USA BASEBALL ALUMNI AT THE NHSI

Talan Bell

Talan Bell (Hagerty) made his Team USA debut in the fall of 2022, helping the 18U National Team secure a gold medal at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in La Paz, Mexico, as a two-way player. Bell made two appearances on the mound and posted a spotless 0.00 ERA over four innings, including three one-hit frames in a start against Panama in the Super Round. He also turned in a scoreless inning of relief in the Opening Round against Puerto Rico. At the plate, Bell had nine at-bats and scored four runs while swiping three bases. Bell, who participated in the 2022 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP), is committed to Florida State.

Matthew Champion

Matthew Champion (JSerra Catholic) joined Bell on the 18U National Team this past fall that won gold at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in La Paz, Mexico. He made two appearances on the mound and tossed a combined two innings. Additionally, made one plate appearance in the tournament.

Drew Burress

Drew Burress (Houston County) was a member of the 15U National Team in 2019, joining a stacked roster that featured 2022 first-round MLB draft picks Termarr Johnson and Mikey Romero. Burress played in five games en route to Team USA’s gold medal at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. The outfielder, who drove in a run over five at-bats, was one of ten U.S. players to score at least four runs in the tournament. Burress also participated in the 2022 Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League and is committed to play baseball at Georgia Tech.

Owen Egan

Owen Egan (Aquinas) is a two-time USA Baseball alum, having played for the 12U National Team in 2016 and 2017. The two-way player appeared in six games, including three on the mound, in 2016 and helped the stars and stripes earn a silver medal at the COPABE Pan Am “A” Championships in Puebla, Mexico. In 2017, he started in all nine games and batted .286 (6-for-21), tallied five RBIs, and scored seven runs while also tossing 6.2 innings on the mound en route to helping the U.S. win gold at the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup in Tainan, Taiwan. Additionally, the UCLA commit is a threetime National Team Development Program participant as he took part in the 14U NTDP in 2018 and 2019 and the 16U/17U NTDP in 2021.

Mikey Torres

Three-time Team USA alum and two-time gold medalist Mikey Torres (Doral Academy) brings with him plenty of international experience to the NHSI. Torres made his U.S. debut with the 12U National Team in 2018 and won a gold medal at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in Aguascalientes, Mexico. He appeared in five games and hit two homers, also driving in five runs. Torres then batted .545 (6-for-11) during the 2021 15U National Team Training Camp and was named to that year’s team, which did not compete in international competition. His most recent appearance with the U.S. was at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup

Americas Qualifier in 2022, where he batted .308 (4-for13) and posted a 4.20 earned run average in five innings pitched to help Team USA win a gold medal. Torres, who is committed to Miami, also participated at the 2019 13U Athlete Development Program (ADP) and the 2022 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP).

Ralphy Velazquez

Ralphy Velazquez (Huntington Beach) is a two-time USA Baseball alum, suiting up for the 12U National Team in both 2016 and 2017. Velazquez made his Team USA debut at the 2016 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier and batted .500 (3-for-6) to help the U.S. earn a silver medal. The catcher and infielder then returned the following year, starting in eight of the team’s nine games and hitting .409 (9-for-22) with a homer as the U.S. won gold at the 2017 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup, its third consecutive title at the tournament. He was one of just five U.S. players to drive in nine or more runs in the tournament. The Arizona State commit also participated in the 14U NTDP in 2019.