Brotherly competition is something Graham Houston has known all his life.

The Houston brothers have spent years pushing each other on the baseball field. Now, Graham is taking what he’s learned from growing up alongside his older brother, Marek, into an opportunity of his own.

After advancing through Phase 1, Graham returned for Phase 2 of 18U National Team Training Camp with another opportunity to compete for a spot on the national team, a process Marek has already experienced himself.

Marek, a member of the 2024 Collegiate National Team who was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft, has given Graham a firsthand look at what it takes to reach the highest levels of the game. More importantly, he’s helped his younger brother believe that he can get there, too.

“I never thought I’d be able to accomplish those things, but seeing him doing it made me believe in myself,” Graham said. “I think him making me believe in myself is part of why I’m here.”

Growing up with Marek meant every game, every practice, and every opportunity came with someone to chase. But as he’s gotten older, Graham has come to understand that their relationship gave him something far more valuable than competition.

It’s given him belief.

“Every time I see him, I always want to beat him,” Graham said with a laugh. “But he’s helped me realize to be able to believe in myself from the things that he’s been able to accomplish.”

Now, Graham is getting the chance to experience a piece of that journey himself while remembering what it was like to watch his older brother.

“It was just awesome to see him go through it,” Graham said. “It’s really cool to see someone I know and grew up with go through that process, it’s something not many people have and it’s very special.”

For Graham’s family, the significance goes beyond baseball.

Both of his parents served in the military, and growing up, Graham once envisioned following them into military service. Watching Marek represent his country through baseball has allowed the family to experience that same sense of service in a different way.

“To be able to even just be a part of something with the country,” Graham said. “Growing up, I wanted to be in the military, and I think just watching my brother go do something like that, and my parents go watch him, I think it all comes together in a way that’s kind of special for our family.”

As Graham continues to build his own baseball career, he carries with him the lessons Marek has shared along the way.

The biggest lesson: Trust yourself.

“Know that you have put in the work. Know that you are very good,” Graham said. “And just, again, believe in yourself.”

That message has become especially important for Graham, who admits he has been hard on himself in the past.

His brother helped him understand that perfection isn’t the goal.

“You’re not going to play good all the time,” Graham said. “But believing in yourself is the biggest thing.”

That mindset has also helped Graham define the player and person he wants to be.

Calm. Faith-driven. Present.

“I’m very big in my faith,” Graham said. “Knowing that I’ve already won in life, I don’t have to perform or do anything more than just go out there and give it my best, because that’s all I can really do.”

That perspective has allowed him to approach his game with less pressure and more joy.

When he looks ahead, Graham isn’t focused on trying to predict where baseball will take him. Instead, he wants to take things one day at a time and live in the present.

It is the same approach he has brought with him to Phase 2 of 18U National Team Training Camp.

Being selected for another phase of a national team training camp is an accomplishment in itself, but Graham knows everyone around him wants the same thing.

“Of course, everyone here wants to make the team,” he said. “So it’s just trusting yourself, knowing that you’re here for Phase 2 for a reason.”

His experience in Phase 1 reinforced that mindset. Surrounded by talented players from across the country, Graham found value not only in competing against them, but in learning from them.

“You can learn a lot from other people and how they interact,” he said. “Learning from new kids, learning how they view baseball, what they do outside of baseball, relationships and talking to them and learning from a lot of these kids is something that you don’t get anywhere else.”

That willingness to learn extends beyond the baseball field, just as his relationship with Marek has.

Graham is committed to LSU, a decision he said ultimately came down to the relationships he built with the coaching staff and players. The coaches showed him who he could become, and most importantly, believed in him.

That belief is something Graham now recognizes in the people who have helped shape his own path.

“I think the biggest jump I made was when I didn’t have to worry about this game,” Graham said. “I think the biggest thing for me was doing less.”

Doing less meant trusting the work. It meant letting go of the pressure to perform perfectly, and it meant remembering why he fell in love with baseball in the first place.

“Having fun is a big thing,” Graham said. “I grew up just so excited to go take grounders, especially with my brother. Just so excited to go play baseball.”

Now, as he stands one step closer to representing his country, Graham is carrying that feeling into the present.

“I know there’s so much talk on social media about next year, whether it be the draft or college, just so many things forcing you to look ahead,” Graham said. “I think the biggest goal for me is to take one day at a time, make someone else’s day, and just try and create relationships that can last a lifetime.”

Take it one day at a time, trust yourself, don’t compare and, above all, have fun. For Graham, it all comes back to believing in himself.

Marek may have helped show Graham what was possible, but Graham’s journey is becoming his own.

“I know that I’ve already won,” Graham said.