CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball announced the coaching staff for the 2026 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP) today, headlined by former 12U National Team Manager and gold medalist RJ Farrell as field coordinator and former big league outfielder Eric Crozier as hitting coordinator. Each will be making his 13U/14U ADP coaching debut. This year’s ADP will be held from August 1-4 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.
The ADP, which annually welcomes 50 athletes to the USA Baseball National Training Complex, features advanced on-field skills development and off-field educational seminars from the coaching staff. Additionally, participants will be split into two teams and compete head-to-head in a series of games, gaining exposure to professional scouts and college recruiters in the process. The ADP has already seen great success in player development since its founding in 2019, with five former players taken in the most recent MLB Draft. ADP participants Gavin Fien (12th overall) and Kayson Cunningham (18th overall) went in the first round last summer, followed by Dean Moss in the second round (67th overall). Jaiden Lo Re and Josiah Hartshorn were also drafted in the fifth and sixth rounds, respectively.
Joining Farrell and Crozier on staff are team managers Matt Denny and Jonathan Pollard, pitching coaches Brett Tomko and Matt Frisbee, and assistant coaches Mo Blakeney and Brandon Martorano. Collectively, this group has coached six high school state championship teams and over 100 future Division I players. The staff includes five former professional players and two former Major Leaguers.
The group also carries a history of coaching success with USA Baseball. Farrell and Pollard have each served as U.S. National Team managers, with Farrell guiding the 12U National Team to a gold medal at the 2022 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup and Pollard leading the Women’s National Team to a gold medal at the 2015 Pan-American Games. Additionally, Tomko and Blakeney bring experience coaching players in the USA developmental pipeline, with each having served on ADP staffs in previous summers.
Denny is also no stranger to the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, after coaching Casteel High School (Queens Creek, Ariz.) to multiple semifinals appearances at the annual National High School Invitational (NHSI) in Cary. He most recently faced off with Farrell this past March when Farrell captured the NHSI title as head coach of Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.).
Rounding out the group of USA Baseball alumni on the ADP staff is Martorano, who won a gold medal as a player on the 15U National Team at the 2013 COPABE Pan Am "AA" Championships.
The full biographies for the 2026 13U/14U ADP coaching staff are linked below.
2026 13U/14U ADP STAFF
- Field Coordinator: RJ Farrell
- Hitting Coordinator: Eric Crozier
- Team Stars Manager: Matt Denny
- Team Stars Pitching Coach: Brett Tomko
- Team Stars Assistant Coach: Brandon Martorano
- Team Stripes Manager: Jonathan Pollard
- Team Stripes Pitching Coach: Matt Frisbee
- Team Stripes Assistant Coach: Mo Blakeney
The 2026 13U/14U ADP will take place from August 1-4 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. USA Baseball will utilize a rolling invitation process for ADP participants in 2026. With 24 players already selected from last year’s USA Baseball National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup, the final 26 athletes will primarily be chosen from the 2026 13U and 14U National Team Championships in North Carolina and the 2026 14U National Team Championships in Arizona. Players will also be selected through recommendations from scouts, coaches, and the amateur baseball community.
For more information on the USA Baseball Athlete Development Program, visit USABaseball.com or follow @USABaseEvents on X.
