by USA Baseball
FULLERTON, Calif. – On Tuesday night, USA Baseball announced its final roster for the 2012 IBAF 18U Baseball World Championships in Seoul, South Korea. The final roster includes 20 players from eight different states.
The roster was selected following the second phase of national team trials in Fullerton, Calif., but, the process started weeks ago in Cary, N.C. with the 2012 Tournament of Stars presented by Major League Baseball. There, 144 athletes competed over five days at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. From that pool, 40 players were selected to compete in phase one of the national team trials, also held in Cary.
Those 40 players participated in Red vs. Blue intrasquad scrimmages and the first two games of the Prospect Classic at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C. During the Prospect Classic, the 18U trials players were intermixed on rosters with members of the 2012 Collegiate National Team, giving fans and scouts an opportunity to see the best players for the 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on one field.
Following game two of the Prospect Classic, the roster was trimmed to 28. Those 28 athletes competed in the final two games of the Prospect Classic, pitting the 18U National Trials Team against the Collegiate National Team. Those players were also invited to the second phase of trials in California, Aug. 17-22.
For various reasons, only, 27 individuals competed in the second phase of trials, which consisted of games at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and Goodwin Field in Fullerton, along with practices at Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium in Anaheim and Goodwin Field.
Over four days of exhibition play against some of the top players in California, the trials team went 3-1, outscoring its opponents by a combined score of 37-16.
Following Tuesday night’s game against the Southern California 17U National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Team, USA Baseball had to announce the final 20-man roster that will travel to international competition.
The team plays its first exhibition game at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. local) at Goodwin Field on the campus of California State University, Fullerton. From there, the team departs to Taichung, Taiwan for a three game exhibition series with Chinese Taiper, Aug. 25-27.
The IBAF 18U Baseball World Championships will be held Aug. 30-Sept. 8 in Seoul, South Korea. Team USA opens pool play with games against Australia, Netherlands, Korea, Colombia and Venezuela.
The 20-man USA Baseball 18U National Team roster is as follows:
Name, Position, Hometown
William Abreu, OF, Hialeah, Fla.
Christian Arroyo, IF, Brooksville, Fla.
Cavan Biggio, IF/OF, Houston, Texas
Ryan Boldt, OF, Red Wing, Minn.
Bryson Brigman, IF/OF, San Jose, Calif.
Ian Clarkin, LHP, San Diego, Calif.
Kevin Davis, RHP, Brewton, Ala.
Stephen Gonsalves, LHP, San Marcos, Calif.
Connor Heady, IF/RHP, Prospect, Ky.
John Kilichowski, LHP, Tampa, Fla.
Jeremy Martinez, C, Santa Ana, Calif.
Andy McGuire, IF, Vienna, Va.
Reese McGuire, C, Covington, Wash.
Dom Nunez, IF, Elk Grove, Calif.
Chris Okey, C, Mt. Dora, Fla.
Ryan Olson, RHP, Upland, Calif.
Carson Sands, LHP, Tallahassee, Fla.
Dominic Taccolini, RHP, Sugarland, Texas
Keegan Thompson, RHP, Cullman, Ala.
Garrett Williams, LHP, Shreveport, La.
