2023 Futures Invitational | Official Event Program

OFFICIAL EVENT PROGRAM

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A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO

On behalf of the national governing body for baseball in the United States, I am honored and privileged to welcome you to the 2023 Futures Invitational!

2022 was a ‘Golden Year’ for USA Baseball, as our 12U, 15U, and 18U National Teams won gold on the international stage at their respective World Cups. It was the first time the U.S. has ever won gold at all three youth world championships in a single year. After such a momentous year for our organization, we are excited to build upon that success this summer, and that starts with the Futures Invitational.

USA Baseball is proud of its track record in developing youth players into premier athletes, and that begins at events just like this one. Alex Bregman, Bryce Harper, Eric Hosmer, and Clayton Kershaw are just a few of the many, many names that have played in an event like the Futures Invitational, gone on to make a USA Baseball national team, represented their country on the international stage, and later had a successful professional career. We are proud to be an organization that prioritizes youth development and invest in young athlete’s growth.

The Futures Invitational is now in its eighth year, and we are excited for the continued support in the expansion of our youth event offerings to players at this age level. It is paramount to the proliferation of baseball in the United States to continue provide opportunities to our youth to play the game we love. And to put it simply, baseball is fun! It is our honor to offer as many opportunities as possible for kids to love our game.

In addition to the fun we hope you all have during this tournament, the opportunity in front of these athletes cannot be overstated. Not only does the Futures Invitational allow these teams and athletes to compete with the nation’s best young players, it also is giving these future stars the chance to represent the United States in international competition as part of the four-time World Champion 12U National Team. No other event in the country offers the opportunities the Futures Invitational does, and we hope you are all proud to have been invited to this event.

For those of you who make your way over to the National Training Complex during the event, you will notice the latest investment in developing young baseball talent in our country is under construction. Last year we broke ground on our new offices and indoor high-performance training center as the organization continues to transform and grow, matching our goals to our commitment to baseball players in the United States. We cannot wait to show you the finished product by the end of this year. However, in the meantime, we ask you to pardon the mess and feel free to learn more by visiting USABaseball.com/About/Build-For-Glory.

We are committed to bringing first-class competition to the field, so we wish you all good luck as you strive to win a championship, but also look to earn an invitation to the 12U National Team. The experiences the athletes, coaches, and families will go through during this tournament will create memories and present numerous challenges and opportunities that could remain with you for an entire lifetime. It is an incredible byproduct of being an elite athlete.

Once again, welcome to the 2023 Futures Invitational! On behalf of our staff, we cannot wait for you to get here and show us what you've got.

Yours in baseball,

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The Futures Invitational is proud to be a FULL COMPLIANCE Pitch Smart event.

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Paul V. Seiler Executive Director/CEO USA Baseball

11U GAME SCHEDULE

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10 THINGS TO KNOW

ABOUT THE 2023 FUTURES INVITATIONAL

The Road to Play for Team USA starts here. The 2023 11U Futures Invitational will serve as a primary identification event for the 2023 12U National Team this summer. A select number of players will be invited from the event to 12U National Team Training Camp to partake in comprehensive testing, games, and workouts while competing for one of the final 18 roster spots on the 2023 12U National Team.

Stairway to seven. The 12U National Team owns a combined six gold medals in international competition. After capturing the World Cup title at the 2022 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup, the 2023 squad will look to defend its title this summer and go for gold medal number seven.

Let’s get noticed. Twenty-four players from the 2022 12U National Team Trials roster were identified from the 2022 Futures Invitational, with 13 athletes making the final cut to wear the red, white, and blue.

Three-peat? ZT Prospects National earned titles at the 10U Futures Invitational in 2021 and 2022. They’ve already etched their name in the history books by becoming the first team to capture back-to-back titles in an age group. Can they pull off the three-peat in 2023?

Look good, feel good, play good. Each participant in the 2023 Futures Invitational will receive a USA Baseball player bag filled with products from official USA Baseball sponsors, included but not limited to Panini, Nike, VukGrips, and Gatorade.

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Check your swing. The 2023 Futures Invitational is a USABat-certified event, and all participants must use an approved bat. Bats that are not USABat-certified are prohibited. Additional information on USABat specifications can be found here.

Say “cheese!” Each team competing in the 2023 Futures Invitational will have access to complimentary player portraits and team photos. Action photos of each team will also be available to purchase. These photos can be found at USABaseballPhotos.com using the password fi (case sensitive).

Set yourself apart. The best athletes are defined – and strengthened – by more than just what they can do in-game. All participants at the Futures Invitational will undergo Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) Performance Assessment testing to assess their baseball and athletic skills with state-of-the-art technology so they know exactly where they stand and where they can improve.

Gear up. Participants and fans alike can stop by the USA Baseball Shop at the National Training Complex while attending the 2023 Futures Invitational or shop anytime on the USA Baseball Shop website.

Stay connected. To keep up with all things Futures Invitational, follow along on Twitter and Instagram (@ USABEvents). To stay up-to-date on all things USA Baseball, follow @USABaseball on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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TROY GERLACH RELISHES NEW OPPORTUNITY AS 12U MANAGER

When Troy Gerlach makes his return to the dugout with USA Baseball at the WBSC 12-U Baseball World Cup in Taiwan this summer, he’ll be taking on a challenge previously unfamiliar to him throughout his lengthy coaching career.

The veteran coach is not a stranger to this exact setting, having been a member of last year’s staff with the 12U National Team that recorded a perfect 8-0 record on its way to a gold medal and won USA Baseball’s 2022 Team of the Year award. Instead of returning to his previous role as an assistant, however, Gerlach will be stepping up as the team’s newest manager.

“Anytime you get asked to do anything with USA Baseball, it's an honor, and getting to put the uniform on is probably the highlight of my baseball career, to be honest with you,” Gerlach said. “To be the manager now, it's something I've always thought about and kind of worked towards. I don't know what it'll be like to put it on knowing that I’m in charge of everything, and there's a lot of pressure that comes with it to defend the gold and all the other stuff, but it's truly an honor to wear the uniform and to be a part of USA Baseball in any role.”

To many, tasking someone with leading a group looking to bring home its second consecutive gold medal in their national team managerial debut might seem like a big

ask. Thanks in large part to his experience during last year’s run, though, Gerlach feels like he is more than ready for the opportunity he has been given.

“It was very beneficial because I’ve always been with the older kids,” Gerlach said about his time working as an assistant with the team in 2022. “To be with the 12s last year and to be going back to Taiwan, I know exactly what to expect. There’s nothing that’s going to go on that will surprise me.”

Another reason that Gerlach feels confident heading into his new role is the support system that he has cultivated over the past year. He has maintained good relationships with the rest of the gold-medal-winning staff, including his predecessor R.J Farrell and fellow assistant Tanner Vesely, and he has not been afraid to lean on them while preparing for his newest venture.

“Last year, R.J. was awesome, and Tanner has been there before as a manager as well,” Gerlach said. “[I’ve been] able to learn from those two and bounce ideas off of them even now, like starting to put the team together and all that good stuff. It’s been a true blessing to be able to have those guys in my back pocket.”

Despite his inexperience in managing a national team of his own, Gerlach is no rookie when it comes to coaching as a whole. He has worked in a number of different roles

with USA Baseball beyond last year’s stint with the 12U team, including as an assistant coach with the 2018 15U National Team that won the gold medal at the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup and as a member of the staffs at the 14U National Team Development Program (NTDP) in 2016, 2017, and 2019 and the Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League in 2021.

Outside of USA Baseball, Gerlach has enjoyed great success as a manager at the high school level in Arizona. He currently runs the show at Chaparral High School (Scottsdale, Ariz.), where he has posted an overall record of 56-34 in his four seasons with the team since joining on in May 2019. Prior to that, he coached at Arcadia High School (Phoenix, Ariz.) and led them to a record of 11084 with four Arizona Interscholastic Association Baseball State Tournament appearances in seven seasons.

All of this is to say that Gerlach knows what it takes to be successful in a variety of different circumstances as a coach. As he has learned recently, though, leading the youngest national team in the USA Baseball ranks offers its own set of unique challenges, and overcoming these to get the best out of this new group of players is something that he has come to really enjoy.

“The 12U kids are wanting to learn, and they’re hanging on to every word you say because it’s really their first time being at the national level,” Gerlach said. “Depending on what kind of club organization they come from, it’s really the first time they’ve been really coached on things like bunt plays, hit and runs, first and third plays, cuts and relays. They just want to learn, and it’s pretty cool.

“On the field, I mean, I feel why they’re there. It’s off the charts. I tell people all the time, you’d be surprised what it’s like with a 12-year-old at the national level, with how athletic they are and how quickly they pick up on things. It’s pretty awesome.”

For Gerlach, the ultimate objective as manager is obviously to bring another gold medal back home to the states. Beyond just that, however, he wants to build relationships with his players and make sure that they are set up for success in their careers well past their time in Taiwan this summer.

“It’s just the kickstarter to their baseball careers, to be honest with you,” Gerlach said. “Seeing the kids we had last summer, you’re watching them continue to develop a year out. You see them grow and you see the development that they have, and you just want them to get better, because like I said, it’s kick starting their career.

“It’s pretty cool to see them when you get them at Futures and into Training Camp, and then those kids that go on to make the team and how much they grow in the short time that we’re with them. It’s a relationship that you build, and you’ll have that for a lifetime with those kids.”

“Anytime you get asked to do anything with USA Baseball, it's an honor, and getting to put the uniform on is probably the highlight of my baseball career.”

--TROY GERLACH

RECAP: 2022 FUTURES INVITATIONAL

10U - ZT PROSPECTS NATIONAL

ZT Prospects National caught fire during its run through the 2022 10U Futures Invitational, dominating early and carrying that momentum all the way through to its second consecutive gold medal at the 10U age group and third overall.

ZT Prospects came out of the gates in peak form, outsourcing its three opponents by a combined 25 runs en route to a perfect 3-0 record in pool play. The bats were the catalysts behind this impressive start, scoring 12 runs in its first game against Team Ohio and 14 in its next one against One National.

This secured ZT Prospects a spot in the semifinals, where it notched an impressive all-around victory against WFBA Hammerheads by a score of 6-1. Starter Jacob Miller set the tone from the outset, retiring the first eight hitters of the game and finishing his outing with six innings of one-hit, one-run ball. This sterling outing gave ZT’s lineup a lot of breathing room, and in the fourth inning, it broke through with the knockout punch. After

two straight singles to start the frame, Salvador Garcia brought everyone home with a three-run inside-thepark home run, giving his team a big lead that it would not relinquish.

ZT Prospects would go on to face Banditos DeLeon in the finals, and once again, got things going from the jump. Bryant Ju drove in the game’s first run just two batters into the bottom of the first, and two innings later, Garcia and Miller brought home three of their own to give the team a big cushion early. This proved to be more than enough run support for Garcia on the mound, as he ended up tossing 5.2 innings while only allowing one run and striking out five. Amari Kirschner came in for the final out and slammed the door shut on the 8-1 victory, securing ZT Prospects National a gold medal.

Banditos DeLeon took home silver at the 10U level, and the San Diego Show took home bronze.

11U - PREMIER NATIONAL

Clutch performances were the name of the game during Premier National’s time at the 2022 11U Futures Invitational, with late-game heroics powering the team’s run to an undefeated record and the organization’s first gold medal throughout.

Premier National’s transformation into the cardiac kids started right from the beginning of pool play, as it found a way to earn come-from-behind victories in each of its first two games. In its first contest against the Scottsdale Dirtbags, the team trailed 4-1 heading into the final inning before a six-run outburst led to an incredible 7-4 victory. Just a few hours later in its game against Dingers Athletics, it pulled off the improbable once again, riding another late barrage of runs to turn a 4-3 deficit in the sixth inning into an 8-7, walk-off win.

These back-to-back resilient wins gave Premier National a sudden wave of confidence, which it rode to another victory against GBG San Diego to clinch a perfect 3-0 record in pool play and a spot in the knockout round. This would match the squad up against Next Level Prospects in the quarterfinals, where it took advantage of some timely miscues and used a balanced offensive attack to secure a comfortable 8-3 victory.

Premier National’s opponent in the semifinals would be ZT Prospects National, and the script for that game very much resembled that of its earlier contests. It trailed 3-2 heading into the game’s latter half, but RBI hits by Chase Cook, Carter Holder, and Quinn Neal helped spark a six-run top of the fifth that suddenly brought it from a one-run deficit to a five-run lead. ZT Prospects threatened a comeback of its own late in the contest, but a good relief outing by Cook helped lock down an 8-5 win and a trip to the finals.

Showcase Baseball Academy was all that stood between Premier National and the gold

medal, and this time, it didn’t wait to get the bats going. After falling behind by a run in the first, it put up a four spot the next inning courtesy of an RBI single by Holder and a bases-clearing triple by Dylan Mercado, which gave their squad an early 6-3 lead. In the fifth inning, a pair of extra-base hits by Cash Ericcson and Major Ciers helped catapult the team to five more runs and essentially put the game out of reach. Grey Taylor shut things down at the end, securing the 12-4 victory and the title of Futures Invitational champions.

Showcase Baseball Academy took home second place, and ZT Prospects National walked away with third.

FUTURES INVITATIONAL PAST CHAMPIONS

THE GOLD STANDARD

A LOOK BACK AT TEAM USA’S 12U WORLD CUP TITLE IN 2022

At USA Baseball there is a mantra of ‘The Gold Standard.’ Simply put, it is the mindset to win gold on one of the biggest stages of the sport.

This standard is most certainly lived out, as Team USA has 110 gold medals to its name since the organization became the national governing body for baseball in 1978. Its 12U National Team was one of three U.S. squads to win gold at its respective World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Baseball World Cup last summer, joining the 15U and 18U programs in accomplishing the feat. It was the first time that Team USA has ever won a gold medal at all three youth World Cups in a single year.

“The gold standard sounds a little aggressive sometimes, but it's more about a pursuit of excellence and a pursuit of perfection,” said USA Baseball Chief Executive Officer Paul Seiler. “Achieving perfection is a relative term, but it’s hard to do. If you look at what our responsibility is, as an organization, specific to international competition and an athletic representation, it's the sport of baseball wrapped in the American flag.

“When you take those two tenants of our identity, at least on the field, there’s a very high expectation in this country, and it’s one that we embrace of performing well at the highest level while competing for gold medals.”

Winning gold is not as easy as Team USA may make it seem, though. There is so much more that goes into ‘The Gold Standard’ than just coming out on top. What was an incredible run for the U.S. on the international

stage could not have been done without the buy-in and commitment from players, coaches, and staff members.

“It truly takes a village to put the summer together from a behind-the-scenes standpoint, and for us to come out on top is extremely special. Three World Cups in one summer just never happens, and it was an unbelievable experience for our organization,” said former 12U and 15U National Team Program Director Will Schworer.

“We had comebacks, we had losses, we dealt with adversity off the field from the normal challenges involved when traveling for a competition, but we controlled what we were able to control and at the end of the day, we were able to truly come together. Everybody involved just has so much willingness to do what it takes in the pursuit to win gold, and it speaks volumes to the drive behind USA Baseball.”

While traveling to an international competition can be experience of a lifetime, a lot of challenges can be faced. For the 12U National Team, who traveled to Tainan, Taiwan, for its World Cup, it was forced to quarantine on a single floor of a hotel for nearly a week before they could step foot on a field. For what manager RJ Farrell initially saw as a setback, his perspective quickly changed once the team lived it. Looking back, he sees that time as a valuable piece to the squad winning gold.

“At first, I was super nervous about it,” said Farrell. “I didn’t know what we were going to do with a team of 11and 12-year-olds who are confined to one floor of a hotel for days. We had to find ways to get them moving every day but looking back I think that time helped us a lot. As pessimistic as I was, my optimism turned fast. Since we didn’t have to compete right away, we got to adjust to the time, but also the players were forced to become friends because they had nowhere else to go. I think it ultimately helped us on the field when it came time to compete; it was unexpectedly a big time positive for us.”

The chemistry certainly showed on the field, as the team went undefeated with an 8-0 record and outscored its opponents 99-25. Just looking at the results, though, doesn’t quite tell the story of this team. Even though it did not endure a loss during the stretch of the tournament, the team found themselves at times in tough spots against opponents but managed to find a way to win every time.

“What was special about this group is that they all put their egos aside,” said Farrell. “They all had the mentality that they were going to do whatever is going to help the team. I think for a group of young men, they did exceptionally well in putting the team first. They knew that if we called on them, it was going to be an important situation and that we were going to need them to do their thing.”

In its second game of the pool play against Japan, Team USA led by just one run heading into the final inning before exploding for 14 runs, which included a pinch-hit grand slam by Colin Anderson, to come away with a 21-6 win. What could have been a narrow win for the stars and stripes turned into a dominant performance at the plate and a glimpse into what potential this team had.

Fast forward to its first two Super Round games against Mexico and Chinese Taipei, the U.S. trailed at one point in both of those must-win matchups but came up clutch in the final frames. Whether it was the walk-off single by Anthony Ramon against Mexico or the go-ahead grand slam by Anthony Frausto in the fourth inning against Chinese Taipei, those moments led to the ultimate test of defeating a talented Venezuela team in its final two games of the tournament.

The first game between the squads was tightly contested with Team USA earning a 12-7 win; it was a back-and-forth battle between the top two offensive teams as there were a combined 19 hits and seven home runs in the game. In the gold medal game, Venezuela held a 2-1 lead through the first two-and-a-half innings, but the U.S. scored nine unanswered runs in combination with James Stout III’s 4.2 strong innings in relief en route to winning gold for the fourth time in the last five World Cups.

“I think on paper or if you're looking from the outside in, you don't feel the nervousness that some of the players did or excitement on coming back from games that they were battling through, but this team never let up,” said

Schworer. “They were taught to keep going and keep hitting the gas for the entire six innings, and all the credit to the kids because it was it was an impressive feat that they pulled off.”

For Farrell, making his managerial debut and leading the squad with a world title this summer was a full circle moment as it was something he had been eagerly waiting to do for nearly three years. A member of the 2019 12U National Team staff that went to Taiwan, Farrell had been asked shortly after that event to be the manager in 2020, but due to challenges and setbacks from COVID-19, he was never able to fully assume the position until this past summer.

“Since coming back from the 2019 World Cup in Taiwan, I had thought a lot about the couple of losses that we had and how we didn’t medal,” said Farrell. “It was in my head a lot. Fortunately, we made the run that we did this past summer and came away with a gold medal. It almost felt like redemption. A lot of us had put a lot of time and effort into this team, and to finally be able to see it through and bring the gold back home was truly special not just for me, but for everyone involved in the 12U program.”

Once a player is immersed in the Team USA experience and understands what it means to uphold the gold standard, it becomes something they are forever a part of. Only a select group of players get to know what the pursuit of gold is like; what it means to never give up, how to have a steadfast approach to any situation, and how it feels to reach their ultimate goal. But, more importantly, the off-field aspects become just as intrinsic for players and coaches alike. The importance of individual success fades into the background when one is a part of USA Baseball and gives way to continuing to build upon the foundation they stand upon, aiming to make it better for those who are to follow. USA Baseball becomes a part of one’s makeup, and is something they carry with them everywhere they go.

“Ever since we went to Taiwan, my teammates and I were always researching about the 15U and 18U teams and when they were playing,” said Anderson, who was named the Most Valuable Player at the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup. “All those players were so good, and the other MVPs, Coy James and Bryce Eldridge, they were amazing and dominated at their tournaments. I definitely look up to them.

“They had that one job, to get that gold medal, and that’s what they did.”

And what they’re playing for, of course, is this gold standard that was created in 1978 which ultimately led to a record-breaking summer for Team USA.

BEHIND THE UNIFORM: WHAT IT TAKES TO PUT TOGETHER A TEAM USA ROSTER

Representing Team USA as a coach or player is an experience unlike any other. It is an opportunity for some of the best in baseball to come together to pursue a common goal: to win gold on the international stage.

From the outside looking in, most people only get to see the surface of what it entails to put together a national team. Public announcements of who will make up the coaching staff and roster, the schedule of events, and the outcome are all just a small part of what goes on behind the scenes to compile the best possible team.

Behind the scenes, a considerable amount effort from the USA Baseball staff goes into the process of identifying a leader, determining a staff, and building a roster. It is a process that begins roughly six to nine months before

that respective team’s international competition and involves difficult and complex decisions.

“Constructing a national team is like a puzzle, and everything that we do behind the scenes contributes to not only identifying the best players, but the best people to make up a coaching staff and support staff,” said USA Baseball Chief Executive Office Paul Seiler. “One of the biggest challenges is making sure we find the right pieces so that at least when we begin our journey to playing for a gold medal, we feel like the puzzle is pretty completed. We have a good picture of where we want to go and how we will get there.”

ASSEMBLING THE STAFF

The primary part of assembling a national team is identifying a manager who will lead and embody what it means to represent Team USA. USA Baseball’s staff considers many variables when choosing who to give that responsibility to. Of course, their prior successes on the field matter, but more importantly, how they can connect with and motivate players and embrace what Team USA stands for helps complete the makeup of the ideal manager.

“The process of identifying a manager for a national team varies between the programs,” said National Teams General Manager Ashley Bratcher. “You need that person to be familiar with the age of the athletes who they will ultimately lead, but also, we try to look for someone that will represent our national team programs well and uphold our standards and expectations of our athletes.”

But just as important as identifying the right manager to lead a national team, it is just as vital for the manager to surround themselves with a staff that can identify the top talent and character at the respective identification events for their squad.

“I tried to surround myself with knowledgeable people through the entire process, people at all levels from high school, to college, to pro, to working with USA Baseball,” recalled 2022 18U National Team Manager Denny Hocking, who led Team USA to gold medals at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup and World Cup Americas Qualifier.

“My number one thing while being in charge of a team is building relationships, so for me, it was important to put people in roles at the PDP League where they would be able to learn about the kids because I wanted an honest evaluation of the 100 players that we had there. It was about what 20 puzzle pieces we were going to put together in order to be the best representation of Team USA.”

THE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

When preparing for an international competition, determining a roster is one of the most complex parts of the entire process. From the hundreds of players in each age group who put their talent on display to the coaches and staff members, only 18 are selected for the 12U National Team, while 20 are chosen for the 15U, 18U, and Women’s National Teams. Meanwhile, the Collegiate National Team carries 26 players and the Professional National Team’s roster size ranges from 24-30 players based on the event.

It’s not always about finding the best players, though. It’s about finding the right players.

“When we’re identifying players, we tend to look for qualities that would play well in the international environment,” explained 2022 15U National Team Manager Drew Briese, who led the team to its second

consecutive World Cup title last summer. “An international environment can be very hostile, so some of the things that we were looking for with that [15U] team were guys who were highly competitive, had the ability to handle adversity, and their qualities as a person fit into the team dynamic.

“If you want to find the right folks to hit the field and win that gold medal, you have to have that mentality in the team chemistry and dynamic in order to do it.”

Selecting a national team is an intricate process. With such a large pool of talented players to choose from that can compete at a high level, the few who are selected must be able to not only fill the roles needed but also have the intangibles. The things that can’t be taught on a ball field.

“Everyone's pretty much in agreement on who the first 10 to 12 players are, but it's those last few pieces for the roles that we need that you can't miss on because those are what's really going to determine your success,” said 2022 12U National Team Manager R.J. Farrell, who guided the squad to an 8-0 record and a gold medal at the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup. “It’s tough at any age group once you get the top players to Training Camp. They all can play the game, and they all bring something that's really, really good.

“When you start getting to where you're going to make the selection of who's going to actually make the national team, it comes down to who fits what piece that we feel we need. It’s a really difficult process, and there’s a lot of conversation involved. But at the end of the day, it's what we have to do.”

Most national teams have a primary identification event where the national team staff and a group of Task Force members carefully evaluate every player in the event. However, the selection process varies between each national team program.

For the 12U and 15U teams, the process for selecting players starts at USA Baseball’s identification events: The Futures Invitational, the National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina, and the National Team Identification Series.

The primary identification event for the 18U National Team is the Prospective Development Pipeline (PDP) League, which features 100 of the top eligible players for the following year’s draft. Meanwhile, the Women’s National Team process begins with the Women’s National Open, a three-day event for players around the country to compete for a Team USA roster spot.

In addition to the Women’s National Open, a large chunk of the identification for the Women’s National Team comes from various joint events that USA Baseball hosts alongside Major League Baseball throughout the calendar year. With women’s baseball still on the rise, these events give staff members and players a unique chance to build relationships while honing in on the development aspect of the game.

From these identification events, the coaching staff determines a Training Camp roster of 36-72 players to advance to the next step towards deciding who will wear U-S-A across their chest.

With the Collegiate National Team, the best 48-56 nondraft eligible players are selected for a Training Camp as the initial step towards identifying its national team each year. With the short time window from the end of the college season to when the team preps for its event, the players are evaluated throughout their season, giving USA Baseball a chance to recognize the best of college baseball.

“It's great for USA Baseball to put together its very best collegiate players to play international competition year in and year out,” said Professional and Collegiate National Teams General Manager Eric Campbell. “But the segment where college players play peer to peer during our annual Stars and Stripes series in which we pick our final team is an exceptional week and a lifetime baseball experience that no one will forget, regardless of if they make the final national team or not.”

Likewise, with the Professional National Teams, those squads are composed of the top Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball players who are evaluated based on current and past performances at the professional level.

“It's exciting when MLB designates a pool of players that are available for a Professional National Team event,” added Campbell. “Those guys are playing for their club and are reaching for the pinnacle of the game, but it's exciting for everyone at USA Baseball when we can put our nation's uniform on those professional players. They've earned it based on their performance in any given year.”

For the national teams that select their roster from Training Camp, that stage could be considered the toughest part of the entire process. It is an intense three to four days and with a lot of conversation involved. Each night, the coaching staffs hold a meeting to evaluate the talent in front of them and determine who will represent Team USA. Because so many factors go into deciding that 18-20 player roster, the conversations can take hours.

“The difficulty during Training Camp to figure out that final roster is unlike anything else you experience,” said former 12U and 15U National Team Program Director Will Schworer. “Being in that room where they're talking about phenomenal athletes and how one might carry himself better off the field, or how one has a better bat but another player might be better defensively, is intense. The conversations can last hours, and it’s not an easy process.

“Just getting to the Training Camp roster is difficult, but once you’re looking for those final 18-20 guys, you really have to consider the intangibles on top of the talent. A lot of deep conversation goes into that selection process, and it’s not an easy one.”

SELECTION DAY

Once a national team is selected, several different emotions surface for all involved. There’s the slight relief that the selection process has been completed, so much excitement that the best possible roster has been put together, and anticipation to really begin the journey to win gold.

“Selection Day is an interesting day because not only am I telling 20 players that they have made the national team, but I am also releasing 20 players and letting them know they didn’t make the team,” said USA Baseball alum and two-time Women’s National Team Manager Veronica Alvarez. “It’s a mix of emotions because I very much empathize with those players who I have to release knowing how hard they have worked to get to that stage, but it’s also exciting to present the news to the 20 who make it and let them know they are representing USA Baseball.

“By selecting someone to the Women's National Team, it means that not only have they excelled on the field, but that they encompass everything that it means to represent the game and represent women within the game.”

Alvarez is a four-time Women’s National Team alum and served as manager in 2019 and 2022, so having the experience as a player and a manager has given her a deeper appreciation for what it truly means to wear the U-S-A letters across your chest.

“Having been a player on the Women’s National Team, I have a love and passion for what it means to represent Team USA. I have really high expectations for the women who follow because I want them to be successful and understand what that looks like. But now, being on the coaching side, I’ve moved away from having a personal goal or accomplishment, and I now understand what it means to help somebody else accomplish a goal. I wear the uniform with pride and very much feel this responsibility to uphold the standards of USA Baseball and what it means to be a woman within the game.”

The journey to pursuing gold is extensive, but it is one that provides so much reward to all involved. It’s a gratifying experience for those staff members and coaches who get to see all of the months of hard work finally come to fruition when Team USA competes on the international stage. Therefore, no matter what capacity you are serving in, it’s a badge of honor to be able to represent the red, white, and blue through America’s Pastime.

12U NATIONAL TEAM ALUMS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

*STATS AS OF MAY 31, 2023*

KARSON BOWEN

Two-time gold medalist Karson Bowen is no ordinary freshman at TCU. A four-time Team USA alumnus, Bowen was a member of the 2016 12U National Team which earned silver at the COPABE Pan Am "AA" Championships. He went on to win a pair of gold medals with the 2018 and 2019 15U National Teams at the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup and WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier, respectively. Bowen was also a part of the 2021 18U National Team before beginning his collegiate career at TCU in 2022. The Anaheim, California, native was the starting catcher for the Horned Frogs this spring and posted an impressive .346/.413/.508 with six homers and 44 RBIs. Bowen was named to the 2023 Big 12 Conference All-Freshman Team and Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team after leading TCU to a Big 12 Championship title.

JUSTIN CAMPBELL

Campbell started his journey with USA Baseball as part of the 2013 12U National Team which secured gold at the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) “A” World Cup in Taipei City, Taipei. He has stayed involved with Team USA since then, earning spots on the 2016 15U National Team and 2021 Collegiate National Team. Campbell enjoyed an excellent career at Oklahoma State University, where he earned Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball in 2020 and was one of five finalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award in 2021. In 2022, he led the Big 12 with 141 strikeouts and was selected by the Cleveland Guardians as the 37th pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. The right-hander is the Guardians’ 11th ranked prospect in 2023 according to MLB Pipeline.

Karson Bowen

Justin Campbell

RYAN CLIFFORD

Clifford has been a consistent presence on U.S. national teams and won gold medals with both the 2015 12U and 2018 15U National Teams. He was also a member of the 2021 18U National Team where he tied for the team lead in doubles during a friendship series against Canada. Clifford was drafted in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros and was recently promoted to their High-A affiliate, Asheville Tourists, after recording a .377 batting average in just 25 games with the Low-A Fayetteville Woodpeckers. According to MLB Pipeline, he is the fourth-ranked Astros’ prospect in 2023.

PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG

Crow-Armstrong was drafted 19th overall in the 2020 MLB Draft by the New York Mets, but before that he was on four national team rosters. He debuted with the 2014 12U National Team and would go on to win a pair of gold medals at the COPABE Pan Am "AA" Championships with the 2017 15U National Team and the 2018 18U National Team. Crow-Armstrong was a big piece for the Chicago Cubs to receive in a trade deadline deal with the Mets in exchange for Javier Baez. As the top-ranked prospect in the Cubs’ system according to MLB Pipeline, he has a pro career .876 OPS with a .306 batting average, 20 homers, and 87 RBIs.

BRADY HOUSE

The 2015 12U National Team had many big names, yet House as the 11th overall selection by the Washington Nationals in 2021 is currently the highest drafted of the group. Also playing for the 2018 15U National Team which won gold at the WBSC Baseball World Cup, House is the fifth-ranked prospect in the Nationals’ system according to MLB Pipeline after getting off to a hot start in his professional career. Beginning in the Rookielevel Florida Complex League, House hit .322/.394/.576 with four home runs. Now with the Single-A affiliate Fredericksburg Nationals, he has continued to hit at a solid clip with a .304 average in 2023.

MIKEY ROMERO

Romero helped the 2016 12U National Team bring home the silver medal at the COPABE Pan Am "AA" Championships and achieved gold with the 2019 15U National Team at the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier. After a standout high school career at Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.), Romero was selected 24th overall by the Boston Red Sox in 2022. Already getting promoted to the Red Sox Single-A affiliate, Salem Red Sox, in the first year of his professional career, the infielder logged a .874 OPS with a .304 average. According to MLB Pipeline, he is currently the Red Sox’s fourth-ranked prospect.

Pete Crow-Armstrong

CODY SCHRIER

Repping the U.S. with the 2015 12U and 2018 15U National Teams and winning a pair of gold medals, Schrier has started his college career as one of UCLA’s best hitters. Before injuring his left shoulder, Schrier started every game of the 2023 season for the Bruins and recorded a .847 OPS and .278 average. He was also named a 2023 Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball and was one of 55 players selected to the 2023 Preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List. As a freshman, Schrier was the starting shortstop in every game of the 2022 season and led the team in hits, homers, and total bases. The PAC-12 All-Conference shortstop was a force at the top-of-the-order and earned Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball that season.

ANTHONY VOLPE

In 2013, Anthony Volpe was a member of the 12U National Team that won gold at the IBAF “A” World Cup in Taipei City, Taipei. Volpe donned the red, white, and blue twice more with the 15U National Team in 2016 and secured gold with the 18U National Team at the COPABE U-18 PanAmerican Championships in 2018. He went on to be drafted 30th overall in the 2019 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees. At the conclusion of his first full pro season in 2021, he was named the Hitting Prospect of the Year by MLB Pipeline after slashing .294/.423/.604 with 27 bombs and 33 stolen bases. Volpe made his MLB debut as the Yankees starting shortstop on Opening Day in 2023, beginning an explosive inaugural season for the rookie. In his first 57 games, Volpe has tallied a .642 OPS with eight homers and 24 RBIs, proving to be a crucial piece of the Yankees offense.

MASYN WINN

A key member of the 2014 12U National Team on the mound and in the outfield, Winn has made a name for himself as the top shortstop prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals’ system. After being drafted 54th overall in the 2020 MLB Draft, Winn flashed his speed on the base paths by swiping 32 bags with 29 extra-base hits in his first season of pro ball between Single-A and High-A. He is currently the starting shortstop for the Cardinals AAA affiliate, Memphis Redbirds, slashing .252/.328/.364 with five homers and 11 stolen bases through 49 games.

Anthony Volpe

Masyn Winn

2023 ADP & NTDP COORDINATOR SPOTLIGHTS

Since 2012, the USA Baseball 13U/14U Athlete Development Program and 16U/17U National Team Development Program have served as two of the primary methods for identifying up-and-coming athletes as potential fits for the organization’s national teams.

Between the two programs, more than 100 players will participate in on-field skills development, off-field education training sessions, intrasquad scrimmages, and more over the course of four days this summer. The Task Force, which is a group made up of coaches who have experience at the high school, college, and professional levels, takes this time to evaluate these players on their overall skill sets, and by the events’ conclusions, a select few will earn an invitation to participate in future USA Baseball national team programming.

In order to get the best out of these young athletes, the ADP and NTDP have historically brought on star-studded lineups of current coaches across all levels of the game and former players to the coaching staff to impart their wisdom accordingly. The groups chosen for 2023 are no exception to this, as the coordinators tabbed to lead the programs this year bring a wealth of baseball experience to the table, both out on the field and in the dugout.

Captaining both the ADP and NTDP as the field coordinator is Jim Koerner, the Director of Player Development with USA Baseball. He returns as the head of both events after serving in the same roles a year ago for the first time.

Prior to joining the organization, Koerner was the longtime head coach at North Carolina Central University,

where he set the school record for most wins in a season on two separate occasions in 2013 and 2018. He also spent time on the coaching staffs at numerous other collegiate programs, including Buffalo, Marshall, Monmouth, and Medaille College.

Despite being relatively new to the programs, Koerner has already seen firsthand how important they are to USA Baseball as a whole.

““It's an exciting process,” Koerner said. “We look to bring in the best players in those age groups that we can find throughout the country, and expose them to the best coaches and techniques that are at our disposal to give them the best baseball experience we can.”

Leading the pitchers at the NTDP is longtime MLB veteran Brad Penny, who returns to the program after working as a pitching coach and roving instructor last year. Penny played 14 seasons in the major leagues, finishing his career with 121 wins, 1,273 strikeouts, and a 4.29 ERA in 1,925 innings pitched. He won a World Series Championship as a member of the Florida Marlins in 2003, made two All-Star teams while with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and finished third in the National League Cy Young Award voting in 2007.

In addition to all of this, Penny also featured as a player for Team USA himself both before and during his major league career. The right-hander won a silver medal at the 1999 Pan American Games while playing for the

organization’s first ever Professional National Team, and a year later, he took home the gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

“I think Brad brings a few different things to the table that are really unique,” Koerner said. “He's a World Series winner and a USA baseball alumnus, so to have to have both of those different aspects as part of his resume, I think is really relatable for these types of athletes for their coaching. These are aspirations that we want our players to have, and to have a pitching coordinator that's been there and done that, it's just a great example.

“On top of that, Brad is so relatable with these kids. He is a great communicator, and his passion and caring for these kids is evident from the moment he gets on the field. I haven't met a player, coach, or person that doesn't have great things to say about Brad Penny and what he does for USA Baseball and these athletes.”

On the ADP side of things, South Carolina pitching coach Justin Parker will work with the young arms as the pitching coordinator in 2023, jumping over after previously holding the same position at the NTDP in each of the previous three years. Parker has a long track

record of success working with many different collegiate pitching staffs throughout his 11-year coaching career, the most recent of which being leading the Gamecocks to the third-best team ERA in the SEC this past season. In total, 22 of Parker’s pitchers have gone on to be selected in the MLB Draft, including nine chosen in the first 10 rounds.

Parker also had a professional career of his own, as he was selected in the sixth round of the 2008 Draft after earning two first-team all-Horizon League selections while playing at Wright State. He played three seasons in the minors with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers before joining the coaching ranks shortly after his retirement.

“Justin is a tremendous evaluator,” Koerner said. “His development skills are through the roof, and you can see that at South Carolina with what they’ve done since he’s been there over the last couple of years. That’s a Super Regional team now, and he has a big part to do with that. I think he just brings tremendous experience from a high level of college baseball, and on top of that comes his experience with us being in the pitching coordinator

position the last couple of years. It’s a tremendous addition for these programs. Our players will gain invaluable experience by working with him.”

Finally, Mike Kinkade will be tasked to lead the hitters at the ADP this year as the program’s hitting coordinator, the latest stop in his lengthy list of positions on various coaching staffs over the years. He most recently coached at the 2022 Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League, serving as an assistant coach for the Team Gray squad that took home third place that year. Prior to that, he spent time on the staffs at the inaugural MLB Draft combine, the 2021 Women’s NTDP, Cal State Bakersfield, Pullman High School (Pullman, Wash.), the Whitman County American Legion Program, and the Seattle Mariners’ minor-league affiliates.

Like Penny, Kinkade also featured in the majors as well as with Team USA during his playing career. He spent six years in the big leagues after making his debut in 1998, hitting .256 with 13 home runs and 48 RBIs in 222 games played with the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Dodgers. In the stars and stripes, Kinkade played an important role on the Professional National Team that won gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, driving in three runs and scoring four more throughout the tournament. He also played for the national team during the 2006 Olympic Qualifiers, hitting .333 while driving in a team-leading 11 runs.

“Mike’s experience working with these athletes and familiarity with these athletes is a tremendous asset,” Koerner said. “His knowledge from professional baseball, both as a coach and a player, just brings tremendous experience to these events, and our players just have

a great time working with him. He’s easy to talk to, he loves being on the field, and his passion and energy are evident. He’s just a really good baseball person to have around USA Baseball and these national level players.”

These four coordinators all bring different things to the table for the athletes chosen to participate in the ADP and NTDP, and in Koerner’s eyes, being willing to learn from all of them and soak up all the available information is the key to getting the most out of their time with the program.

“I definitely want them to be open-minded to new concepts and new techniques, probably some things that they haven’t heard before from a coaching standpoint, but also be open to the life lessons and the experiences that these coaches are going to bring from different aspects of baseball,” Koerner said. “From your former major leaguers to your current college coaches to your high-level high school coaches, there’s a lot of different experiences on the field. If they’re open-minded to hearing what each coach has to say, I feel like they’re going to gain a lot of insight, not just from a baseball player perspective, but from a character development and work ethic perspective as well.”

The ADP and NTDP rosters will be determined at a later date following the conclusions of the National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina. Both events will take place at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., as the NTDP will run July 26-29 and ADP will be held August 3-6.

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2023 PREVIEW

12U NATIONAL TEAM, 15U NATIONAL TEAM, 18U NATIONAL TEAM, COLLEGIATE NATIONAL TEAM, WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM, ADP, AND NTDP

The schedule for Team USA in 2023 is full of competition, opportunity, and excitement. After an incredible 2022 season for the organization that featured three youth World Cup titles, USA Baseball looks forward to putting its 12U, 15U, 18U, Collegiate, and Women’s National Teams back on the international front in pursuit of winning gold. The path to playing for Team USA includes key identification events such as the Futures Invitational and National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina, while providing a unique developmental experience to some the nation’s top talent at the 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP) and the 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP) will also prove crucial to future gold medals.

USA Baseball’s history is rich with excellence and has showcased a proven ability to provide players with the best development opportunities possible. Whether it’s

on or off the field, there is no better experience than representing the red, white, and blue.

12U NATIONAL TEAM

The 11U Futures Invitational will once again serve as the primary event to identify talent for the 2023 12U National Team. The elite youth championship event features the best 11U teams showcasing their abilities for USA Baseball’s Task Force at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, North Carolina, from June 22-25. Thirty-six players will be identified from the 11U Futures Invitational to compete at the 12U National Team Training Camp from June 26-30 in Cary, where the final 18-man roster will be determined to represent Team USA on the international front.

In May, USA Baseball assembled a 12U National Team to compete in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and came away with a gold medal

thanks to a 29-28 extra-inning thriller over Venezuela. By securing a gold medal, the U.S. qualified for the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup in Tainan, Taiwan, from July 28-August 6. The U.S. – which owns four wold titles –will return as the defending champion after defeating Venezuela, 10-2, in the 2022 title game.

Chapparal High School (Scottsdale, Ariz.) head coach Troy Gerlach will make his managerial debut with the 2023 12U National Team. This will be his third time on a USA Baseball coaching staff after serving as an assistant coach for the 2022 12U National team and 2018 15U National Team. Joining Gerlach on staff will be pitching coach Seth Kenny and assistant coaches Bryan Madsen and Erick Quesada.

13U/14U ADP

USA Baseball’s Athlete Development Program (ADP) provides the opportunity for 50 of the top 13U and 14U players to head to the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, for a highly developed fourday on-and off-field national team-level instruction and education program from August 3-6. Players will primarily be identified from the 2023 13U and 14U National Team Championships in North Carolina and 2023 14U National Team Championships in Arizona, and they will join 24 players selected from last year's USA Baseball National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup. Additionally, players will be selected through recommendations from scouts, coaches, and the amateur baseball community.

Each day at the ADP will feature advanced on-field skills development with positional and team fundamental drills, and ongoing evaluation by USA Baseball national team coaches. Over the course of the program, athletes will be placed on a Stars or Stripes team and face-off in intrasquad games to implement the instruction provided during training. The athletes will also participate in off-field educational seminars while gaining additional exposure to professional scouts and college recruiters.

15U NATIONAL TEAM

For players looking to earn a spot on the 15U National Team, there is no better opportunity to do so than at the National Team Championships. The elite championshipstyle events held in Arizona and North Carolina give the USA Baseball Task Force the best opportunity to lay their eyes on some of the most talented players across the nation who are fighting for a chance to wear the U-S-A letters across their chests. The stars and stripes are the reigning world champions at the U-15 level after defeating

Cuba, 4-3, in the gold medal game of the 2022 WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup in Hermosillo, Mexico.

Rob Shabansky, head coach at Gateway Community College, will make his eighth appearance on a USA Baseball coaching staff in 2023. This will be his second time serving as manager as he led the U.S. to a 7-1 overall record and a COPABE Pan Am "AA" Championships gold medal during his managerial debut in 2017. In 2015, 2016, and 2022, he served as the pitching coach for all three squads and helped Team USA win gold at the 2015 COPABE Pan Am “AA” Championships, bronze at the 2016 WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup, and gold at last year’s U-15 WBSC Baseball World Cup. He also served as an assistant for the 2011 16U National Team and was the 15U National Team pitching coach in 2019 and 2021. Shabansky is joined by pitching coach Casey Scott and assistant coaches Derek Simmons and John Weber, as all three assistant coaches will make their 15U National Team debuts this summer.

16U/17U NTDP

The National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina are also the sites to get identified as one of 80 players by the USA Baseball staff and Task Force to participate in the 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP). The NTDP roster will feature players identified from the National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina, as well as 24 players

who were selected from last year’s 15U and 16U NTIS Champions Cup.

The 16U/17U NTDP will be held at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, from July 2629, and players will participate in four days of individual and team skill development sessions, workouts, and various off-field educational seminars, and exposure to professional scouts, college recruiters, USA Baseball staff, and national team coaches. Players will also be assessed and evaluated by the coaching staff for possible future participation in USA Baseball national team programming.

18U NATIONAL TEAM

The 2023 Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League will once again serve as the primary identification event for the 18U National Team. The PDP League is an invitationbased development and assessment opportunity for high school players eligible for the following year’s MLB Draft. It provides athletes with an unprecedented amateur experience, including competitive gameplay, player development sessions, educational seminars, and other programming to prepare players for a professional baseball career.

The 2023 PDP League will take place from June 26-July 3 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. Forty players will be identified from the PDP League for the 18U National Team Training Camp

on August 21-25, and from there a 20-man roster will be assembled for world cup competition.

The 18U National Team will compete for its sixth world championship since 2012 at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup from September 1-10 in Tainan, Taiwan. The U.S. is the reigning champion after defeating Chinese Taipei in the gold medal game in 2022. Most recently, the stars and stripes earned the gold medal at the 2022 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in La Paz, Mexico, in November with a 11-1 victory over Panama to qualify for this year’s World Cup.

Michael Cuddyer brings major league experience to his new role as the manager of the 18U National Team. A two-time MLB All-Star and 15-year MLB veteran, Cuddyer made his USA Baseball coaching debut serving as an assistant coach for the 2021 18U National Team. He also held the role of hitting coordinator at the 2021 PDP League and was a coach at the 2022 18U National Team Training Camp. Joining Cuddyer will be fellow MLB veteran and Cuddyer’s former Minnesota Twins teammate LaTroy Hawkins along with veteran coaches Butch Chaffin and Jason Maxwell to complete the 2023 18U National Team staff.

COLLEGIATE NATIONAL TEAM

Fifty-six of the premier non-draft eligible college baseball players in the country will meet at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, for the Collegiate National Team Training Camp beginning on June 23. The athletes will battle in a four-game Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad series before the staff will name a final 26-man roster on June 30. Team USA will then compete in the 20th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series from June 30-July 4 and the 44th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series from July 7-12. Currently, 12 of the 14 games will take place in North Carolina, with games in Cary, Durham, Kannapolis, and Fayetteville.

Cal Poly’s Larry Lee will make his Team USA managerial debut. He returns to the red, white, and blue after serving as an assistant coach for the 2017 Collegiate National Team that went 15-5 with friendship series victories over Chinese Taipei, Cuba, and Japan. Lee is the winningest head coach in Big West Conference history and has amassed 635 wins with Cal Poly and 1,095 overall for his career.

WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM

If a player is looking for an opportunity to represent Team USA as a member of the Women’s National Team, the Women’s National Open is where the journey begins. The identification event will take place from July 7-9 in Mesa, Arizona, and players from around the country will be divided into teams and compete in games and workout sessions. A minimum of 35 players will be chosen by the national team coaching staff to move on to the Women’s National Team Training Camp, which will be held July 1013 in Mesa. Eventually, 20 players will be awarded a spot on the 2023 Women’s National Team.

Team USA recently received a wild card bid into the IX WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup. The event will span two years and begins with the group stage, where the U.S. will participate in Group A from August 8-13 in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The top three teams from both groups will advance to the IX WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals in 2024, which is also set to take place in Thunder Bay. The Women’s National Team has medaled in six of the eight WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cups since the

tournament’s inception in 2004, most recently earning a first-place finish at the 2019 COPABE Women’s PanAmerican Championships.

2019 Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year and five-time Team USA player Veronica Alvarez will make her fourth appearance as manager and fifth on a coaching staff after holding the position in 2019, 2020, and 2022. She currently serves as the Coordinator of Player Development in Latin America for the Oakland A’s, and has helped grow the game of women’s baseball through programs created from the collaboration between Major League Baseball and USA Baseball. Alvarez has been a coach at the Trailblazer Series since 2017, the Girls Baseball Breakthrough Series Showcase & Development Camp since 2018, and the Girls Baseball Elite Development Invitational from 2020-2022. Reynol Mendoza and Alex Oglesby will return to their roles as pitching coach and assistant coach, respectively, and 11-time Team USA player Malaika Underwood will make her coaching debut as an assistant coach to round out the staff.

10U TEAM ROSTERS

JUNE 15-18, 2023

AUSTIN DIRT DAWGS CANES WEST FUTURES

MERIDIAN PANTHERS

NEW LEVEL NATIONALS

USA Baseball has a zero-tolerance policy for abuse or misconduct of any kind within the sport. All Adult Participants* at USA Baseball events are required to undergo a background check, complete a U.S. Center for SafeSport course, and sign the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPPs).

To learn more about the abuse prevention resources available, and to read the MAAPPs, please visit USABASE.org

By law, everyone is a mandatory reporter. If you have experienced abuse or misconduct, or know of abuse or misconduct that has taken place at a USA Baseball event, please report the incident to any of the USA Baseball representatives listed below, or scan the code to fill out USA Baseball’s Online Reporting Form (this can be done anonymously). To report directly to the U.S. Center for SafeSport, call 833-5US-SAFE (587-7233).

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11U TEAM ROSTERS

JUNE 22-25, 2023

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EVENT RULES

▪ The Futures Invitational will follow the National Federation of State High School Associations’ (NFHS) baseball rules. The following rules and guidelines are provided in addition to, in substitution of, or in place of the rules provided in the NFHS Baseball Rule Book.

ELIGIBILITY

▪ To be eligible for the Futures Invitational, 10U players must be born on or after 1/1/2012 and 11U players must be born on or after 1/1/2011.

▪ PENALTY: If physical evidence is presented to USA Baseball, or a team admits to using an illegal player, all games in which the illegal player participated shall be forfeited.

FACILITY GUIDELINES

The Futures Invitational will utilize the following dimensions:

▪ 10U: 46’ mound, 65’ bases

▪ 11U and 12U: 51’ mound, 75’ bases

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

10U Futures Invitational

▪ The 10U tournament will feature 16 teams.

▪ Every team will be placed into a pool of four (4) teams and will compete in round robin play in its pool, playing three games over Days 1 and 2.

▪ Teams will be seeded following pool play using the “Standings Tie-Breakers” rules below.

▪ The pool-winning teams (Seeds #1 from each pool) will be seeded #1–#4 and begin a single-elimination bracket-style playoff on Saturday.

▪ The remaining teams will be placed into one of three (3) consolation brackets based on their pool play seed (#2, #3, or #4) and will play in two consolation games.

▪ The third place and championship games will be played on the final day of the tournament (Sunday).

11U Futures Invitational

▪ The 11U tournament will feature 24 teams.

▪ Every team will be placed into a pool of four (4) teams and will compete in round robin play in its pool, playing three games over Days 1 and 2.

▪ Teams will be seeded following pool play using the “Standings Tie-Breakers” rules below.

▪ The pool-winning teams (Seeds #1 from each pool) and two wild card teams (determined by overall W-L record and “Standings Tie-Breakers” rules below) will be seeded #1–#8 and begin a single-elimination bracket-style playoff on Saturday, including the quarterfinals and semifinals.

▪ Teams seeded #9+ will play in two consolation games over the final two days of the tournament.

GAME PLAY

General Rules

▪ All team rosters must have a minimum of 13 players and 2 coaches. Rosters should not exceed 20 players.

▪ A “mandatory play” rule will not be enforced at the Futures Invitational. However, it is encouraged that all healthy players on the roster participate in the tournament.

▫ In an effort for fair play and competitive balance, USA Baseball recommends that each athlete participate in a minimum of eight (8) innings or five (5) at-bats for position players, and/or a minimum of three (innings) or nine (9) batters-faced for pitchers throughout the event.

▪ The USA Baseball Tournament Director will predetermine all home and away team assignments in all pool play games. The higher seed will serve as the home team throughout all bracket-round and consolation match-ups (E.g., #6 vs. #1; #1 is the home team).

Lineups

▪ A maximum of 10 players are allowed in a lineup.

▪ A tenth hitter, or extra hitter, hereby known as the “EH,” may be utilized by any team. The use of an “EH” is optional. If one team elects to use an “EH,” the opposing team is not required to do so as well. The extra hitter must be indicated in the line-up as the “EH.” The “EH” will be treated as any other starter and cannot be eliminated during the course of the game. The “EH” can exchange positions with other defensive players in the lineup. The starting batting order must be followed in order; the changing of the “starting batting order” once the game begins is strictly prohibited.

Run-Rule

▪ The following run-rule scenarios will be enforced in all games at the Futures Invitational:

▪ If a 10U team is losing by 10 or more runs after having batted in at least four (4) innings, the game will be called due to the run rule.

▪ If an 11U team is losing by 10 or more runs after having batted in at least five (5) innings, the game will be called due to the run rule.

Extra-Innings/Tie-Breakers

▪ All pool-play, consolation, and third-place games at the Futures Invitational shall be six (6 [10U])/seven (7 [11U]) innings or two hours (2:00 [10U])/two hours and 15 minutes (2:15 [11U]). No new inning can begin after time has expired.

▪ If a pool-play, consolation, or third-place game is tied after six (6 [10U])/seven (7 [11U]) innings and time permits, teams shall continue the game using the international tiebreaker rule until a winner is decided or time has expired. If a game that exceeds the time limit ends in a stalemate, the game will be recorded as a tie.

▪ A time limit will not be enforced in quarterfinal (11U only), semifinal, and championship games.

International Tie-Breaker Rules

▪ The international tie-breaker rule dictates that a runner will be placed on first and second base with no outs to begin the inning. The batter must be the player deemed next-up in the batting order following the previous inning and the two players preceding the batter will be placed on first and second base, respectively.

Forfeits

▪ In the event a team must forfeit a game, a 7-0 loss will be assigned to a team’s record.

Pool Protection

▪ Futures Invitational Pool Protection Rule: The tournament director reserves the right to change matchups in the consolation brackets. This rule is in place to prevent teams from playing the same team in both pool play and consolation bracket.

STANDINGS TIE-BREAKERS

▪ If, at the end of pool play (if applicable), two or more teams finish with identical records, the following procedures will be used to break standings ties for bracket-play seeding:

1. Pool play overall record

2. Head-to-head result; provided all tied teams have played each other

3. Fewest runs allowed (overall)

4. Overall run differential

5. Coin flip

EJECTIONS/SUSPENSIONS

▪ Any ejection of a participant (player, coach, or fan) during a game will receive an automatic one-game suspension. The incident will then be reviewed by the USA Baseball Technical Committee, consisting of the Tournament Director, Umpire-in-Chief (if available), Site Supervisor, and a member of the USA Baseball Task Force. The Technical Committee will assess the ejection and then determine an additional penalty, if any, for the participant.

▪ Penalties may include suspension for a subsequent game(s), suspension from the tournament, or a team forfeiture resulting in a 7-0 loss.

▪ Any participant who is ejected from a game a second time during the event shall receive an immediate suspension for the remainder of the tournament.

Inclement Weather

▪ In the event inclement weaher occurs during the tournament, the bracket-round games will be given priority in rescheduling. USA Baseball will do its best to ensure that all teams participating in consolation games will play in an even number of games; however, cannot guarantee an even number of games for all participating teams.

▪ Games rescheduled due to inclement weather may be played at an off-site facility at the discretion of USA Baseball.

Uniforms & Safety

▪ Coaches must wear a helmet in order to be on the field. A hard helmet is required; no flap, single flap, and double flap helmets are permitted, while “skullies” and cap inserts are strictly prohibited.

▪ All players must wear molded rubber spikes. Molded, plastic cleats are acceptable, as long as the spikes are molded appropriately, without any sharp ends. Metal spikes are strictly prohibited.

BAT GUIDELINES

▪ All teams are required to adhere to the USA Baseball Bat Guidelines below (Bat Guidelines can be found at USABaseball.com/bats/guidelines).

▪ 11U, 12U tournaments bat requirements:

▫ There are no specified weight/length ratio limits for bats in the tournament.

▫ Bats may not exceed 32” in length and barrel diameters may not exceed 2 5/8.

▫ Non-wood and multi-piece wood bats must be USABat certified in order to be used in the tournament. *

▪ 13U tournaments require bats to be any wood or metal BBCOR (-3) bat OR an approved USABat.

▪ 14U and 15U tournaments require bats to be any wood or metal BBCOR (-3) bat.

▪ 16U and 17U tournaments require bats to be any solid (onepiece) wood bat or an NFHS approved BBCOR wood barrel baseball bat.

▪ *USABat certifications are reflected in the Washington State University Sports Science Lab and the NCAA and NFHS BBCOR approved baseball bats list.

PITCHING RULES

▪ In accordance with USA Baseball’s assimilation of Pitch Smart guidelines, the Futures Invitational will use a hard pitch count as the standard for setting pitcher-use limitations for the tournament.

▪ Pitchers may not pitch three consecutive days regardless of their pitch counts in the two previous days (e.g., if a pitcher throws 10 pitches on day one and 15 pitches on day two, they are still ineligible to pitch on day three)

▪ If a pitcher exceeds a pitch count threshold in a single game that requires a mandatory rest day, they are ineligible to pitch in an additional game in the same day regardless of their daily pitch count total.

▪ Penalty For Violation Of Pitcher Use Limitation Rules

▪ If a pitcher is found to have exceeded their allowed numbers of pitches during a game, the illegal pitching situation will be rectified immediately, and the incoming pitcher will be permitted as many warm up pitches as the umpire deems necessary prior to resuming the game. The Technical Committee will review the infraction and reserves the right to suspend the manager for the next game if the infraction is deemed a purposeful breach of the rules. The Technical Committee will be comprised of the Tournament Director(s), Umpire-in-Chief, Site Supervisor, and a member of the USA Baseball Task Force.

▪ If a pitcher is found to have exceeded their allowed pitches for a game after the game is completed, the manager may be suspended for the next tournament game. The Technical Committee will review the infraction and reserves the right to suspend the manager for the next tournament game plus one additional game if the infraction is deemed a purposeful breach of the rules.

▪ In either case, the pitcher in question will not receive any direct penalty, but will be made to adhere to the prescribed days of rest based on the number of pitches at the time of the infraction. The team in question will not receive any direct penalty (beyond penalization of the manager), but will continue to be required to adhere to the prescribed pitch count rules for the remainder of the event.

TOURNAMENT PITCHER USE LIMITATION RULES

▪ If a pitcher reaches the daily max pitches in a game threshold (75 [10U], 85 [11U-12U], 95 [13U-16U], 105 [17U-18U]) while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until any one of the following events occur: 1. That batter reaches base; 2. That batter is retired; 3. The third out is made to complete the half-inning.

▪ A pitcher’s required rest is based off a hard pitch count of actual pitches thrown and does not reset to the pitch count tallied at the beginning of the last batter faced. If a player has thrown 19 pitches and, after facing the last batter of the inning, has thrown 24, then that pitcher’s pitch count for the day is 24 (not 19) and they are required to take one day of rest.

REPORTING

▪ USA Baseball official scorers will be responsible for the official pitch count at each field.

▪ An aggregate pitch count report for all teams in the tournament will be distributed electronically at the completion of each day’s games to the team contact on record. The pitch count is monitored and kept in the tower, and is the only official pitch count that will be used. Managers or coaches pitch counts are NOT official, but they are welcome to periodically check with the official scorer to ensure their count is correct. The official scorekeeper will communicate the pitch count at the beginning of each inning or as needed.

▪ Should a pitch count be protested, the protesting team must present an official score book or digital score keeping application to the Site Supervisor and Tournament Director(s).

▪ The pitch count kept by the tower can be overturned if both the Site Supervisor and Tournament Director conclude that a mistake was made on behalf of USA Baseball’s scorekeeper. The new pitch count will be recorded and reflected in the following day’s pitch count report.

SUSPENDED GAMES (PITCHING)

▪ For purposes of applying the pitcher-use limitations in the event a team plays twice on a single day (because a prior game was either postponed or suspended), the following rules apply:

▪ A pitcher’s per-game total pitch maximums (but not mandatory rest) shall be deemed to be “reset” in a resumed game. However, pitchers are still restricted to per-game and daily pitch maximums set forth by the Pitch Smart Guidelines prior to and after suspended and resumed games.

▪ The pitcher of record at the time a game is suspended becomes subject to a mandatory rest day if they exceed a pitch count threshold (20+ [10U-14U], 30+ [15U+]) and will not be eligible to pitch in the resumed game if it takes place during their required rest time, including a resumed game occurring at a later time on the same day.

▪ A pitcher who is required to rest for a day must rest for all games on that day (I.e., resting during the resumption of a postponed or suspended game shall not satisfy a mandatory rest day, even if there is a subsequent game on that same day).

DOUBLEHEADERS

▪ The second game of a scheduled doubleheader will not serve as a rest day for pitchers having thrown in the first game of the day (E.g., a pitcher who has thrown 20 [10U-14U], 30 [15U+] or more pitches in the first game of the day may not pitch in any subsequent game that day and is subject to the appropriate number of rest days based on the total pitches thrown).

▪ A pitcher who has thrown 1-20 [10U-14U], 1-30 [15U+] pitches is eligible to throw in any subsequent game that day; however, they will still be limited to the daily max of 75 [10U], 85 [11U-12U], 95 [13U-16U], 105 [17U-18U] pitches for the day.

▪ Due to the nature of the tournament format, the USA Baseball Operations Staff will provide each coach with an updated pitch count sheet as soon as possible prior to the start of their second game of the day on days where a doubleheader is scheduled.

2023 PITCH SMART GUIDELINES

▪ Many players were limited in how much baseball they could play over the last year due to COVID-19. As players return in 2023, they should make sure to do so safely by following all applicable COVID-19 guidelines and the following returnto-sport recommendations:

▪ Because many players missed seasons, they should be careful to ramp up slowly to avoid injury; we know players are excited to get out there and compete, but it’s important to gradually increase the intensity and frequency of your playing to avoid injury.

▪ Players should ramp up their strength and conditioning program in advance of resumption of throwing.

▪ As much as possible, players should aim to lengthen and not shorten their standard pre-competition throwing progression timelines. An example throwing program is shown here (link).

▪ Pitchers should account for all types of throws when systematically building up in preparation for game competition. The stress on the throwing arm from any long-toss, flat ground throws, weighted ball exercises, and bullpen pitches should be considered. Weighted ball programs should not be used to accelerate pre-season throwing progression.

▪ Players with reduced workloads last year should consider gradually building up their pitch counts, more rest between outings, and a lower overall workload this year.

▪ Proper nutrition and sleep go a long way in maximizing baseball performance and reducing injury risk.

▪ As always, it is important that players avoid pitching with arm fatigue or injuries to other body regions; being proactive about your health will help keep you healthy for the long-term.

▪ It’s beneficial for amateur athletes to take time off from baseball each year and play multiple sports to further athletic development.

▪ Many baseball players have showcase opportunities to enhance their recruitment into collegiate and professional baseball. Players should only participate in showcases when they are healthy and have had appropriate time to build up their throwing and strength and conditioning.

Suggested Annual Workload: For players with reduced workloads in 2022

Suggested Pitch Counts Daily Max (Pitches in Game): For players with reduced workloads in 2021

Pitch Counts and Required Rest Recommendations: For all players