CARY, N.C. – For several players at the 16U National Team Championships North Carolina, playing at the USA Baseball National Training Complex isn’t new territory. Five of the 16 teams in this weekend’s tournament have experience playing for a USA Baseball National Team, led by Top Tier Roos American and East Coast Sox Franchise who each have three Team USA alums on their rosters.

Spencer Butt (2017 12U, 2019 15U), Owen Egan (2016, 2017 12U), and Marcos Rosales (2016 12U) are all playing for East Coast Sox Franchise while Steven Milam (2016 12U, 2019 15U), Aidan Miller (2016 12U, 2019 15U), and Colton Wombles (2019 15U) are with Top Tier Roos American. Drew Burress (2019 15U), Colt Emerson (2017 12U), and Brandon Olivera (2017 12U, 2019 15U) are also at the event with 5 Star National, Team Elite, and Resmondo, respectively.  

With the 2019 15U National Team that won gold at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier well represented this week, many of the team’s players are getting the chance to catch up and reminisce on their run. 

“It’s always great seeing my teammates,” said Butt, who gave up just four hits in two appearances for Team USA in 2019. “We’ll always have that special bond of winning a gold medal together, so we all stay in touch.

Regardless of which year or team they played with, all of the alumni share the honor of getting to represent their country on an international stage. And it’s not an honor any of them take lightly.

“Playing for your country, it’s the best. Getting to wear that ‘U-S-A’ across your chest, there’s no other feeling like it,” said Emerson, who traveled to Taiwan with the 12U National Team in 2017. The middle infielder helped the team win Team USA’s third-consecutive WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup title and it’s a moment he’ll never forget. “Hearing your national anthem being played over the whole stadium, it honestly brought tears to my eyes.” 

Unfortunately, these guys were robbed of that opportunity last summer when COVID-19 prevented international competition and the national team seasons. But that only made them hungrier and more eager to be back for the National Team Championships NC this weekend.

“I was especially excited to be playing here this weekend,” said Wombles, who was also a part of the gold medal-winning 2019 15U team. “I’ve missed being here the past year and a half. It’s a great facility and I love playing against the best of the best.”

Competitiveness is a common quality amongst not just the alums, but all of the players here this weekend and it’s on full display. While the goal is winning a gold medal at this event, there is also the undeniable fact that the USA Baseball task force has its eyes on the competition to scout potential players for future USA Baseball development programs and national teams. 

Two-time 12U National Team alum Owen Eagan tries to ignore the task force’s presence but knows first-hand what it’s like getting to play on a national team. “I try not to pay attention to them and just have fun playing baseball. Getting those experiences have been some of the best of my life, though,” he said.

These alums, along with the other 300+ athletes here this weekend, will have another opportunity to play in front of the task force tomorrow as bracket play starts. And while of course the gold medal is on these players’ minds, for many, they are also playing of the ultimate goal of getting to play for Team USA because, as the alums already know, there’s just nothing like it.