CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today announced the coaching staff for the 2025 15U National Team, headlined by Steve Butler and Drew Briese’s return to the coaching staff. Butler most recently served as an assistant coach in 2024 while Briese led the 15U squad as manager in 2022. Manager Casey Scott is also joined by JD Pruitt who assumes the role of assistant coach.

“After an undefeated showing in the International Friendship Series against Australia in 2024, we are ecstatic to bring back Casey and Steve from last year’s staff. Additionally, Drew and JD bring a wealth of experience which will be instrumental in our team’s success,” said 15U National Team Director Ben Kelley. “With a staff full of well-rounded coaches, we are confident that this group will deliver an outstanding experience for our players. We are excited to have this group of accomplished coaches leading our team this year.”

Steve Butler returns to the dugout as an assistant coach in 2025 after three prior appearances on the 15U staff in 2021, 2022 and 2024. Butler helped lead the U.S. to an 8-1 record and a gold medal at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup in 2022, as the stars and stripes outscored opponents 99-30 en route to their third world title. In his most recent stint on the 15U staff in 2024, Butler guided Team USA to a 5-0 record throughout an International Friendship Series with Australia. In the five-game slate, Butler helped the U.S. notch five shutout wins including a 21-0 victory to round out the series. Currently the head coach at Eagan High School (Eagan, Minn.), Butler is a veteran of USA Baseball events having coached at the 14U National Team Development Program (NTDP) in 2015 and 2017 and 15U National Team Training Camp in 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2023. Prior to coaching at Eagan, Butler was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Concordia University, St. Paul (Saint Paul, Minn.), from 2009-2017, where he worked with hitters and defense. During his collegiate career, he was a team captain who started in 101 games for the Golden Bears, hitting .313 and helping lead the team to the school’s first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championship in 2003. Butler played professional baseball from 2005-2010, recording 244 hits and 86 RBIs in 347 games.

Former 15U National Team Manager and two-time medalist Drew Briese is set to make his return to the staff as pitching coach after initially serving as an assistant in 2016 and later as manager in 2022. In his first stint on the 15U staff, Briese helped guide the red, white, and blue to a bronze medal finish after going 7-2 at the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup held in Iwaki, Japan. Six years later, he got the call to serve as manager of the 2022 15U National Team. In dominant fashion, Briese and his side compiled an 8-1 overall record on their gold medal run at the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup, which included a record-breaking 29-0 win over South Africa in Hermosillo, Mexico. His USA Baseball coaching experience extends beyond the international circuit as he has served on the Task Force beginning in the summer of 2013 and coached at multiple NTDPs. Briese's journey with USA Baseball also includes a stint as the field coordinator at the 2021 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP) along with multiple appearances on the 15U Training Camp staff. Briese is currently the head coach at Centre College (Danville, Ky.), where he led the team to a 32-11 overall record in 2025. Prior to taking over Centre College in 2016, Briese served as an assistant coach at Birmingham Southern since 2006. There, he helped the program tally 10 conference tournament and regular season titles as well as four straight NCAA Division III Regional appearances.

Coastal Alabama Community College (Bay Minette, Ala.), Head Coach JD Pruitt will make his national team coaching debut as an assistant coach for the 2025 15U National Team. Pruitt brings coaching experience both at the collegiate level and within the development program realm, including his role as an assistant coach at the 2023 13U/14U ADP. He was also on staff for 15U National Team Training Camp in 2024. Pruitt just completed his second season as head coach at Coastal Alabama, where he led the Coyotes to 25 wins and an appearance in the conference tournament. Prior to his time at Coastal Alabama, Pruitt spent five seasons as head coach at Spanish Fort High School (Spanish Fort, Ala.), where he took over in 2018. Pruitt has also been the head coach at Enterprise High School (Enterprise, Ala.) and an assistant baseball coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach at Troy University. Pruitt starred as a player at both George W. Long High School (Skipperville, Ala.) and the University of Montevallo (Montevallo, Ala.), which led to him being selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 23rd round of the 2007 MLB Draft. He spent two years in the minor leagues with the A’s, hitting .240 with seven home runs and 29 runs batted in in 101 games.

The 2025 National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina along with the 13U/14U ADP will serve as the primary identification events for the 2025 15U National Team. Twelve athletes have already been invited to the 15U National Team Training Camp from the 2024 National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup, while thirty-two players will be identified from the ADP and National Team Championships. In total, 44 players will compete at the 2025 15U National Team Training Camp for a spot on the final 20-man 15U National Team roster.

The 15U National Team Training Camp will be held from August 4-8 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. Training Camp will include on-field workouts, intrasquad scrimmages, Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) performance assessments, and more.

The full 15U National Team Training Camp staff is as follows:

The 2025 15U National Team Training Camp Staff:

Name; Position; Team

RJ Farrell; Manager (Stars)

Larry Vucan; Pitching Coach (Stars)

Derek Simmons; Assistant Coach (Stars)

Steve Dintaman; Assistant Coach (Stars)

Jim Maciejewski; Manager (Stripes)

Rob Shabansky; Pitching Coach (Stripes)

Josh Ellison; Assistant Coach (Stripes)

Jonathan Pollard; Assistant Coach (Stripes)

Details regarding competition will be announced at a later date.

Since first taking the field in 2012, the 15U National Team has won six gold medals in international competition. Team USA most recently captured the world title at the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup in 2022, defeating Cuba in the championship game. Overall, the U.S. owns two world championships in addition to four gold medals at WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifiers.

For more information on the 15U National Team, visit USABaseball.com or follow @USABaseball15U on X.