USA Baseball Announces 2019 18U National Team Roster

USA Baseball announced the 20-man roster for the 2019 18U National Team this past weekend, finalizing the group that will head to Gijang, South Korea, later this month in an attempt to claim a fifth-straight World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 World Cup gold medal. 

Eighteen of the players on the final roster participated in the inaugural PDP League this summer, while five players have USA Baseball national team experience, including outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, righthander Max Rajcic, catcher Drew Romo, lefthander Lucas Gordan and righthander Alejandro Rosario.

“We are really excited about the 20 players that we have just chosen for this year’s 18U National Team,” manager Jack Leggett said in a press release. “It’s been a great trial period with a great group of kids that have worked extremely hard. The decisions were really tough, but we feel like the 20 that we have now show us a lot of versatility, a lot of talent and a lot of really good attitudes, so we are really looking forward to competing for a world championship.”

The 18U National Team will continue training this week before heading to Taichung, Taiwan, where they will compete in friendlies against Chinese Taipei from August 24-27. Team USA starts its 2019 World Cup run on August 6 against South Africa, and the World Cup goes through September 8. 

“Extremely proud and honored to name this group the 2019 18U National Team,” 18U director Frank Jagoda told Baseball America. “Like coach Leggett said, we have a versatile group, a group that understands what is expected of them and a group that is going to represent the United States of America with great pride, passion and class. It’s been a long process for these guys—they’ve all invested some sweat equity and they are ready to go.”

The full 20-man roster can be seen below.

• Mick Abel, RHP, Jesuit HS, Portland
• Jack Bulger, C/OF, DeMatha HS, Hyattsville, Md.
• Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Harvard Westlake HS, Studio City, Calif.
• Lucas Gordon, LHP, Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
• Hunter Haas, INF, Corona del Sol HS, Tempe, Ariz. 
• Colby Halter, UTL, Bishop Kenny HS, Jacksonville
• Kyle Harrison, LHP, De La Salle HS, Concord, Calif.
• Robert Hassell, OF/LHP, Independence HS, Thompson’s Station, Tenn.
• Austin Hendrick, OF, West Allegheny HS, Imperial, Pa.
• Ben Hernandez, RHP, De La Salle HS, Chicago
• Ed Howard, INF, Mount Carmel (Ill.) HS
• Nolan McLean, UTL/RHP, Garner (N.C.) Magnet HS
• Max Rajcic, RHP, Orange (Calif.) Lutheran HS
• Drew Romo, C, The Woodlands (Texas) HS
• Alejandro Rosario, RHP, Miami Christian HS
• Jason Savacool, RHP, Baldwinsville (N.Y.) HS
• Nate Savino, LHP, Potomac Falls HS, Sterling, Va.
• Tyler Soderstrom, C, Turlock (Calif.) HS
• Milan Tolentino, INF, Santa Margarita HS, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.
• AJ Vukovich, INF/OF, East Troy (Wisc.) HS