Experience with USA Baseball has given five players on the 18U National Team Training Camp Phase 2 roster a firsthand look at the national team process. Now, they’re using what they learned from those experiences as they compete for another opportunity.

Isaac Vidal, Samir Mohammed, Camden Boehm, and Cooper Collins have previously represented USA Baseball on a national team, while Cullen Scott returns to Phase 2 after winning a gold medal with the 2025 15U National Team at the WBSC U-15 Pan-American Championship.

For the group, previous national team experience has provided a better understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest level.

For Scott, that understanding has been shaped by his experience with last year’s 15U National Team.

“I think it just showed me the process of how to get there,” Scott said. “And especially this year, it’s a little bit tougher.”

As the youngest player on the Phase 2 roster, he is now competing alongside players he once watched from afar.

“I remember watching some of these guys growing up on YouTube and everything, so it’s a sick feeling, just being out here and competing at the same level they are,” Scott said.

Scott's 2025 experience taught him the importance of staying mentally tough and remaining committed to the team through adversity.

“Nobody was playing for themselves,” Scott said. “Everybody was playing for something bigger than themselves, which I think is why we won.”

That mindset has carried into Phase 2. After not having the first outing he wanted in Phase 1, Scott was able to regroup and come back with a stronger performance, an experience he said taught him how to better handle moments when things are not going his way.

“Just feeling that and feeling what it feels like to be out of control, you kind of learn how to keep it back in control,” Scott said.

The lessons from previous national team experiences extend beyond handling individual performances.

For Mohammed, who represented the 2023 15U National Team, returning to USA Baseball has reinforced the importance of understanding the talent around him and continuing to develop his game.

“Being out here with really talented players, you’re probably not the most talented player, honestly,” Mohammed said. “There are so many good players out here that you have to stay levelheaded.”

That perspective has changed the way Mohammed approaches pitching. Rather than relying solely on his fastball, he has learned to adjust to the hitters he faces.

“You can’t just throw fastballs and expect to get strikeouts,” Mohammed said. “You’ve got to kind of use more of your arsenal.”

That growth is part of what each returning player brings into Phase 2.

The previous experiences give them a reference point for what the process demands, while the opportunity itself presents a new challenge.

Vidal has experienced that progression firsthand. A two-time USA Baseball alum, he represented the 2021 12U and 2024 15U National Teams, taking on different roles each time. He competed as a hitter and infielder with the 12U team before transitioning to the mound with the 15U National Team.

Now competing for an 18U roster spot, Vidal understands that the level continues to rise.

“You’re facing older players, more competitive players,” Vidal said. “I know the game, and have better knowledge than the last time I made a national team.”

His previous experiences have also shaped the way he carries himself away from the field. Vidal said his experiences with USA Baseball have taught him the importance of humility, gratitude, and treating others with respect.

“Being humble in your sport means a lot,” Vidal said.

That perspective can be especially valuable during a process in which players are competing for a limited number of roster spots.

Vidal has experienced the nerves that came with waiting to hear his name called, and he knows the feeling of competing against a large group of talented players for a place on the final roster.

“I remember the first call I made to my parents after making the 15U National Team,” Vidal said. “I was very excited, we were crying on the phone. I was very grateful.”

For Mohammed, the significance of another opportunity is tied closely to his family and his first experience wearing the red, white, and blue. His grandfather served in the Navy, giving his opportunity to wear U-S-A across his chest an added personal meaning.

“To make Team USA and kind of represent the United States in my own way, that’s just something that’s really big to me,” Mohammed said. “Anytime you can put U-S-A across your chest, that just honestly means the world.”

While each player has taken a different path through USA Baseball, their previous experiences have given them something in common: An understanding of the opportunity in front of them.

They know the level of competition and they know what it takes to make that final roster.

For Boehm, Collins, Mohammed, Scott, and Vidal, the journey back to USA Baseball has been shaped by different experiences, different roles, and different lessons. But each has already learned what it means to compete for something bigger than themselves.

Now, with another chance to represent Team USA ahead of them, they have another opportunity to put those lessons into action as Phase 2 moves closer to finalizing the 18U National Team roster.