USA BASEBALL FINALIZES 2026 18U NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER

CARY, N.C. — USA Baseball today finalized the roster for the 2026 18U National Team, which will compete in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Americas U-18 Pan American Championship from October 22-29 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The final 20-player roster was named following the conclusion of 18U National Team Training Camp Phase 2, which featured 46 players competing in intrasquad scrimmages and workouts at the National Training Complex from August 23-26.

“After a competitive week at Training Camp, we are excited to solidify this year’s 18U National Team,” said 18U National Team Manager Brian Schneider. “Just as it has been in years past, narrowing down the roster to twenty players was an extremely difficult decision for the entire coaching staff. The final roster is a group we are extremely confident in, and we look forward to competing in the Dominican Republic in pursuit of a gold medal.”

The 2026 roster features Isaac Vidal, who will appear on a USA Baseball national team for the third time. Vidal’s first experience playing for the U.S. came in 2021 with the 12U National Team, while his second stint came with the 2024 15U National Team. In 2024, Vidal played a pivotal role in helping the U.S. shut out Australia in five consecutive games. With his selection, Vidal becomes the 10th player in USA Baseball history to have played for the 12U, 15U, and 18U National Teams, joining a decorated list that includes players such as Pete Crow-Armstrong and Anthony Volpe.

Samir Mohammed is set to make his second appearance in the red, white, and blue after previously competing for the 2023 15U National Team. Mohammed brings international experience to the table, as he helped Team USA go unbeaten against the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico in an international friendship series held in the Dominican Republic. Additionally, Cooper Collins receives his second national team bid and reunites with Vidal on a U.S. roster after playing together on the 2024 15U squad.

Nine players on the roster have participated in USA Baseball national team development programming. Collins, Ethan Gustus, Graham Houston, Mohammed, Connor Salerno, and Brogan Witcher boast 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP) experience. Dylan Seward and Vidal have competed at the 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP), and Chase Fuller has participated in both programs.

Four players have participated in a past development event jointly hosted in partnership with Major League Baseball. Malachi Butler has competed in the MLB ID Tour, Mohammed has participated in the DREAM Series, and Fuller and Sebastian Wilson have participated in the Hank Aaron Invitational. In addition, 14 players on the roster played in the 2026 MLB High School All-American Game in Dyersville, Iowa, earlier this summer.

The final roster announcement comes following the conclusion of 18U National Team Training Camp, which was held in two phases (July 16-20 and August 23-26). Phase 1 featured an 88-player roster, while Phase 2 hosted 46 athletes. Both phases of Training Camp included intrasquad scrimmages, on-field workouts, and Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) Performance Assessments. Training Camp featured an extensive coaching staff, including former big leaguers Rick Ankiel, Jamey Carroll, Ian Desmond, Sam Freeman, Matt Guerrier, Will Harris, Chris Johnson, A.J. Pierzynski, Joe Smith, Brad Wilkerson, and Ryan Zimmerman. Additionally, former 18U National Team manager Rick Eckstein and two-time 18U National Team assistant coach Steve Stone were in attendance as Training Camp coaches.

The 2026 18U National Team is led by Team USA alum and 13-year major leaguer Brian Schneider, who makes his managerial debut with the program. Alongside Schneider is 11-year MLB reliever and two-time Team USA alum Luke Gregerson, who will serve as pitching coach. Former professionals Doug Mientkiewicz and Tim Raines Jr. round out the staff as assistant coaches.

The WBSC U-18 Pan American Championship serves as a qualifying event for the 2027 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup, which is set to be held in Pingtan, China. The WBSC recently announced that Team USA will be competing in Group A alongside Brazil, Curaçao, and the Dominican Republic. Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Venezuela comprise Group B, while Canada, Colombia, Panama and Puerto Rico will play in Group C. The 12 participating nations will be vying for four qualifying spots.

The United States has won the past two editions of the event, winning gold in 2022 in Mexico and 2024 in Panama. In both tournaments, the United States posted an 8-0 record en route to claiming consecutive gold medals. The 2026 WBSC U-18 Pan American Championship will be the first time the 18U National Team program has played in the Dominican Republic, where it will pursue its 19th gold medal in international competition.

Prior to the WBSC U-18 Pan American Championship, the team will reconvene for three days of training from October 17-19. The U.S. is set to begin international play on October 22.

To stay up to date with the USA Baseball 18U National Team, follow along with @USABaseball18U on Twitter/X, and @USABaseball on Instagram. The full 18U National Team schedule can be found HERE.

The 2026 18U National Team roster is as follows:

2026 18U National Team Roster

(Name – Position – Hometown – School)

!Malachi Butler – INF – Powder Springs, Ga. – McEachern

Andrew Carlson – RHP – Santa Clarita, Calif. – Trinity Classical Academy

Sebastian Castillo – UT – Justin, Texas – Byron Nelson

*^Cooper Collins – C – Vincennes, Ind. – Vincennes Lincoln

George Ferguson – RHP – Abilene, Texas – Abilene

^!Chase Fuller – INF/RHP – Tallahassee, Fla. – Lincoln

^Ethan Gustus – RHP – Roseville, Calif. – Roseville

Drake Hawpe – OF – Argyle, Texas – Liberty Christian

^Graham Houston – UT – Nokomis, Fla. – Venice

Jake Ivey – LHP – Gunter, Texas – Gunter

Broder Katke – C – Bloomfield Hills, Mich. – Brother Rice

Justin Kirchner – RHP – Encino, Calif. – Harvard-Westlake

*^!Samir Mohammed – RHP – Trinity, Fla. – Tampa Jesuit

Lubin Rincon – UT – Pearland, Texas – The Bennett School

^Connor Salerno – LHP – Indian Trail, N.C. – Sun Valley

^Dylan Seward – INF – Eastvale, Calif. – Norco

Jack Swanson – UT – Berlin, Conn. – Berlin

*^Isaac Vidal – RHP – Miami, Fla. – Miami Southridge

!Sebastian Wilson – OF – Chicago, Ill. – IMG Academy

^Brogan Witcher – RHP/C – Bakersfield, Calif. – Liberty

*denotes national team alumnus

^denotes national team development programming participant

!denotes MLB Develops alumnus