USA Baseball Unveils 2026 18U National Team Training Camp Coaching Staff

CARY, N.C. — USA Baseball today announced the 2026 18U National Team Training Camp Phase 1 coaching staff. Training Camp will be split into two phases, with Phase 1 scheduled for July 16-20, while Phase 2 is set to take place August 23-26. Both phases of Training Camp will be held at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

Led by the entire 18U National Team coaching staff–manager Brian Schneider, pitching coach Luke Gregerson, and assistant coaches Doug Mientkiewicz and Tim Raines Jr.–Phase 1 of Training Camp features a 22-member staff including two-time 18U National Team manager Rick Eckstein and longtime USA Baseball coach Kirk Champion. Eckstein, who will serve as field coordinator, returns to the 18U National Team after back-to-back stints as the squad’s manager, including leading Team USA to a World Cup title in 2025. Joining Eckstein is six-time Team USA coach Champion, who reprises his role as 18U National Team Training Camp pitching coach after serving in the same capacity last summer.

“We are extremely excited to name the coaching staff for this year’s 18U National Team Training Camp,” said 18U National Team Program Director Brett Curl. “Year in and year out, 18U National Team Training Camp gathers the top high school and prep players in the nation, and we are proud to have a veteran group of leaders to help train and assemble the 2026 18U National Team. This group provides exceptional leadership and experience for the players to learn from, and we could not be more excited for the action to begin in Cary.”

Rick Ankiel, AJ Pierzynski, Brad Wilkerson, and Ryan Zimmerman will each serve as team managers during Phase 1 of Training Camp. Combined, the group brings 55 seasons of major league playing experience in addition to previous experience playing for Team USA. Zimmerman, who spent 16 seasons with the Washington Nationals, is a 2004 Collegiate National Team alumnus and former Richard W. “Dick” Case Award recipient who will make his first appearance on a Training Camp staff. Additionally, 1995 18U National Team alumnus Wilkerson returns to the program to manage Light Blue. Two-time 18U National Team alumnus Ankiel, who will lead Navy, returns to Cary shortly after coaching at Collegiate National Team Training Camp and will make his third appearance as a team manager at 18U National Team Training Camp. Nineteen-year MLB veteran and World Series champion Pierzynski rounds out the group and will make his USA Baseball debut this summer when he serves as manager of Team Grey.

All four of the 18U National Team Training Camp pitching coaches bring nearly a decade of professional playing experience. The staff is headlined by 16-year MLB reliever and 2006 third-round MLB Draft pick Joe Smith, who will serve as Team Red’s pitching coach in his first USA Baseball coaching stint. Sam Freeman, who pitched 271 innings across nine seasons in the pros, will return to 18U National Team Training Camp for a second consecutive summer. After serving as pitching coach at last summer’s 16U/17U National Team Development Program, 11-year professional Matt Guerrier will join Pierzynski’s staff on Team Grey.  Will Harris, a 10-year MLB veteran and World Series champion with the 2017 Houston Astros, rounds out the pitching staff.

Twelve-year major leaguer Jamey Carroll, two-time All-Star Ian Desmond, and eight-year MLB veteran Chris Johnson are set to make their USA Baseball coaching debuts this summer as assistant coaches for their respective teams. After previous stints with USA Baseball national teams and development programs, assistant coaches Jeff Reboulet and Steve Stone will return to the dugout this July. Two-time 12U National Team manager RJ Farrell joins the coaching staff as an assistant coach for Navy, while experienced collegiate and professional coach Mike Kashirsky joins longtime college coach Joey Hector as first-time USA Baseball coaches.

Phase 1 of 18U National Team Training Camp will be held from July 16-20 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. Phase 1 will feature intrasquad scrimmages, PDP Performance Assessments, and player development sessions, including on-field workouts and off-field educational seminars. At the conclusion of Phase 1, 44 players will be named to the Phase 2 roster, which will take place from August 23-26 at the National Training Complex. Following the final day of Phase 2, USA Baseball will name the final 20-player roster.

From October 22-29, the 18U National Team will compete in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Pan American Championship in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The squad is coming off its 10th world championship after winning the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup last summer in Okinawa, Japan, and will look to secure its third consecutive gold medal in international competition this autumn.

The 18U National Team Training Camp coaching staff is as follows, with biographies for each coach linked to their name. The Training Camp Phase 2 staff will be announced at a later date.

PHASE 1

FIELD COORDINATOR

Rick Eckstein

PITCHING COORDINATOR

Kirk Champion

MANAGERS

Grey: AJ Pierzynski

Light Blue: Brad Wilkerson

Navy: Rick Ankiel

Red: Ryan Zimmerman

PITCHING COACHES

Grey: Matt Guerrier

Light Blue: Sam Freeman

Navy: Will Harris

Red: Joe Smith

ASSISTANT COACHES

Grey: Jeff Reboulet

Grey: Chris Johnson

Light Blue: Jamey Carrol

Light Blue: Steve Stone

Navy: RJ Farrell

Navy: Mike Kashirsky

Red: Ian Desmond

Red: Joey Hector

To keep up with the action and stay up to date with the USA Baseball 18U National Team, follow along with @USABaseball18U on Twitter/X, and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.