USA Baseball Announces 2025 18U National Team Training Camp Coaching Staff

Led by 18U National Team Manager Rick Eckstein, the 23-man staff combines for 154 seasons of MLB playing experience, 68 seasons coaching in professional baseball, 41 years of coaching with USA Baseball, and more than 100 seasons of high school coaching experience. The entire 18U National Team coaching staff–Rick Eckstein, David Eckstein, Brad Penny, and Steve Stone–will be joined by minor-league coaching veteran Kirk Champion (pitching coordinator) in overseeing both phases of Training Camp.

“We are very excited to announce our coaching staff for 18U National Team Training Camp,” said Rick Eckstein. “As we continue to prepare to win a world championship in September, surrounding ourselves with as many great coaches and leaders as possible is imperative. Every coach on this staff offers incredible experience and knowledge that will greatly benefit our players.”

Phase 1 of 18U Training Camp will feature four teams led by four former big leaguers. Rick Ankiel, Mike McKenry, Doug Mientkiewicz, and Brian Schneider all return to Cary for the second consecutive summer and will serve as team managers. Three-time MLB All-Star Josh Beckett will make his USA Baseball coaching debut as a pitching coach, joined by former big leaguers Sam Freeman and Luke Gregerson and USA Baseball coaching veteran Jason Sekany. Homer Bush, Guy Civitello, Troy Glaus, Jared Halpert, RJ Farrell, Tim Raines Jr., Jeff Reboulet, and Dave Webb round out the Phase 1 staff as assistant coaches.

Mientkiewicz, Gregerson, McKenry, and Raines Jr. will return to Cary for Phase 2 along with Stephen Strasburg and Jack Wilson. Strasburg, a former Golden Spikes Award winner and three-time MLB All-Star, will be a pitching coach at Training Camp for the second consecutive summer. Wilson is a former MLB All-Star and a two-time 18U National Team assistant who currently serves as a manager for the Appalachian League’s Greeneville Flyboys. He will be a team manager at Phase 2 of Training Camp.

Phase 1 of 2025 18U National Team Training Camp will take place from July 18-22 at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. It will feature 88 players and consist of on-field workouts, intrasquad scrimmages, PDP performance assessments, and more. At the conclusion of Phase 1, USA Baseball will invite 40 players to compete in Phase 2 of Training Camp, scheduled for August 25-28 in Cary.

After the final 20-player roster is announced, Team USA will travel to Okinawa, Japan, to compete in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup from September 5-14. The U.S. has won nine world championships and collected 27 total medals at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup, more than any other competing nation. Its most recent gold medal was on home turf at the 2021 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Sarasota, Florida.

Follow @USABaseball18U on X and @USABaseball on Instagram to keep up with the 2025 18U National Team. Click HERE to view the schedule for Team USA.

The full coaching staff for the 2025 18U National Team Training Camp is as follows, with full biographies for each coach linked below.

2025 18U National Team Training Camp Coaching Staff

PHASE 1

MANAGERS
Rick Ankiel
Mike McKenry
Doug Mientkiewicz
Brian Schneider

PITCHING COACHES
Josh Beckett
Sam Freeman
Luke Gregerson
Jason Sekany

ASSISTANT COACHES
Homer Bush
Guy Civitello
RJ Farrell
Troy Glaus
Jared Halpert
Tim Raines Jr.
Jeff Reboulet
Dave Webb

PHASE 2

MANAGERS
Doug Mientkiewicz
Jack Wilson

PITCHING COACHES
Luke Gregerson
Stephen Strasburg

ASSISTANT COACHES
Mike McKenry
Tim Raines Jr.