DURHAM, N.C. - USA Baseball announced on Thursday 54 athletes that have been invited to the 2018 15U National Team Trials following the conclusion of the 15U National Team Championships in Arizona and Florida. Phase 1 of 15U National Team Trials will begin July 29 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.
Eighteen additional athletes will receive invitations to join Phase 1 of 15U National Team Trials following the 2018 USA Baseball 14U National Team Development Program (NTDP), finalizing a 72-man roster. Phase 2 of 15U Trials will begin on August 1 and will feature 34 athletes vying for a spot on the final 20-man national team roster.
The 2018 15U National Team will participate in training in Cary, North Carolina, from August 4-7 before traveling to David, Panama, for the 2018 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup.
"The 15U National Team coaching staff is thrilled with the talent level and character of first group of athletes invited to the national team trials," said Ashley Bratcher, Senior Director of Baseball Operations at USA Baseball. "With twenty-six previous USA Baseball national team and national team development program participants attending trials, we are excited to have seasoned athletes elevate the trials process across the board.
"The next step in this process is for our staff to scout the 14U National Team Development Program in order to finalize our final trials roster. Then, we get to work putting together a team that will aim to bring back its first world cup title in 15U National Team program history."
15U National Team alums and COPABE Pan Am "AA" Championships gold medalists Davis Diaz (Pittsburg, Calif.) and Joshua Hartle (King, N.C.) return to 15U Team trials for the second consecutive year after both earned a roster spot after competing at the 2017 14U NTDP.
In total, 15 total USA Baseball national team alumni are on the trials roster, including Diaz and 13 other members of the 2015 12U National Team that won a gold medal at the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup in Taichung, Taiwan. Additionally, 23 of the 54 invitees have previously participated in the 14U National Team Development Program.
Twenty-eight players on the 15U National Team Trials roster are new to USA Baseball programming in 2018. The athletes selected for the USA Baseball National Team Trials are chosen from the 15U National Team Championships, the USA Baseball 14U National Team Identification Series (NTIS), the NTDP and recommendations from professional scouts and college and high school coaches.
In total, the 54 athletes invited to 15U Trials span 22 different states and Puerto Rico.
Jason Maxwell will serve as the 15U National Team manager in 2018 and is joined on staff by Manny Crespo, Troy Gerlach and Adam Moseley.
For more information on the 15U National Team and the selection process, please visit USABaseball.com or follow along on Twitter, at @USABaseball15U.
2018 USA Baseball 15U National Team Trials Roster:
(Name; Position; Hometown)
Oren Abbott; LHP/OF; Short Hills, N.J.
Ethan Anderson; C; Virginia Beach, Va.
^Eldridge Armstrong III; IF/OF; Pasadena, Calif.
^Mario Bejarano; LHP/IF; Tucson, Ariz.
Kyle Bender; RHP; Vacaville, Calif.
^Blake Burke; IF; Brentwood, Calif.
Ethan Campbell; IF/OF; Panama City, Fla.
^Josiah Chavez; C/IF; Santa Paula, Calif.
*^Ryan Clifford; OF/IF; Raleigh, N.C.
^Joey Collier; LHP; Surprise, Ariz.
^Tyler Collins; OF; McKinney, Texas
Justin Colon; IF; Carolina, P.R.
*^Daniel Corona Jr.; IF/RHP; Brooklyn, N.Y.
*Garrett Cutting; IF/RHP; Las Vegas, Nev.
Justin DeCriscio; IF; Orange, Calif.
*^Davis Diaz; IF/RHP; Pittsburg, Calif.
*^Thomas DiLandri; OF/RHP; Las Vegas, Nev.
Samuel Dutton; RHP/OF; Rainbow City, Ala.
^Logan Forsythe; RHP/OF; Biloxi, Miss.
*^Josh Hartle; LHP/IF; King, N.C.
*^Brady House; IF/RHP; Winder, Ga.
Gage Jump; LHP/OF; Aliso, Calif.
*^Cooper Kinney; C/IF; Chattanooga, Tenn.
*^Nick Kurtz; LHP/IF; Lancaster, Pa.
Cale Lansville; RHP/IF; Denver, Colo.
Talmadge LeCroy; C/IF; Belton, S.C.
^Luke Leto; RHP/UT; Portage, Mich.
Christian Little; RHP/IF; University City, Mo.
Rheego McIntosh; RHP/OF; Temecula, Calif.
*Carson McKinney; RHP/IF; Chelseay, Ala.
Brewster Mott; OF/IF; Vacaville, Calif.
Devin Obee; OF; Bowling Green, Ky.
Andrew Painter; RHP; Pompano Beach, Fla.
Aaron Perez; IF/LHP; Santa Ana, Calif.
Matthew Porchas; RHP/OF; Ladera Ranch, Calif.
^Diego Prieto; C; Miami, Fla.
^Tyree Reed; OF; Vallejo, Calif.
*^Joshua Reis; IF/RHP; Wahana, Hawaii
*^Collin Reuter; C/IF; Olive Branch, Miss.
Michael Saumell; C/IF; Spring, Texas
Charlie Saum; C/OF; Ventura, Calif.
*^Cody Schrier; IF; San Clemente, Calif.
*Pierre Seals; OF/IF; Memphis, Tenn.
Ryan Spikes; IF/RHP; Covington, Ga.
^Thomas Splaine; C/RHP; Los Gatos, Calif.
Riley Stanford; RHP/OF; Gainesville, Ga.
Sal Stewart; IF/RHP; Miami, Fla.
*^Zachary Torres; OF; Vista, Calif.
Brian Uribe; RHP; Camarillo, Calif.
Vytas Valincius; IF/RHP; Chicago, Ill.
Jeffery Waters; OF/RHP; Mableton, Ga.
Treylen White; OF/RHP; Moore, S.C.
Timothy Williams; LHP; Shenandoah, Va.
Gage Ziehl; RHP; Penfield, N.Y.
*National Team Alumnus
^National Team Development Program Participant
