USA Baseball has named R.J. Farrell as the new manager of its U-12 National Team. The U.S. won the 2013, 2015 an 2017 U-12 Baseball World Cups, before finishing in seventh place in 2019.
One of the first major tasks for Farrell and his coaching staff will be to assemble a team of the best 12 year-old baseball players in the U.S and potentially the world. USA Baseball's U-12 National Team Trials will take place after the 11U Futures Invitational this June/July in North Carolina. The U.S. squad will then compete in the Americas qualifier for the 2021 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup.
“R.J. has been a remarkable representative and coach for our organization over the years and we are excited to have him leading the 12U National Team in 2020,” said USA Baseball 12U National Team Director Will Schworer.
Farrell served three times as an assistant coach on the U-12 National Team staff. He is currently in his first season as an assistant coach and Athletic Support and Compliance Coordinator at Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, California.
The rest of the coaching staff includes pitching coach Seth Kenny, a 20-year veteran with collegiate baseball experience, and assistants Erik Johnson and Tanner Vesely. Kenny and Johnson are both making their USA Baseball National Team coaching debuts. Vesely began his National Team coaching career a decade ago.
