in 2023 after wrapping up his 18th season leading the Fighting Illini. Hartleb is the winningest head coach in Illinois program history, recording 530 victories and counting across his tenure with the school. He has led the Illini to a pair of Big Ten titles, four appearances in the NCAA Tournament, and the program’s first Super Regional appearance in 2015. He was also named the Big Ten Coach of the Decade for the 2010s. Hartleb has previously worked with USA Baseball on a number of different occasions, including as an assistant coach for the 2021 Collegiate National Team and as a member of the staff at the 14U and 17U NTDP in 2014 and 2016, respectively.

Brad Penny rejoins the NTDP staff as a pitching coordinator after featuring in the program as a pitching coach and roving instructor last summer. He has also served as the pitching coach for the 18U National Team in each of the past two years, leading the staff to a 1.53 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 59 innings in a seven-game friendship series against Canada in 2021. In 2022, Penny was the pitching coach for the U.S. at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier. Penny’s pitching staff went 8-0 at the event, posting a 2.56 ERA and striking out 65 batters in 52 innings en route to a gold medal. In addition to his USA Baseball coaching experience, Penny also donned the stars and stripes as a player when he suited up for the organization’s first Professional National Team in 1999. The squad won a silver medal at the 1999 Pan American Games, qualifying Team USA for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, where the U.S. earned the gold medal with a 4-0 defeat of Cuba. The right-hander was selected in the fifth round of the 1996 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks and had a 14-year MLB playing career that included two All-Star selections and a World Series championship. The Blackwell, Oklahoma, native finished his career with 121 wins, 1,273 strikeouts, and a 4.29 ERA in 1,925.0 innings pitched in the big leagues. After making his major league debut with the Miami Marlins in 2000, he helped lead the team to the organization’s second World Series Championship in 2003 with a 4.13 ERA in 32 starts during the season. Penny made his first All-Star Game appearance in 2006 and finished that season with a 4.33 ERA, a career-high 148 strikeouts, and a league-leading 16 wins for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The right-hander made his second All-Star Game appearance amidst a 2007 season in which he had an MLB-best .800 (16-4) win percentage and finished third in National League Cy Young Award voting. He finished his playing career with stints playing for the Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, and the Detroit Tigers before returning to the Marlins in 2014 for his final season.

Davin Pierre makes his USA Baseball coaching debut as a manager at the NTDP this summer, where he will lead Team Navy. Pierre is the current head coach at Grambling State University, a position he was named to last October after leading the team as the interim head coach during the 2022 season. Prior to this, he served as an assistant under former head coach James Cooper for 12 seasons, working with the team’s hitters and infielders while also doubling as the program’s recruiting coordinator. During his lengthy tenure with the Tigers, Pierre helped the program win the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship in 2010, the school’s first conference title in 25 years, and has overseen the development of 27 all-conference selections and eight MLB Draft selections.

MLB veteran Curtis Pride joins the NTDP staff in 2023 as an assistant coach for Team Red. Pride played parts of 11 seasons in the major leagues with seven different teams after being taken in the 10th round of the 1986 MLB Draft. Upon his debut with the Montreal Expos in 1993, he became the first deaf player to make the majors in 48 years, and he later became the first deaf player to play a full season in MLB three years later. For his career, Pride hit .250 with 20 home runs and 82 RBIs. Pride became the head coach at Gallaudet University after his retirement from professional baseball and has held the position for the last 14 years. During his tenure with the school, he has led the program to 161 wins and has been named the Northeastern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year on two separate occasions. Additionally, Pride was a part of the coaching staff at the 2013 NTDP and coached Team USA to a gold medal in the World Physically Challenged Tournament in 2014.

Former major league coach Marty Reed brings over 30 years of coaching experience to the NTDP this summer, where he will be working as a pitching coach for Team Red. Reed was most recently in the Atlanta Braves organization, where he last served as the team’s bullpen coach from 2016-2020. Prior to that, he worked as the pitching coach for the Mississippi Braves and the Gwinnett Braves, the club’s AA and AAA affiliates. He also previously worked in the minor leagues with the Dodgers, serving as the pitching coach for the Vero Beach Dodgers and the Jacksonville Suns before being promoted to Los Angeles’s general minor league pitching coordinator from 2006-2008. At the collegiate level, Reed helmed the Pfeiffer University baseball team from 1996-1999.

Returning to the USA Baseball coaching ranks as Team Navy’s pitching coach is Alex Sogard, who previously managed Team Stars on the 2021 Collegiate National Team staff. Sogard has been the head coach at Wright State University since 2019, and since he took over, he has helped bring the program to new heights. In Sogard’s first year at the helm, he led the Raiders to a 42-17 record, which stands as the best performance under a first-year head coach in school history. This performance carried over following the COVID-shortened 2020 season, with the team winning the Horizon League Baseball Championship and qualifying for an NCAA Tournament berth in each of the past three seasons. Sogard has won two Horizon League Coach of the Year awards at the helm of the program. Prior to his coaching career, Sogard won two national championships as a player at Oregon State and played five years in the minor leagues.

Steve Stone will serve as an assistant coach at the 2023 NTDP this summer, returning to the USA Baseball ranks after previously coaching in the Tournament of Stars from 2016-2018. Stone recently wrapped up his 24th year as the head baseball coach at Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas. He founded the program upon the school’s inception in 1999 and has won over 500 games at the helm in the years since. In total, Stone has 28 years of coaching experience, previously spending time at Rider and Euless Trinity High Schools. He is a former standout catcher at Texas Christian University, where he was named team MVP in 1988.

Georgetown Head Coach Edwin Thompson will serve as the manager of Team Red at the 2023 NTDP following the conclusion of his season with the Hoyas. He was named to his current position in September 2020, and in his second season at the helm in 2022, Thompson won Big East Coach of the Year while helping the team achieve a historic season. Thompson led the Hoyas to a program-record 32 wins–a 26-win jump from the year prior–and a Big East Conference Tournament appearance for the first time since 2018. Additionally, he guided freshman Owen Carapelloti to a Second-Team All-American nomination and the team’s first-ever Big East Freshman of the Year award. Prior to taking over at Georgetown, he worked as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky and Bates College and as an assistant coach at Duke, Georgia State, and UMaine Farmington. Thompson has also worked with USA Baseball in the past, serving as the manager of Team Stripes during the 2016 Tournament of Stars and a pitching coach during the 17U NTDP in 2015. Most recently, he was a field manager at the 2021 NTDP.

Four-time gold medal-winning coach and 2013 USA Baseball Developmental Coach of the Year David Webb returns to the staff at the 2023 NTDP as an assistant for Team Light Blue after working in the same role last year. Webb has served as a coach on four USA Baseball national teams over the years, including three stints as manager, with his teams accumulating a 38-1 overall record in international play. As an assistant for the 2007 14U National Team, he helped lead the squad to a perfect 14-0 record in both the qualifier and COPABE Pan Am Championships in Guatemala and Puerto Rico, respectively. Webb then took the helm of the 14U team for the next two years, winning another qualifier in Guatemala in 2008 before leading the 2009 team to a gold medal at the COPABE Pan Am Championships in Ecuador. Most recently, he guided the inaugural 12U National Team to gold at the 2013 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup in Taiwan. Webb is also one of the most successful high school coaches in the nation, with over 300 wins in 18 seasons as the head coach at Corona del Sol High School (Tempe, Ariz.). His 2009 team claimed the Arizona 5A state championship, and his Aztec squads finished among the top three teams in the state for three consecutive years from 2018-2020.

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball and USA Baseball Sports Properties within LEARFIELD today announced an exclusive multi-year relationship with Chinook Seedery to become the Official Sunflower Seed Supplier for the organization. Through this relationship, Chinook Seedery will supply sunflower seeds for all USA Baseball national team and national team development programs.

Additionally, Chinook Seedery will also supply promotional items to USA Baseball for its foul ball program. Beginning in 2023, fans will receive a complimentary pack of sunflower seeds when they return a foul ball during USA Baseball events at the National Training Complex.

"USA Baseball is pleased to name Chinook Seedery the Official Sunflower Seed Supplier for the organization,” said USA Baseball Chief Operating Officer David Perkins. “Chinook Seedery produces a flavorful variety of healthy snacks that will help fuel USA Baseball national team and national team development program athletes. We appreciate their support and look forward to collaborating with them to develop future sunflower seed flavors.”

"Few things are more Americana than baseball and sunflower seeds. Chinook's partnership with USA Baseball is a natural fit that is only bolstered by our recent flavor collaboration with Team USA alum Bobby Witt Jr. We could not be more excited to bring the 'best seeds ever' to the best ballplayers in our great country," said Chinook Seedery Founder Mark Pettyjohn.

Launched in 2020, USA Baseball Sports Properties within LEARFIELD is dedicated to representing USA Baseball by developing and managing sponsor relationships with brands looking to align with USA Baseball and its events and programming.

About Chinook Seedery

Based in Austin, Texas, Chinook Seedery is the country's fastest-growing sunflower seed brand, providing a "better-for-you option" that is lower in sodium, non-GMO certified, gluten-free, and Keto friendly. Chinook combines a unique small-batch process with the largest, most premium seeds grown in the US, resulting in the "best seeds ever.” For more information or to try the product, visit http://www.chinookseedery.com, or follow us on Instagram (@chinookseedery), Facebook (@chinookseedery), and Twitter (@chinookseedery).

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today revealed the 72 athletes selected from the 2022 National Team Identification Series (NTIS) for its 2023 national team programming, following the conclusion of the NTIS Champions Cup, which was held from August 11-28 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. Selections were first announced on the USA Baseball NTIS Selection Show, which can be found on USABaseball.com and the organization’s YouTube channel, USABaseballTV.

Additionally, USA Baseball announced that the Southwest region won the 2022 NTIS Champions Cup for the fourth consecutive summer.

The NTIS is the most comprehensive player identification program offered by USA Baseball. Using a six-region system for the initial player identification process, the NTIS holds tryouts in each region of the country for players to be identified and selected for their regional teams, and invited to the NTIS Champions Cup in Cary, North Carolina.

The NTIS Champions Cup consists of tournament-style play, with over 1,200 of the country’s top players competing in 144 games in addition to skill testing and on-field evaluations run by the USA Baseball Task Force and national team coaches.

“We are very excited to reveal the seventy-two athletes who have been selected out of the National Team Identification Series for next year’s national team programming,” said USA Baseball Assistant Director of Baseball Operations Ann Claire Roberson. “As always, the event was full of immense talent in every region and every age group, making the selection process a difficult one. We are eager to watch the selected players continue to grow within our programming and look forward to seeing their impact on the future of USA Baseball.”

Twelve athletes from each age group were invited to compete in the following year’s age-appropriate national team programming events, including 2023 12U National Team Training Camp, the 2023 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP), 2023 15U National Team Training Camp, and the 2023 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP).

In total, the 72 athletes selected represent twenty-two different states and all six regions from across the U.S.

The 2023 National Team Identification Series selections are as follows:

Name; Position; Hometown; Region

2023 12U National Team Training Camp invitees:
(from 11U NTIS)

• Colton Byrnes; INF/C; Truckee, Calif.; Northwest
• Tyler Early; INF/LHP; Alexandria, La.; South
• Kingston George; OF/RHP; Gunter, Texas; South
• Adam Gonzalez; RHP/INF; Canyon Country, Calif.; Southwest
• Paris Head; INF/RHP; Chicago, Ill.; Midwest
• Omar Henriquez; INF/OF; New Milford, N.J.; Northeast
• Uriyeh Marguth; INF/RHP; Gresham, Ore.; Northwest
• Jaylen OBannon; RHP/INF; Daly City, Calif.; Northwest
• Michael Ohman; LHP/INF; South San Francisco, Calif.; Northwest
• Jett Schoolcraft; OF/LHP; Aloha, Ore.; Northwest
• Ryder Serna; INF/OF; San Bernardino, Calif.; Southwest
• JR Waddell; INF/OF; Shreveport, La.; Southeast

2023 13U/14U Athlete Development Program invitees:
(from 12U NTIS)

• Brooks Blanchard; RHP/INF; Greer, S.C.; Southeast
• Cameron Jamal Gibson; OF/LHP; Conway, Ark.; South
• Noah Jarolimek; INF/RHP; Duncan, S.C.; Southeast
• Cristian Matos; C/RHP; Belleville, N.J.; Northeast
• Carter Nash; OF/RHP; Moore, S.C.; Southeast
• Josiah Park; OF/RHP; Fullerton, Calif.; Southwest
• Caleb Polk; RHP/INF; Forney, Texas; South
• Jesse Romo; RHP/OF; Vacaville, Calif.; Northwest
• Eric Shim; INF; Temecula, Calif.; Southwest
• Cameron Small; RHP/INF; Wake Forest, N.C.; Southeast
• Nateo Victorio; INF/C; Suisun City, Calif.; Northwest
• Jett Wilson; INF/OF; Lindsay, Okla.; South

2023 13U/14U Athlete Development Program invitees:
(from 13U NTIS)

• Jacob Carrasco; C/INF; Lancaster, Pa.; Northeast
• Noah Clark; INF/RHP; McLeansville, N.C.; Southeast
• Chase Cotton; RHP/INF; Lincoln, Calif.; Northwest
• Aiden DeLeon; OF/LHP; Victoria, Texas; South
• Orion Gonzalez; INF/RHP; Castaic, Calif.; Southwest
• Andrew Jimenez; INF/RHP; Wildomar, Calif.; Southwest
• Kegan Johnson; OF; Shelbyville, Tenn.; Southeast
• Owen Mescall; INF/OF; Irvine, Calif.; Southeast
• Josh Morgan; OF; Chicago, Ill.; Midwest
• Blake Ragsdale; INF/RHP; Burr Ridge, Ill.; Midwest
• Jael Santos; INF/RHP; Paterson, N.J.; Northeast
• Jacob Seamon; OF/RHP; Waxhaw, N.C.; Southeast

2023 15U National Team Training Camp invitees:
(from 14U NTIS)

• Michael Chin; C/OF; Houston, Texas; South
• Trey Ebel; INF/RHP; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; Southwest
• JT Girod; RHP/INF; Independence, Ore.; Northwest
• Braylon Kolish; RHP/OF; Henderson, Nev.; Southwest
• Jason Kruczek; RHP/OF; Alexandria, Va.; Northeast
• Carson Lane; C/RHP; Dandridge, Tenn.; Southeast
• Oliver Minyard; C/INF; Dallas, Texas; South
• Kaden Nicholls; INF/LHP; Grass Valley, Calif.; Northwest
• Kevin Roberts Jr.; INF/RHP; Meridian, Miss.; South
• Garner Rodriguez; INF/RHP; Nacogdoches, Texas; South
• Jack Smejkal; INF/RHP; The Woodlands, Texas; South
• Brandon Washington; RHP/INF; Stanley, N.C.; Southeast

2023 16U/17U National Team Development Program invitees:
(from 15U NTIS)

• Evan Amos; RHP/INF; Summerville, S.C.; Southeast
• Jack Boucher; OF/INF; Mission Viejo, Calif.; Southwest
• Thomas Brown; C/INF; Livermore, Calif.; Northwest
• Tristan Dalzell; LHP; Long Beach, Calif.; Southwest
• Brock Foulds; INF/RHP; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; Southwest
• Griffin Loy; RHP/INF; Nancy, Ky.; Midwest
• Grant Mehrhoff; LHP/OF; Marthasville, Mo.; Midwest
• Tait Reynolds; OF/INF; Queen Creek, Ariz.; Northwest
• Luke Ryerse; RHP/INF; Woodbury, Minn.; Midwest
• Nicholas Terhaar; RHP/INF; Saginaw, Minn.; Midwest
• Ben Veletean; INF; Lebanon, Ohio; Northeast
• Miles Young; INF; Cypress, Texas; South

2023 16U/17U National Team Development Program invitees:
(from 16U NTIS)

• Anthony Brown Jr.; INF/OF; Jacksonville, Fla.; Southeast
• Patrick (Teddy) Garner III; RHP/INF; Simpsonville, S.C.; Southeast
• Owen Jenkins; C/INF; Versailles, Ky.; Midwest
• Cameron Johnson; RHP/INF; Waco, Texas; South
• Jaxon Miller; OF; Frisco, Texas; South
• Joe Olson; LHP; Chicago, Ill.; Midwest
• David Ramirez; LHP/OF; Kemah, Texas; South
• Edward Rothlander III; RHP/OF; Conroe, Texas; South
• Cooper Rummel; RHP/OF; Austin, Texas; South
• Logan Sariga; OF/INF; Houston, Texas; South
• Landon Schaefer; INF/RHP; Fayetteville, Ark.; South
• Bricen Smith; INF/OF; Perry, Ga.; Southeast

CARY, N.C. –  Team Light Blue and Team Navy battled to a tie, while Team Red won its second game of the event on the final day at the USA Baseball 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP) from the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

Team Light Blue rallied for three runs in the sixth inning to tie Navy at four on the final day of play at the NTDP. A Trey Snyder (Liberty North, Mo.) RBI-single began the scoring for Navy as he drove home Elijah Clayton (Oak Park, Calif) to grab a 1-0 lead. The following at-bat, Snyder scored on a pair of throwing errors for a two-run advantage. Navy piled on two more after a PJ Morlando (Ladesn, S.C.) RBI double and was subsequently driven home on a sacrifice fly. Light Blue eventually got some production in the sixth on a bases-loaded wild pitch, and a two-run single off the bat of Michael Mullinax (Canton, Ga.). Neither team scored in the seventh as the game ended in a 4-4 tie.

After five scoreless innings, Red's Noah Franco (Downey, Calif.) broke the tie with a three-run home run to seal the victory for Team Red, 4-1. Pitchers on both sides controlled the game though five frames, allowing just two hits while punching out a remarkable 14 batters. A pair of walks from Talan Bell (Oviedo, Fla.) and Konnor Griffin (Florence, Miss.) set the table for the long ball in the sixth, which proved to be the difference in the game. Red also added a run in the sixth after the inning was rolled with one runner in scoring position.* With the win, Red, White, and Navy all finished with a 2-1 record while Light Blue dropped to 0-3.

ABOUT NTDP LEAGUE SCORING*
USA Baseball utilizes a modified scoring system for its development programs to achieve load management and mitigate potential injuries due to overuse for its youth athletes. Pitchers are subject to a maximum pitch count of 25 per inning during game play. In the event an inning is rolled because a pitcher has reached their maximum pitch count, runners on base may be contributed to the game score. As a result of this system, the final game score may not match the overall statistics.

Game One: Navy 4, Light Blue 4

Box Score | PxP

KEY MOMENTS

• Trey Snyder singled to left field and drove in Elijah Clayton to give Navy a 1-0 lead. After an overthrow to second base on a steal and a misfire from the outfield, Snyder scored to cap off a two-run first.
• Ford Thompson retired six of the first eight batters out of the gate for Team Navy, striking a batter out in each of the first two innings.
• Light Blue’s leadoff hitter Michael Mullinax tripled in the third inning and was subsequently driven home an RBI groundout by Michael Torres to cut the lead in half. 
• A pair of RBI-doubles from Navy’s PJ Morlando and Trey Snyder in the bottom of the third, pushed the lead to 4-1.
• Michael Mullinax delivered the Light Blue’s game-tying hit in the top of the sixth, driving in two and tying the game at four apiece.

NOTABLES

• Light Blue’s Michael Mullinax was phenomenal at the dish, as he finished 2-for-4 with the game tying two-run single in the sixth inning.
• David Hogg reached base in all three of his plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with a double for Light Blue.
• Team Light Blue’s discipline was on display at the plate, as they recorded six walks from six different players on the afternoon.
• PJ Morlando built off his previous two games, slapping a double to left field. He has now recorded a double, triple, and a home run at NTDP over his three games.
• Navy’s Elijah Clayton (2-for-3) and Trey Snyder (2-for-3) were the only two batters to have multiple hits for their team and combined to score three of Navy’s four runs.

Game Two: Red 4, White 1

Box Score | PxP

KEY MOMENTS

• White made two spectacular plays defensively in the second, first gunning down Hayden Federico on a steal attempt and then picking off Tyler Inge at first base.
• Red's Noah Franco broke the scoreless tie in the sixth, mashing a three-run home run over the right field wall to make it a 3-0 ballgame.
• Red extended its lead to 4-0 after the inning was rolled with a runner in scoring position.*
• JJ Moran salvaged White's day offensively, coming through with an RBI single to cut the lead to 4-1 in the seventh.

NOTABLES

• White’s Tegan Kuhns was excellent in his start, stretching over three innings and fanning four batters. After allowing a leadoff single in the first inning, he struck out the side for three of his four strikeouts. 
• Team Red's Talan Bell kept White scoreless over two innings in relief of starter Tristan Bristow (2.0 IP, 2 K). Bell's’ four strikeouts on the day led all pitchers on the overall day.
• Red's pitchers dominated the afternoon as the four arms combined to allow just five hits and retired 11 via the strikeout.
• Noah Franco hit a home run in the sixth inning with an exit velocity of 98 mph and a distance of 381 feet.

CARY, N.C. – Team Navy grabbed its first win while Team White remained unbeaten at the USA Baseball 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP) on Wednesday from the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

PJ Morlando’s (Ladsen, S.C.) big fly lifted Team Navy to its first win at the 2022 NTDP as it downed Team Light Blue, 7-1. Down two in the fifth inning, Light Blue rallied to cut the deficit in half courtesy of a bases-loaded walk from Micah Matthews (Bridweater, Va.). Navy fired back with four runs of its own, anchored by Morlando’s home run and back-to-back doubles from Trey Snyder (Liberty North, Mo.) and Gage Thompson (Puyallup, Wash.). Cade Arrambide’s (Tomball, Texas) then followed with a two-run double of his own to put the game away in the sixth inning to put Navy (1-1) in the win column.

In the final game of the day, a pair of errors scored the game’s only runs as Team White knocked off Team Red, 2-1. Back-to-back walks put two runners on base before a throwing error scored Danny Arambula (Redlands, Calif.) to give White a 1-0 lead. A leadoff double in the third for Chandler Murray (Honolulu, Hawaii) and a throwing error plated Murray to extend the lead to two. Red’s Sean Gamble (Des Moines, Ia.) tripled in the sixth and was driven home on a sacrifice fly to attempt a rally; however, it was not enough as White held on for the 2-1 win.

ABOUT NTDP LEAGUE SCORING* USA Baseball utilizes a modified scoring system for its development programs to achieve load management and mitigate potential injuries due to overuse for its youth athletes. Pitchers are subject to a maximum pitch count of 25 per inning during game play. In the event an inning is rolled because a pitcher has reached their maximum pitch count, runners on base may be contributed to the game score. As a result of this system, the final game score may not match the overall statistics.

Game One: Navy 7, Light Blue 1

Box Score | PxP

KEY MOMENTS

• Navy jumped out to a two-run lead after the inning was rolled with two runners in scoring position.*
• Navy starting pitcher Ryan Sloan escaped jams in the first and second innings, stranding a runner on third in the first and leaving the bases loaded in the second.
• Bryce Navarre struck out the side in the third frame for Navy after entering in relief. He tallied another strikeout in the fourth inning to record a game-high four strikeouts.
• Light Blue's Micah Matthews drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in its first run of the day in the fifth inning, cutting the deficit in half.
• PJ Morlando launched a ball to right-centerfield for a solo homer in the sixth inning to extend Navy’s lead to 3-1.
• Trey Snyder and Gage Thompson recorded back-to-back doubles in the sixth and came around to score on a two-run double by Cade Arrambide to make it a 6-1 game.
• Brendon Bennett recorded the final three outs for Navy, touching 91 mph on the mound, to give his team its first win of the NTDP.

NOTABLES

• After a 3-for-3 day, Light Blue's Bryce Rainer leads all players with five hits during the event through the first two games. Rainer is hitting .714 (5-for-7) at the plate with an RBI.
• Both teams combined to leave 14 runners on base throughout the contest. At the plate, the two teams combined to strikeout 20 times over the seven-inning game.
• Ryan Sloan and Bryce Navarre pitched four scoreless innings to begin the game for Team Navy, combining for eight strikeouts.
• Joey Tonnotti threw two innings of relief for Light Blue, striking out three to keep Navy’s lead at two.
• PJ Morlando hit a home run in the sixth inning with an exit velocity of 98 mph.
• As a team through its first two games, Navy boasts an event-leading ERA of 2.84. The squad has also punched out 19 batters and has allowed just nine hits.

Game Two: White 2, Red 1

Box Score | PxP

Key Moments

• Danny Arambula turned a one-out walk into a run, scoring from second on a throwing error in the bottom of the first, giving White a 1-0 lead
• Chandler Murray laced a double to right-center and came around to score on Team Red’s second error of the day to extend the Team White lead to two.
• Following a leadoff single from Boston Bateman, Team White’s defense protected its two-run lead in the fourth inning after he was thrown out trying to steal home.
• Seth Gamble tripled to right-centerfield and came home to score on a Tyler Inge’s RBI-sacrifice fly to pull Team Red within one in the sixth inning.

Notables

• Team White’s Cooper Williams kept Red scoreless over two innings in relief of starter Cohen Gomez (3.0 IP, 2 K). Williams’ three strikeouts on the day places him atop the leaderboard for White.
• Chandler Murray reached base in all three of his plate appearances for White, going 1-for-1 at the dish with a pair of walks. Through two games, Murray boasts a team-high .800 on-base percentage.
• Jackson Sanders fanned four batters in a spectacular relief outing for Red, tossing two innings of hitless baseball.
• Pitchers dominated the afternoon for both teams as the six arms combined to allow just six hits and retired 13 via the strikeout.
• The game was called after the sixth inning due to inclement weather.

ON DECK

The teams will match up one final time on Friday, July 29, in a doubleheader at the National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. Team White (2-0) and Team Navy (1-1) will square off at 1 p.m. ET, while Team Red (1-1) and Team Light Blue (0-2) will face each other at 4 p.m. ET.

Twenty MLB arms in half as many years.

An impressive mark for any coach, but especially for National Team Development Program (NTDP) Roving Instructor Justin Parker who has been at the helm of four different pitching staffs.

Each rotation he’s built from the ground up, most recently leading Indiana to an eye-grabbing 3.17 ERA in 2021. On top of that, he guided the Hoosiers to a 2019 Big Ten Regular Season championship and hopes to formulate the pieces for a run at gold with USA Baseball this year.

The NTDP brings in 80 of the country’s best players in the 2024 and 2025 classes, featuring intrasquad scrimmages between the four divvied-up teams over the week-long event. Four spots on the 18U National Team hang in the balance, the opportunity to represent the stars and stripes on a national stage.

“USA Baseball stands for something and we’re looking for the right type of kids to represent our country,” Parker said. “We obviously want to win gold medals and there is a lot of pride in this organization, so I expect these kids to compete all week long.”

Parker himself has enjoyed longstanding success as a coach throughout his 10 years at the division one level. He also brings along with him tons of experience as a player, drafted out of Wright State by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the sixth round of the 2008 MLB Draft.

He served as the pitching coach for the NTDP in 2019 and 2021 and will now make the jump to Roving Instructor for this year’s program. The current South Carolina pitching coach will primarily work with and instruct pitchers throughout this year’s event.

“My goal this week is to be there for these guys and allow them to settle in early to put their best foot forward,” Parker said. “I’m excited to get back into the coaching element this week and I’ll be there to work the field and answer any questions.”

This year’s roster features a barrage of power arms, including Jack Frankel and Chase Mobley who are top 10 recruits in the 2024 class. Three things both of these outstanding athletes have in common: Strike Throwers, Competitors, and Resilient.

All the competitors selected to the NTDP have the talent and skill, but what Parker is most intrigued to learn about is who they are off the diamond. Spending a week in the same dugouts and daily environment as these players will certainly help give him a better gauge.

“A lot of guys here are going to have a lot of elite arm talent and we’re looking for those who are very refined in how they utilize that,” Parker said. “It’s a really good group and I’m excited to view them from a different lense on the field to see who they are as people.”

There is some familiarity between the players as many of them have competed against one another through the travel ball circuit this summer. With the ultimate goal of representing a country and flag, coming in with some chemistry is important.

As the summer baseball season dwindles down, Parker is looking forward to seeing how these athletes deal with the mental and physical fatigue. However, although the stakes are high and the competition is elite, it’s important to stay true to who you are in moments of struggle.

“The biggest thing I can tell these kids is to be themselves on the field and have fun with it on the field,” Parker said. “Be a fast learner and since it’s been a long process for these kids to get here just enjoy it.”

CARY, N.C. - Day two of the 2022 USA Baseball 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP) was canceled due to inclement weather on Tuesday, July 26, at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

Wednesday's games will be moved up to 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and will feature a new slate of matchups. Team Light Blue (0-1) will take on Team Navy (0-1) in the day's opening contest, followed by Team Red (1-0) squaring off with Team White (1-0).

The scheduled matchups for Tuesday will now be played on Friday, July 29.

Stay tuned to @USABDevelops on Twitter and visit USABaseball.com for the most up-to-date news about the 16U/17U National Team Development Program.

CARY, N.C. – CARY, N.C. – Team White and Team Red opened the USA Baseball 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP) with wins on Monday at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

Light Blue opened the scoring for the 2022 NTDP in the top of the third inning courtesy of an RBI-single from Bryce Rainer (Simi Valley, Calif.), but Team White would rebound for a 6-3 opening-day victory. Gavin Stedman (Auburndale, Fla.) and Slade Caldwell (Jonesboro, Ark.) tallied the first two RBIs for the White team before Danny Arambula's (Redlands, Calif.) homer put the game out of reach. Trailing 6-1 heading into the final frame, Light Blue attempted to rally thanks to a Michael Mullinax (Canton, Ga.) two-run double, but it was not enough as Team White (1-0) got out of the jam.

In the second game of the day, Joshua Springer (Cornona, Calif.) propelled Team Red to a 6-3 victory after a late two-run double put the game out of reach. With the game tied at one apiece heading into the third, Team Red jumped out to a 4-1 lead; however, Team Navy plated runs in back-to-back innings on wild pitches that scored Nolan Traeger (Spring, Texas) and PJ Morlando (Ladsen S.C.) to make it a one-run game heading into the bottom of the sixth. Konnor Griffin (Florence, Miss.) then followed Springer's clutch double and shut the door on any comeback attempt to secure the 6-3 win for Team Red (1-0).

ABOUT NTDP LEAGUE SCORING

USA Baseball utilizes a modified scoring system for its development programs to achieve load management and mitigate potential injuries due to overuse for its youth athletes. Pitchers are subject to a maximum pitch count of 25 per inning during game play. In the event an inning is rolled because a pitcher has reached their maximum pitch count, runners on base may be contributed to the game score. As a result of this system, the final game score may not match the overall statistics.

Game One: White 6, Light Blue 3

Box Score | PxP | Light Blue Cumulative Stats | White Cumulative Stats

KEY MOMENTS

• Light Blue's Bryce Rainer drove in the first run of the day in the third inning with an RBI-single to left field after David Hogg walked and advanced to second on a passed ball.
• In the bottom half of the third inning, Gavin Stedman put Team White on the board with an RBI-single to right field, driving in Matthew Champion, who led off the inning with a double.
• Slade Caldwell tallied an RBI-fielder's choice in the bottom of the third, and a throwing error plated Gavin Stedman to give Team White a 3-1 lead.
• Danny Arambula hit a leadoff, solo home run to left field for Team White in the fifth inning to extend its lead to 4-1.
• Team White tacked on a pair courtesy of the NTDP scoring rules after the inning was rolled with two runners in scoring position.
• Down 6-1, Team Light Blue rallied for a pair of runs on a Michael Mullinax two-run double to cut the deficit to 6-3.

NOTABLES

• Light Blue's Bryce Rainer (2-for-4, RBI) and White's Danny Arambula (2-for-3, RBI) led all hitters in the opening game with two knocks on the afternoon, combining for three RBIs.
• Seven different batters recorded hits for Team White en route to its opening-day victory, including three for extra-base hits.
• Ross Felder was excellent in relief for Team White, delivering two shutout innings while punching out two. He retired all six batters he faced on the afternoon.
• Danny Arambula's home run in the fifth inning recorded an exit velocity of 101 mph.
• There were a combined three stolen bases in the game, as well as two runners who got caught stealing.

Game Two: Red 6, Navy 3

Box Score | PxP | Navy Cumulative Stats | Red Cumulative Stats

Key Moments

• Team Navy scored first with a run in the second inning after a Tyler Head single jumpstarted the frame. He was driven home two batters later by Nolan Traeger as Navy grabbed a 1-0 lead.
• In the bottom of the second inning Team Red responded as Easton Masse singled to right field to bring home Hayden Federico, knotting the game at one.
• Sean Gamble worked a one-out walk in the third inning and advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. After reaching third base on an error, he scored on a sacrifice fly from Hayden Federico for Red's first lead of the game, 2-1.
• Team Red tacked on a pair courtesy of the NTDP scoring rules after the inning was rolled with two runners in scoring position in the third making it 4-1.
• Team Navy plated runs in back-to-back innings on wild pitches that scored Nolan Traeger in the fifth and PJ Morlando in the sixth to trim the lead to one.
• With a 4-3 lead, Joshua Springer slammed a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend Team Red's final advantage to 6-3.

Notables

• Zach Strickland was the only pitcher to not allow a run in the contest, stretching over three innings and striking out five for Team Navy.
• Team Navy tallied seven hits in the contest and was led by PJ Morlando who went 2-for-3 and recorded one of the games two extra-base hits on a triple.
• Team Red's discipline was on display at the plate, as they recorded six walks including two from its leadoff hitter, Talan Bell.
• Joshua Springer tallied Team Red's only extra-base hit on a two-run double in the sixth frame to push the game out of reach at 6-3.
• Konnor Griffin and Noah Franco pitched the final four innings for Team Red, combining for four strikeouts and allowing just two runs.

ON DECK

The teams will match up on Tuesday, July 26, in a pair of games at the National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. Team White (1-0) and Team Navy (0-1) will square off at 1 p.m. ET, while Team Red (1-0) and Team Light Blue (0-1) will face each other at 4 p.m. ET.

CARY, N.C. - USA Baseball and USA Baseball Sports Properties within LEARFIELD today announced an agreement with Morgan Stanley to become a developmental partner of the organization, focusing on the National Team Development Program (NTDP). Through this relationship, Morgan Stanley becomes an important USA Baseball financial education and developmental partner, where the leading financial services firm will develop a tailored financial literacy program for the 16U/17U NTDP athletes and lead an in-person seminar for the program during the annual week-long event later this month. 

Additionally, Morgan Stanley and USA Baseball will collaborate to produce and promote other financial education-related content to be shared via USA Baseball’s official social media channels.

"USA Baseball is excited to partner with Morgan Stanley to heighten the experience of our National Team Development Program,” said USA Baseball Chief Operating Officer David Perkins. “USA Baseball prides itself on its commitment to developing young athletes on and off the field. Introducing financial literacy to athletes who may find themselves in professional baseball in the immediate future is arguably one of the most essential skills they will leave with after this unique development experience.” 

“We are proud to join forces with USA Baseball and LEARFIELD to help create an engaging, educational, and overall exceptional experience for some of the nation’s best athletes and coaches,” said Sandra L. Richards, Head of Morgan Stanley’s Global Sports & Entertainment (GSE) division. “USA Baseball is a proven leader in the realm of amateur player development, coaching, and instruction. As important, is the off-field education and development of these young men to prepare them for their future collegiate and professional baseball careers and beyond – and leading with financial education is a critical component of that holistic effort.”

“Every year we aim to provide impactful educational seminars for our National Team Development Program athletes to expand the development offerings past just on-field growth,” said Brett Curll, USA Baseball Director of Baseball Operations. “Exposing young athletes to financial education is paramount to their personal growth as they prepare to navigate personal endorsements and partnerships in professional sports.”

The NTDP offers athletes the opportunity to connect with USA Baseball coaches, task force, and national team staff to better prepare for a future national team experience. Participants will partake in skill development sessions, off-field educational seminars, and a series of intrasquad Stars versus Stripes games to assist in developing the athletes as both a player and a person. The 2022 event will be held from July 25-29 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

Morgan Stanley GSE is a division of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management dedicated to serving the unique and sophisticated needs of elite and professional athletes, entertainers, executives, creators, and other top professionals in the business of sports and entertainment. The division consists of over 200 Financial Advisors with the Global Sports & Entertainment Director/Associate Director designation, several of whom are former professional and collegiate athletes (including baseball players), who once embarked on a similar journey to that of today’s elite prospects. For more information, please visit http://morganstanley.com/gse.   

USA Baseball Sports Properties within LEARFIELD is dedicated to representing USA Baseball by developing and managing sponsor relationships with brands looking to align with USA Baseball and its events and programming.

CARY, N.C. – Twenty USA Baseball alumni were selected in the first round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Sunday night, beginning with the number one overall pick Jackson Holliday. USA Baseball has now had 550 total athletes drafted in the first round since 1972, and 2022 marks the 19th time in the last 22 years that the first overall pick played for Team USA.

Holliday (No. 1, Baltimore Orioles) became the 36th USA Baseball national team alum to be taken with the first overall pick, following Spencer Torkelson (2020), Adley Rutschman (2019), Casey Mize (2018), Royce Lewis (2017), Mickey Moniak (2016), Dansby Swanson (2015), Brady Aiken (2014), Mark Appel (2013), Gerrit Cole (2011), and Bryce Harper (2010). The Orioles have now selected a USA Baseball alum all three times it has had the first overall pick in the Draft (Holliday [2022], Rutschman [2019], and Ben McDonald [1989]) and have taken a USA Baseball alumnus in the first round in the last four consecutive years (Holliday [2022], Dylan Beavers [2022], Colton Cowser [2021], Heston Kjerstad [2020], and Rutschman [2019]).

Six consecutive alums were picked to begin the Draft for the second time in the organization’s history after a record nine-straight were taken to kick off the MLB Draft in 2007. Following Holliday at number one were Druw Jones (No. 2, Arizona Diamondbacks), Kumar Rocker (No. 3, Texas Rangers), Termarr Johnson (No. 4, Pittsburgh Pirates), Elijah Green (No. 5, Washington Nationals), and Jacob Berry (No. 6, Miami Marlins).

Additionally, 11 of the first 12 selections in the 2022 Draft have donned the red, white, and blue in their career. Brooks Lee was taken with the eighth overall pick by the Minnesota Twins, followed by Gavin Cross (No. 9, Kansas City Royals), Gabriel Hughes (No. 10, Colorado Rockies), Kevin Parada (No. 11, New York Mets), and Jace Jung (No. 12, Detroit Tigers).

Collegiate National Team alum Daniel Susac was the next USA Baseball player taken with the 19th pick by the Oakland A’s and the opening round ended with eight more Team USA members selected: Owen Murphy (No. 20, Atlanta Braves), Brandon Barriera (No. 23, Toronto Blue Jays), Mikey Romero (No. 24, Boston Red Sox), Drew Gilbert (No. 28, Houston Astros), Reggie Crawford (No. 30, San Francisco Giants), Dylan Beavers (No. 33, Baltimore Orioles), Landon Sims (No. 34, Arizona Diamondbacks), and Justin Campbell (No. 37, Cleveland Guardians).

Four national team programs were represented in the 2022 Draft, including 12 players from the Collegiate National Team, six from the 18U National Team, five from the 15U National Team, and three from the 12U National Team.

In total, 27 of the players taken in the first round have participated in USA Baseball national team and national team development programs, including 13 athletes from the 2019 Prospect Development Pipeline League and 9 from the USA Baseball National Team Development Program.

The full list of USA Baseball alumni selected in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft is as follows:

Round-Pick; Name; MLB Team; USA Baseball National Team(s)

• 1-1; Jackson Holliday; Baltimore Orioles; 2021 18U
• 1-2; Druw Jones; Arizona Diamondbacks; 2021 18U
• 1-3; Kumar Rocker; Texas Rangers; 2017 18U
• 1-4; Termarr Johnson; Pittsburgh Pirates; 2019 15U, 2021 18U
• 1-5; Elijah Green; Washington Nationals; 2021 18U
• 1-6; Jacob Berry; Miami Marlins; 2021 Collegiate
• 1-8; Brooks Lee; Minnesota Twins; 2021 Collegiate
• 1-9; Gavin Cross; Kansas City Royals; 2021 Collegiate
• 1-10; Gabriel Hughes; Colorado Rockies; 2021 Collegiate
• 1-11; Kevin Parada; New York Mets; 2021 Collegiate
• 1-12; Jace Jung; Detroit Tigers; 2021 Collegiate
• 1-19; Daniel Susac; Oakland A’s; 2021 Collegiate
• 1-20; Owen Murphy; Atlanta Braves; 2021 18U
• 1-23; Brandon Barriera; Toronto Blue Jays; 2016 12U, 2019 15U
• 1-24; Mikey Romero; Boston Red Sox; 2016 12U, 2019 15U
• 1-28; Drew Gilbert; Houston Astros; 2021 Collegiate
• 1-30; Reggie Crawford; San Francisco Giants; 2021 Collegiate
• 1-33; Dylan Beavers; Baltimore Orioles; 2021 Collegiate
• 1-34; Landon Sims; Arizona Diamondbacks; 2016 15U, 2021 Collegiate
• 1-37; Justin Campbell; Cleveland Guardians; 2013 12U, 2016 15U, 2021 Collegiate

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today named the 80-man roster for the 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP), following the conclusion of the 16U and 17U National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina. The five-day development event will be held from July 25-29 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

The National Team Development Program offers athletes an opportunity to connect with USA Baseball coaches, task force, and national team staff to better prepare for a future national team experience. Participants will take part in skill development sessions, off-field educational seminars, and a series of intrasquad Stars versus Stripes games to assist in the development of the athletes as both a player and a person.

“We are excited to welcome this outstanding group of athletes to the National Training Complex in North Carolina for the 2022 National Team Development Program,” said Brett Curll, USA Baseball Director of Baseball Operations. “These athletes were identified by our task force based on their exceptional talent and work ethic, and we cannot wait to welcome them to Cary so that we can contribute to their continued development and prepare them for future national team opportunities.”

The 16U/17U NTDP will welcome 60 new baseball players to USA Baseball programming this season, joining 20 athletes who have played on a national team or participated in a previous development program. Ten participants were members of the 2021 15U National Team and five athletes have won a gold medal with the 12U National Team in their careers.

World champions Danny Arambula (Redlands, Calif.) and Bryce Rainer (Simi Valley, Calif.) will reunite at the NTDP after winning a gold medal with the 2017 12U National Team. Tristan Bristow (Helotes, Texas), Ross Felder (Springdale, Ark.), and Michael Torres (Miami, Fla.) also won a gold medal with the 12U National Team in 2018.

Additionally, 11 invitees have previously participated in the 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP) or an NTDP in their careers, including Matthew Champion (Fontana, Calif.), Derek Curiel (West Covina, Calif.), Theo Gillen (Austin, Texas), Michael Mullinax (Canton, Ga.), and Rainer, who all participated in the 16U/17U NTDP last summer.

The roster consists of 43 athletes identified from the 2022 National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina, as well as 21 players selected following last year’s National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup. Twenty-six states are represented on the roster in 2022, led by 22 athletes hailing from California. Texas boasts the second-most athletes with 10, followed by Florida’s seven and Illinois’ six.

The NTDP staff features South Carolina pitching coach Justin Parker, two-time MLB All-Star Brad Penny, and 18U National Team Assistant Coach Jack Wilson (Grand Canyon) as roving instructors. USA Baseball Director of Player Development Jim Koerner will serve as the program’s field coordinator. Four additional current Division I coaches will also be on staff. Longtime Boston College head coach Mike Gambino, Indiana University Assistant Coach Derek Simmons, Murray State University Head Coach Dan Skirka, and Notre Dame pitching coach Chuck Ristano, who helped lead Notre Dame to the 2022 College World Series, will serve as the four NTDP managers this season.

For more information on the National Team Development Program, follow @USADevelops on Instagram and Twitter, or visit USABaseball.com.

The 2022 16U/17U NTDP roster is as follows:

2022 16U/17U National Team Development Program roster:

(Name; Hometown; Travel/Participating Team)

• Nathan Aceves; Huntington Beach, Calif.; Juggernaut Baseball Texas
• ^Luis Almeyda; Hawthorne, N.J.; East Coast Lumberjacks
• *Danny Arambula; Redlands, Calif.; 16U Southwest Stars
• Cade Arrambide; Tomball, Texas; Banditos Scout
• Easton Barrett; Springville, Utah; Trosky National 2024
• Boston Bateman; Camarillo, Calif.; Next Level 2024 Nationals
• Talan Bell; Oviedo, Fla.; Power Baseball
• Brendon Bennett; Novi, Mich.; eXposure Prime
• Alec Blair; Lafayette, Calif.; 15U Northwest Stars
• Caleb Bonemer; Okemos, Mich.; Artillery Baseball
• *^Tristan Bristow; Helotes, Texas; Banditos Scout
• Sam Burgess; Riverside, Calif.; Easton Prime Red
• *Slade Caldwell; Jonesboro, Ark.; USA Prime National
• Cash Campbell; Downers Grove, Ill.; 15U Midwest Stripes
• ^Matthew Champion; Fontana, Calif.; Legacy Baseball Group
• Elijah Clayton; Oak Park, Calif.; GBG Navy
• ^Kayson Cunningham; San Antonio, Texas; 15U South Stars
• ^Derek Curiel; West Covina, Calif.; USA Prime National
• Eli Dickey; Franklin, Tenn.; Mad Mavericks Dickey
• Jonathan Dobis; Eagan, Minn.; 15U Midwest Stripes
• Conor Essenburg; Manhattan, Ill.; 15U Midwest Stripes
• Jake Evans; Long Beach, Calif.; 15U Southwest Stars
• Hayden Federico; West Monroe, La.; Knights Knation
• *^Ross Felder; Springdale, Ark.; 15U Southwest Stars
• Noah Franco; Downey, Calif.; Canes`National
• Jack Frankel; Plano, Texas; USA Prime National
• Andrew (AJ) Garcia; Chicago, Ill.; 16U Midwest Stars
• Bradyn Garner; West Monroe, La.; Knights Knation
• ^Theo Gillen; Austin, Texas; Westlake
• Cohen Gomez; Anaheim Hills, Calif.; SoCal Birds Orange
• Drew Graham; Avon Lake, Ohio; Canes National
• *Konnor Griffin; Florence, Miss.; Knights Knation
• Kingsley Guthrie; Miramar, Fla.; Pro Youth Foundation
• Aidan Hall; Galt, Calif.; 15U Northwest Stars
• Cole Hansen; Norco, Calif.; Easton Prime Red
• Holden Harris; Leander, Texas; 16U South Stars
• Leighton Harris; Lexington, Ky.; 16U Midwest Stars
• Jake Haruki; Irvine, Calif.; 15U Southwest Stripes
• Aidan Hayse; Morris, Ill.; Top Tier Select
• Tyler Head; Winter Garden, Fla.; Power Baseball
• David Hogg II; Grand Prairie, Texas; Chi Town Cream
• Ethan Holliday; Stillwater, Okla.; Scorpions 2025
• Tegan Kuhns; Gettysburg, Pa.; USA Prime National
• Easton Masse; Hartford, Conn.
• Micah Matthews; Bridewater, Va.; USA Prime National
• Coleman (Kash) Mayfield; Elk City, Okla.; USA Prime National
• Joe McGee; Danville, Calif.; 16U Northwest Stars
• Chase Mobley; Plant City, Fla.; Canes National
• JJ Moran; Carlsbad, Calif.; CBA Victus San Diego
• PJ Morlando; Ladsen, S.C.; Canes Prospects
• Cooper Moss; Panama City Beach, Fla.; 15U Southeast Stripes
• ^Michael Mullinax; Canton, Ga.; Team Elite
• Chandler Murray; Honolulu, Hawaii; Hawaii Elite 2G
• Bryce Navarre; Lake Charles, La.; 16U Southwest Stars
• *Austin Nye; Roseville, Calif.; Alpha Prime
• Landon O'Donnell; Valrico, Fla.; 16U Southeast Stars
• Luke Oblen; Chicago, Ill.; Top Tier Select
• Owen Paino; Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; 16U Northeast Stars
• *^Bryce Rainer; Simi Valley, Calif.; Legacy Baseball Group
• *Mason Russell; Santan Valley, Ariz.; USA Prime National
• Jake Sanko; Peoria, Ariz..; AZBC 2024
• *Ethan Schiefelbein; Corona, Calif.; USA Prime National
• ^Ryan Sloan; Elmhurst, Ill.; Top Tier Select
• Trey Snyder; Liberty North, Mo.; Royals Scout Team
• Caden Sorrell; Highland Village, Texas; Marcus
• *Joshua Springer; Corona, Calif.; Easton Prime Red
• Levi Sterling; Los Angeles, Calif.; Legacy Baseball Group
• Zach Strickland; Arcadia, Calif.; Matadors 2024
• Ethan Surowiec; Gulfport, Miss.; Knights Knation
• Gage Thompson; Puyallup, Wash.; New Level Baseball 16U
• Gabriel Tirado; Newington, Conn.; 16U Northeast Stars
• Joey Tonnotti; Southington, Conn.; 16U Northeast Stars
• *^Michael Torres; Miami, Fla.; Canes Prospects
• *Nolan Traeger; Spring, Texas; Texas Twelve
• Ariston Veasey; Tyrone, Ga.; USA Prime National
• Tanner Waldrop; Auburn, Ala.; East Coast Sox Scout
• Jaxon Walker; Lenoir City, Tenn.; Home Plate Chili Dogs
• Micah Wascom; Bogalusa, La.; Knights Knation
• Cooper Williams; Alvin, Texas; Banditos Scout
• Quindon Wright; Albany, Ga.; 15U Southeast Stars

*Denotes National Team alum

^Denotes National Team Development Program participant

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today named the coaching staff for the 2022 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP), which features South Carolina pitching coach Justin Parker, two-time MLB All-Star Brad Penny, and 18U National Team Assistant Coach Jack Wilson as roving instructors. USA Baseball Director of Player Development Jim Koerner will serve as the program’s field coordinator.

The NTDP, which will have a newly expanded 80-man roster in 2022, will feature five days of games and workouts, skill development sessions, off-field educational seminars, and exposure to professional scouts, college recruiters, USA Baseball staff, and national team coaches. Additionally, players will be assessed and evaluated by the coaching staff for possible future participation in USA Baseball national team programming.

“We are very fortunate to welcome this group of accomplished and successful coaches to this year’s National Team Development Program,” said USA Baseball Director of Baseball Operations Brett Curll. “The National Team Development Program has established itself as a premier event on the amateur baseball calendar and continues to attract the nation’s top coaches and players. We look forward to watching this staff create and develop impactful relationships with our players this summer.”

Four current Division I coaches will join the staff to serve as managers in 2022. Longtime Boston College head coach Mike Gambino, Indiana University Assistant Coach Derek Simmons, Murray State University Head Coach Dan Skirka, and Notre Dame pitching coach Chuck Ristano, who helped lead Notre Dame to the 2022 College World Series, will serve as the four NTDP managers this season.

The full coaching staff for the 2022 16U/17U NTDP is as follows (coaches’ bios enclosed below):

COORDINATORS

• Field Coordinator: Jim Koerner – USA Baseball
• Roving Instructor: Justin Parker – University of South Carolina
• Roving Instructor: Brad Penny
• Roving Instructor: Jack Wilson

TEAM LIGHT BLUE

• Manager: Mike Gambino – Boston College
• Pitching Coach: Brett Tomko
• Assistant Coach: Andre Butler

TEAM NAVY 

• Manager: Derek Simmons – Indiana University
• Pitching Coach: Todd Jones
• Assistant Coach: Butch Chaffin – Cookeville (TN) High School

TEAM RED

• Manager: Chuck Ristano – University of Notre Dame
• Pitching Coach: Brad Penny
• Assistant Coach: Dave Webb – Corona Del Sol (AZ) High School

TEAM WHITE

• Manager: Dan Skirka – Murray State University
• Pitching Coach: Doug Creek
• Assistant Coach: Austin Wates – Kansas State University

The 2022 16U/17U NTDP is scheduled to take place from July 25-29 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. The roster will feature players identified from the National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina, as well as last year’s 2021 National Team Identification Series (NTIS). Twenty-four players from the 2021 15U and 16U NTIS Champions Cup have already been selected for the 2022 16U/17U NTDP.

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

COACHES’ BIOS

Andre Butler joins the staff for the 2022 16U/17U NTDP as an assistant coach for Team Light Blue. The owner and operator of Graveyard Mentality in Pennsylvania, Butler is one of the best in the coaching profession at teaching outfield play. In addition to running his training organization, he also has extensive experience coaching at the collegiate level, most recently for two seasons as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Swarthmore College. With the Garnet, Butler served as a first-base coach while also implementing defensive strategies throughout games. It was Butler’s second stint at Swarthmore after spending the 2012-13 school year as an assistant with the team and previously coaching for four seasons as an assistant at Penn State University, where he served in multiple roles, including as a hitting coach. His first season with the Nittany Lions was the program's best in recent history, as they earned their first winning record in four years and doubled their Big Ten-win total from the previous season. Prior to his time at Penn State, Butler also coached at the University of Pennsylvania and DeSales University. In addition to his coaching experience, Butler played collegiately for four seasons at Eastern University (St. Davids, Pa.), graduating in 2012 as one of the program's all-time best hitters. He also started a tee-ball league called the "Jackie Robinson West Philly League" in Philadelphia.

Two-time national team coach Butch Chaffin will serve as an assistant coach for Team Navy at the 2022 16U/17U NTDP. Chaffin is currently the head coach at Cookeville High School (Cookeville, Tenn.) where he has been named District 7-AAA Coach of the Year five times and the Region Coach of the Year three times. For USA Baseball, he has twice served as an assistant coach, first for the 2010 18U National Team and again with the 2017 12U National Team, which won its third consecutive World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup. Before coaching at Cookeville High School, he was an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech University for four years and a professional scout for the Kansas City Royals. 

Two-time USA Baseball alumnus and nine-year MLB veteran Doug Creek is set to serve as a pitching coach for Team White at the 2022 16U/17U NTDP. Creek appeared in 279 contests out of the bullpen with seven different clubs during his big-league tenure, striking out more than a batter an inning with 292 punchouts in 289.1 total innings pitched. He also pitched one season with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan in 1998. Creek first donned the Team USA uniform with the 1987 18U National Team and again with the 1989 Collegiate National Team. In 15 pitching appearances over those two summers with the red, white, and blue, he went 7-1 on the mound with 55 strikeouts in 54.2 innings of work. Inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame in 2001, Creek was also one of the top pitchers in the school’s storied history. In four seasons for the Ramblin’ Wreck from 1988-91, he posted 41 wins with 458 strikeouts in 472.0 innings pitched, all of which remain school records to this day. He was drafted twice during his collegiate career, signing with the St. Louis Cardinals after they picked him in the seventh round of the 1991 MLB Draft.

Longtime Boston College head coach Mike Gambino brings his vast experience to the dugout as Team Light Blue manager at the 2022 16U/17U NTDP. Since taking the reins at BC in 2010, Gambino has amassed over 250 wins in his 12 seasons as head coach. In 2016, he led the Eagles to 35 wins, the second-most in program history, and the school’s first-ever Super Regional appearance. For his efforts that year, he was named the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Northeast Region Coach of the Year and a D1Baseball finalist for Coach of the Year. A 1999 Boston College graduate, Gambino previously served as an assistant coach for the Eagles from 2003-2005 before taking a position as a regional scout for the Detroit Tigers. After two years in that role, he headed to Virginia Tech where he was the recruiting coordinator for four seasons. Gambino played for Boston College from 1997-2000, starting 166 games and hitting at a career .313 clip. The Garrison, New York, native was a first-team All-Big East, All-New England, and All-Northeast region honoree following his senior campaign. Following his collegiate career, Gambino played two seasons in the Boston Red Sox minor league system. 

One of the most successful relief pitchers in Major League history, Todd Jones will join the 2022 16U/17U NTDP as a pitching coach for Team Navy. A 16-year MLB veteran, Jones recorded 319 career saves, giving him the 22nd-most all time. He appeared in 982 contests with a 3.97 ERA over his lengthy career which saw him suit up for eight different clubs, including eight seasons with the Detroit Tigers. His best season came in 2000 when he was named to the American League All-Star Team and claimed AL Relief Man of the Year honors after notching a league-high 42 saves, a Tigers single-season record. Jones finished 11 of his 18 seasons with double-digit save totals, including five with 30 or more. He is also a USA Baseball alumnus, having played on the inaugural World Baseball Classic squad in 2006. Jones played collegiately at Jacksonville State University where he helped pitch the Gamecocks to back-to-back College World Series appearances in 1988 and 1989. He was drafted with the 27th pick of the first round of the 1989 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros and was inducted into the JSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.

NTDP Field Coordinator and USA Baseball Director of Player Development Jim Koerner was the head coach at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) from 2011-2021. As just the second head coach in the program’s modern-day history, Koerner took NCCU baseball to new heights in his 10 years at the helm. Under his guidance, the Eagles set the school record for wins in 2013 (27) and again in 2018 (28). He also coached two MLB Draft picks with NCCU, including Corey Joyce, who became the highest selection in program history when he was taken in the 12th round by the Detroit Tigers in 2019. Before his time at NCCU, Koerner was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Buffalo from 2007-2011, helping the Bulls reach their best offensive performances in program history in 2009 and 2010. The team recorded an all-time high in wins since 1999 during the 2009 season and set the records for team batting average (.312), home runs (46), and stolen bases (71) in 2010. In those two seasons combined, the Bulls broke over 25 season, career, team, and individual records. He began his coaching career in 2001 as the head coach at Medaille College, where he helped found the program and was named the 2003 North Eastern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. He broke into the Division I ranks as an assistant at Monmouth University before a stint at Marshall University.

Following his first season as the pitching coach at the University of South Carolina, Justin Parker will serve as the pitching coordinator at the 2022 16U/17U NTDP. Parker joined the Gamecocks after spending three seasons as the associate head coach/pitching coach at Indiana. He has also coached at the University of Central Florida for two seasons (2017-2018) and worked at Wright State University, his alma mater, for six years (2012-17). Parker has produced 20 pitchers who have been selected in the MLB Draft, including nine who have gone in the first 10 rounds. In just two years at UCF, Parker sent nine arms to the professional ranks. As a player, he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 43rd round of the 2005 MLB Draft out of Fort Wayne High School (Fort Wayne, Ind.) but opted to play for Wright State. He was drafted again in 2008, this time by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the sixth round, and spent three years playing for the Diamondbacks’ minor league affiliates. As a player at Wright State, Parker earned first-team Horizon League selections in 2007 and 2008, as well as Second Team ABCA All- Region in 2007, and was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District recipient in 2008. Parker has previously served on the NTDP staff in 2019 and 2021 as a pitching coach.

Brad Penny joins the NTDP staff as a roving instructor and pitching coach after making his national team coaching debut with the 18U National Team last summer. Penny served as the pitching coach for Team USA in 2021, leading the staff to a 1.53 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 59 innings in a seven-game friendship series against Canada. In addition to his USA Baseball coaching experience, Penny also donned the stars and stripes as a player when he suited up for the organization’s first Professional National Team in 1999. The squad won a silver medal at the 1999 Pan American Games, qualifying Team USA for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games where the U.S. earned the gold medal with a 4-0 defeat of Cuba. The right-hander was selected in the fifth round of the 1996 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks and had a 14-year MLB playing career that included two All-Star selections and a World Series championship. The Blackwell, Oklahoma, native finished his career with 121 wins, 1,273 strikeouts, and a 4.29 ERA in 1,925.0 innings pitched in the big leagues. After making his major league debut with the Miami Marlins in 2000, he helped lead the team to the organization’s second World Series Championship in 2003 with a 4.13 ERA in 32 starts during the season. Penny also made two starts in the Fall Classic against the New York Yankees, earning a 2-0 record while striking out seven in 12.1 innings of work. Penny made his first All-Star Game appearance in 2006 and finished that season with a 4.33 ERA, a career-high 148 strikeouts, and a league-leading 16 wins for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2007, he collected a 3.03 ERA, 135 punchouts, and an MLB-best .800 (16-4) win percentage to earn his second All-Star Game selection in as many years and finish third in National League Cy Young Award voting. He finished his playing career with stints playing for the Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, and the Detroit Tigers before returning to the Marlins in 2014 for his final season.

Returning for his second stint with the 16U/17U National Team Development Program is University of Notre Dame pitching coach Chuck Ristano. He will serve as the Red team manager this year; but, he previously served as a pitching coach for the Stripes at the 2019 NTDP which played games at Notre Dame, Wrigley Field, and Miller Park. Through 12 seasons in South Bend, Ristano has produced 17 Major League draft picks on the mound, a team ERA under 4.00 in eight seasons, and 13 all-conference selections from the pitching staff. The Irish earned their second consecutive NCAA Tournament berth in 2022 and are currently competing in the College World Series. Ristano also helped lead the Irish to a magical 2021 campaign which saw them go from unranked to as high as No. 2 in the nation and fall just one game short of advancing to Omaha for the College World Series. Ristano shared a big moment with former Notre Dame star Trey Mancini last summer as well when the two teamed up as pitcher and hitter to reach the final round of the MLB Home Run Derby at Coors Field in Colorado. Before joining the staff at Notre Dame, Ristano spent four seasons as a pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Monmouth University in New Jersey. There, he helped the Hawks to Northeast Conference titles and NCAA Regional bids in 2007 and 2009. Ristano has also spent time as pitching coach at Sacred Heart and Temple. He was a two-time captain and four-year letter winner at Sacred Heart (2001-04), where he also was a four-time NEC All-Academic honoree. 

Derek Simmons is set to be a manager for Team Navy at the 2022 16U/17U NTDP. Simmons recently completed his third season on the coaching staff at Indiana University where he currently serves as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator after two years in the volunteer assistant role. The 12-year coaching veteran has been highly successful on the recruiting trail during his career, putting together two top 25 recruiting classes to go along with three other “top classes” per Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. The Duluth, Georgia, native was also named to Baseball America’s “Coaches to Watch” list in 2018 and 2019. Before arriving in Bloomington, Simmons spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Kent State University (2018-2019), where helped land the second-highest recruiting class in program history during that time. Simmons also spent time as a member of the coaching staff at the University of Alabama (2016) and Kennesaw State University (2012-2015). He started his coaching career with a two-year stint at Central Michigan University. Additionally, he served as the Stars assistant coach in 2014 and as the PONY coach in the 2012 and 2013 USA Baseball Tournament of Stars. Prior to beginning his coaching career, Simmons played for the University of Montevallo, helping lead the team to the 2006 Division II College World Series before transferring to Georgia State where he was named team captain and twice earned first-team all-conference accolades.

Murray State University head coach Dan Skirka joins the 2022 16U/17U NTDP as Team White manager this summer. Skirka, who previously worked with USA Baseball as an assistant at the 2019 Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League, recently completed his fourth season at the helm of the Racers program. He has won 97 games during that time, including a program-record 18 Ohio Valley Conference contests in 2021. Skirka was quite familiar with the MSU program before taking over as he served as an assistant coach for the club from 2009-14. Between his stints at Murray State, Skirka had four successful seasons as the recruiting coordinator at Walters State Community College, where he helped lead the Senators to a 208-48 record during that span. He played collegiately at Grand Valley State University, earning Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association All-Region First-Team honors during his senior season in 2007. Skirka began his coaching career the following year at Grand Rapids Community College where his team advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) World Series. Skirka also spent one season as an assistant at Ouachita Baptist University in 2009.

Brett Tomko brings 14 years of Major League experience to the dugout this summer as a pitching coach for Team Light Blue at the 2022 16U/17U NTDP. A second-round pick by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1995 MLB Draft, Tomko pitched in 397 big-league contests during his lengthy career, finishing with exactly 100 wins and 1,209 total strikeouts. He recorded double-digit win totals on five occasions, topping out at 13 victories in both 1998 and 2003. Tomko suited up for 10 different clubs, including three stints with the San Diego Padres. He was drafted out of Florida Southern College where he played just one season but left an indelible mark. In his lone campaign with the Moccasins, Tomko went 15-2 with a 1.35 ERA and 154 strikeouts in 126.1 innings en route to becoming the first player to ever be named the NCAA Division II Pitcher and Player of the Year. He was also named the Most Outstanding Player at the DII championships after leading the Mocs to their eighth national title with a complete-game shutout in the championship game. In 2014, the NCAA DII Pitcher of the Year Award was named the Brett Tomko Award in his honor.

Kansas State University assistant coach Austin Wates joins the 2022 16U/17U NTDP staff as an assistant coach for Team White in 2022. Wates, who has been an assistant with the Wildcats since the 2019 season, focuses primarily on hitters, outfielders, and baserunners with the program. Since joining the staff, Wates’ offense has delivered two of the top six seasons in terms of total home runs in the program’s history, including a single-season record 89 homers in 2021. Before joining the coaching ranks, Wates played collegiately at Virginia Tech from 2007-2010. He was a preseason All-America selection by two publications in 2010, and later that season helped lead the Hokies to their first regional NCAA Regional appearance in 10 years. Wates was drafted in the third round by the Houston Astros in the 2010 MLB Draft and played professionally until 2015 in the Astros and Miami Marlins organizations.

Four-time gold medal-winning manager Dave Webb will join the staff at the 2022 16U/17U NTDP as an assistant coach for Team Red. Webb has served as a coach on four USA Baseball national teams over the years, including three stints as manager, with his teams accumulating a 38-1 overall record in international play. As an assistant for the 2007 14U National Team, he helped lead the squad to a perfect 14-0 record in both the qualifier and COPABE Pan Am Championships in Guatemala and Puerto Rico, respectively. Webb then took the helm of the 14U team for the next two years, winning another qualifier in Guatemala in 2008 before leading the 2009 team to a gold medal at the COPABE Pan Am Championships in Ecuador. Most recently, he guided the inaugural 12U National Team to gold at the 2013 IBAF 12U World Cup in Taiwan. Webb is also one of the most successful high school coaches in the nation with over 300 wins in 17 seasons as the head coach at Corona del Sol High School (Tempe, Ariz.). His 2009 team claimed the Arizona 5A state championship and his Aztec squads finished among the top three teams in the state for three consecutive years from 2018-2020.

2022 18U National Team assistant coach Jack Wilson assumes the role of roving instructor at this year's NTDP. Wilson is on the 18U National Team coaching staff as an assistant for the second year in a row after helping lead Team USA to a 5-1-1 record in a friendship series against Canada in 2021. Additionally, he previously served on the NTDP staff in 2019 as a defensive coordinator. Wilson served as the head coach at Thousand Oaks High School (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) from 2017-2021, where he collected a 98-30-1 overall record and led the Lancers to two Marmonte League championships (2019, 2021) and a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)-SS Division 2 title in 2021. Under his guidance, the program went 24-6, including 10-2 in league play in 2019, and finished the 2021 season with a 27-1 record. He also led the squad to an 8-0 start to the 2020 season and a No. 1 CIF-SS Division 2 ranking before the pause in play caused by COVID-19. Prior to his coaching career, Wilson played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, and Atlanta Braves for over 12 years in the big leagues. He led the National League with 12 triples in 2004, earning a spot on the National League All-Star Team and a Silver Slugger award for his efforts. In 1,370 MLB games, Wilson recorded a .265/.306/.366 career slash line with 61 home runs and 426 RBIs.