CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today announced the 31-man Collegiate National Team roster that will represent Team USA in a pair of five-game series with Chinese Taipei and Japan from June 30-July 12 at various venues across the Carolinas. The final squad was named after the completion of the 2023 Collegiate National Team Training Camp, a four-game intrasquad series played at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.
This year’s Collegiate National Team is led by Manager Larry Lee, who is making his Team USA managerial debut in 2023. Lee is joined on staff by Brady Austin (East Carolina), Reggie Christiansen (Sacramento State), Thomas Eager (Stanford), Andy Stankiewicz (USC), and José Vázquez (Alabama State).
“After the most talented and competitive Training Camp, the staff completed a grueling selection process to get to the final roster today,” said Lee. “Our roster is full of extremely talented and capable baseball players, and we are focused on representing the United States well in international competition. We are looking forward to getting our series against Chinese Taipei started tomorrow night here in Cary.”
Carter Holton (Vanderbilt) will make his second consecutive appearance on the Collegiate National Team after helping the 2022 squad earn bronze at Honkbalweek Haarlem in The Netherlands last summer. Additionally, Drew Beam (Tennessee), Braden Montgomery (Stanford), and Hagen Smith (Arkansas) have each clinched a spot on the final roster after participating in Training Camp for the second straight year.
In addition, the roster features a pair of players who have past experience at the USA Baseball National Team Development Program (NTDP). Christian Moore (Tennessee) and Malcolm Moore (Stanford) have both participated in the 16U NTDP, while Malcolm and Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M) both earned invitations to the Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League in 2021.
Additionally, this year’s roster features 10 players who participated in the 2023 College World Series, highlighted by Golden Spikes Award finalist Jac Caglianone (Florida), who helped the Gators reach the championship series. Other participants include Ben Abeldt (TCU), Beam, Michael Massey (Wake Forest), Brandon Neely (Florida), Montgomery, Malcolm and Christian Moore, Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia), and Jay Woolfolk (Virginia).
Twenty-four different schools are represented on the 2023 Collegiate National Team roster, with six boasting a pair of athletes: Florida, Kansas State, Stanford, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wake Forest.
The 20th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series is set for June 30-July 4, with games at the National Training Complex, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis, and Segra Stadium in Fayetteville. The National Training Complex will host the opening three games of the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series July 7-9, while games four and five of the series will be played at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Ballpark in Charleston, South Carolina, on July 11 and 12.
Team USA leads the series with Chinese Taipei 15-0-4 (Overall: 80-13-2). Against Japan, the stars and stripes lead the series 24-19 (Overall: 133-107-2), including a 21-1 (Overall: 87-33-2) series record in the United States. All time, the Collegiate National Team boasts a record of 135-32-2 in North Carolina dating back to 1987, including a 38-14-1 mark at the National Training Complex in Cary.
The full 2023 Collegiate National Team roster is as follows:
2023 Collegiate National Team Roster
(Name; Position; Hometown; School)
- Ben Abeldt; LHP; McKinney, Texas; TCU
- Matt Ager; RHP; Pleasanton, Calif.; UC Santa Barbara
- Drew Beam; RHP; Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Tennessee
- Jac Caglianone; LHP/1B; Tampa, Fla.; Florida
- Charlie Condon; 1B/OF; Marietta, Ga.; Georgia
- Christian Coppola; RHP; Galloway, N.J.; Rutgers
- Kaelen Culpepper; INF; Memphis, Tenn.; Kansas State
- Duce Gourson; INF; San Diego, Calif.; UCLA
- Rodney Green, Jr.; OF; Richmond, Calif.; Cal
- Luke Holman; RHP; Sinking Spring, Pa.
- *Carter Holton; LHP; Guyton, Ga.; Vanderbilt
- Ryan Johnson; RHP; Red Oak, Texas; Dallas Baptist
- Seaver King; INF; Athena, Ga.; Wake Forest
- Jace LaViolette; OF; Katy, Texas; Texas A&M
- Michael Massey; RHP; Suwanee, Ga.; Wake Forest
- Xavier Meachem; RHP; Winterville, N.C.; NC A&T
- Omar Melendez; LHP; Cayey, P.R.; Alabama State
- Braden Montgomery; OF/RHP; Madison, Miss.; Stanford
- ^Malcolm Moore; C; Sacramento, Calif.; Stanford
- ^Christian Moore; INF; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Tennessee
- Brandon Neely; RHP; Seville, Fla.; Florida
- Tyson Neighbors; RHP; Royse City, Texas; Kansas State
- Griff O'Ferrall; INF; Richmond, Va.; Virginia
- Fran Oschell III; RHP; Phoenixville, Pa.; Duke
- Kyle Robinson; RHP; Vienna, Va.; Texas Tech
- Hagen Smith; LHP; Bullard, Texas; Arkansas
- Ryan Stafford; C; Folsom, Calif.; Cal Poly
- JJ Wetherholt; INF; Mars, Pa.; West Virginia
- Nicholas Wilson; RHP; Carrollton, Texas; Southern
- Jay Woolfolk; RHP; Chesterfield, Va.; Virginia
- Trey Yesavage; RHP; Boyertown, Pa.; East Carolina
*denotes national team alum
^denotes National Team Development Program (NTDP) participant
