CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today named Jason Maxwell the manager of the 2021 18U National Team. Maxwell will lead Team USA as it competes for the program’s fifth world championship since 2012 at the 2021 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup in Bradenton and Sarasota, Florida, in September.
“We are excited to have Jason Maxwell at the helm of the 18U National Team this year as we play for a world championship on our home soil,” 18U National Team General Manager Ashley Bratcher said. “Jason has been a part of our coaching system for years and we are confident he will guide the 18U National Team program to tremendous success. His passion, enthusiasm, and experience, combined with his deep knowledge of the game, will be invaluable assets to a group of incredible young athletes this year.”
“I am extremely grateful and honored to be named the manager of the USA Baseball 18U National Team,” said Maxwell. “There is a standard of excellence associated with USA Baseball, so having the opportunity to represent your country and wear the USA jersey is a privilege that I do not take for granted. I am excited about managing this team of great athletes and I am ready to embrace the challenge of leading Team USA to a gold medal at the 2021 U-18 Baseball World Cup!”
2021 marks Maxwell’s third time coaching for Team USA and his second stint as a manager for the red, white, and blue. After helping to guide the 2016 15U National Team to a WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup bronze medal as an assistant coach, Maxwell made his managerial debut in 2018 and led the 15U National Team to the program’s first-ever world championship. The U.S. finished the tournament with an 8-1 record, a .323 batting average, 69 RBIs, 17 doubles, five triples, and three home runs while outscoring opponents 88-13. In addition, the pitching staff tallied a collective team ERA of 1.24 over 58 innings of work and four of Maxwell’s players were named to the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup All-World Team. The team was named the 2018 USA Baseball Team of the Year and Maxwell was honored as the 2018 USA Baseball Developmental Coach of the Year for his work with the squad.
Maxwell has also served as the field coordinator for the 2017 14U National Team Development Program (NTDP) and has worked at numerous National Team Trials, the USA Baseball National Team Championships, and the USA Baseball National Team Identification Series (NTIS) throughout his tenure with USA Baseball.
Maxwell is the head coach at Ensworth School (Nashville, Tenn.) and is currently in his 17th season at the helm. He has led the program to eight straight playoff appearances and two Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association quarterfinal appearances. Prior to his coaching career, he was an All-Conference player for Middle Tennessee State University in 1992 and 1993 before being selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft and playing 12 years of professional baseball. After six seasons in the minor leagues, Maxwell made his Major League debut with the Cubs in 1998. He also saw playing time in the major leagues with the Minnesota Twins in 2000 and 2001 before beginning his coaching career in 2004 as the first coach in school history for Ensworth School. Maxwell finished his minor league career with 991 hits, 103 home runs, and 487 RBIs.
In 2021, the Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League will serve as the primary identification event for the 18U National Team Trials. The PDP League is an invitation-based development and assessment opportunity for high school players eligible for the following year’s MLB Draft. It provides athletes with an unprecedented amateur experience, including competitive gameplay, player development sessions, educational seminars, and other programming to prepare players for a professional baseball career. The 2021 PDP League is scheduled to take place July 24-31 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.
18U National Team Trials will take place August 29-September 3 in Tampa, Florida. The final 20-man 18U National Team roster will be announced following Trials and the team will remain in Tampa for training from September 4-8 before taking part in the 2021 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup. The U-18 Baseball World Cup will be hosted by the U.S. for the first time since 1995 in Bradenton and Sarasota, Florida, from September 10-19.
From 2011-2018, the 18U National Team program won eight consecutive international tournament titles, including winning four straight WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cups in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2017. Currently the U.S. and Cuba are the only two countries to win four consecutive world championship titles at the U-18 level. In total, the 18U National Team has won eight world championships. Most recently, the 18U National Team earned the silver medal at the 2019 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Gijang, South Korea.
The rest of the 2021 18U National Team staff, as well as more information about the 2021 18U National Team schedule, will be announced at a later date.
For the most up-to-date information on the 18U National Team, be sure to follow @USABaseball18U and @USABaseball on Twitter.
