CARY, N.C. – The last time Judson Dowell was at the USA Baseball National Training Complex, he was winning a gold medal at the 2021 13U National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup last August.
The next time he is at the USA Baseball National Training Complex, he will be participating in the 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP) this August.
And in between, he is currently at the USA Baseball National Training Complex looking to perform in front of the task force and win a gold medal with Texas Twelve.
Dowell got off to a strong start on Thursday, hitting an RBI double in a 4-3 win for Texas Twelve in their tournament opener. The event began on Thursday and runs through next Monday, with USA Baseball Task Force members keeping tabs on every player.
Because of his past participation in USA Baseball events including the NTIS, Dowell has grown used to playing in front of the USA Baseball Task Force and additional evaluators and scouts. It can be difficult for young players to focus in between the lines when they know that all eyes are on them, but Dowell has been able to zone it out and play his game.
Dowell concentrates on the game itself rather than focusing on the idea of being constantly evaluated.
“I don’t really think about the scouts watching when I play,” Dowell said. “I just focus on my game and not really anyone else.”
That approach paid off for Dowell at last year’s NTIS Champions Cup. Dowell played for the South Stars in the event and helped carry the squad to a gold medal, dominating in the title game. He had multiple RBI hits in a seven-run inning for the South Stars in the win and finished the game on the mound to beat the Southwest Stars.
After his standout performance at the NTIS Champions Cup, Dowell caught the eyes of the USA Baseball Task Force. He received an invite to the 2022 13U/14U ADP as a result, which will bring him back to Cary in the beginning of August.
He was one of 12 players from the 13U event and one of 24 players from the entire NTIS Champions Cup to be selected for the 13U/14U ADP.
“The NTIS experience was awesome,” Dowell said. “I’m glad we made it all the way to the championship and were able to secure the gold.”
His next step will be the 13U/14U ADP, which features 72 of the top 13-and-under and 14-and-under athletes, for a highly developed four-day on- and off-field national team-level instruction and education program. The coaching staff features some of the nation’s best and most established college and high school coaches who will provide guidance to the young athletes at a pivotal time in their baseball careers.
Dowell has already gotten his name in the system at USA Baseball thanks to his invitation to the ADP. And with a strong performance at the ADP in August, Dowell could parlay it into an invite to the 15U National Team Trials.
The ADP serves as a primary identification event for Trials and is within reach for Dowell later this summer.
“I think being able to represent my country would be incredible," Dowell said. "I think I’m set up for it. I just have to show out this year."
