USA Baseball Finalizes 2025 18U National Team Roster

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Jacob Lombard (Photo Courtesy of USA Baseball)

USA Baseball finalized its 2025 18U National Team roster Thursday evening, selecting 20 players who will represent the United States in the WBSC U-18 World Cup in Japan in September. 

“Going back to the middle of July at our first phase of Training Camp, the talent level we have seen has been incredible,” said 18U National Team Manager Rick Eckstein in a press release. “It is always difficult to decide a final roster, and this year has been no different. We are confident that the twenty players we have selected to represent the United States are ready to compete for a gold medal next week in Japan.”

After winning the gold medal in the 2024 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in Panama, the 2025 18U team will attempt to win its 17th gold medal in Okinawa, Japan, from Sept. 5-14. With 10 championships already under its belt, the 18U National Program will have a chance to tie Cuba for the most ever with an 11th.

The full roster can be seen below, with high school rankings for players in parenthesis where applicable. 

**Denotes 2027 eligible players.

• *^Carson Bolemon – LHP – Greenville, S.C. – Southside Christian School (22)
• ^Coleman Borthwick – UTIL – Freeport, Fla. – South Walton (17)
• ^Will Brick – C – Memphis, Tenn. – Christian Brothers (15**)
• James Clark – INF – Santa Ana, Calif. – St. John Bosco
• *^Andrew Costello – C – Erie, Pa. – Cathedral Prep (21)
• Brody Crane – RHP – Neosho, Mo. – Neosho
• *^Grady Emerson – INF – Argyle, Texas – Fort Worth Christian (1)
• *^Jared Grindlinger – LHP – Huntington Beach, Calif. – Huntington Beach (4**)
• Jaden Jackson – INF – Redondo Beach, Calif. – St. John Bosco (154)
• Cole Koeninger – UTIL – Keller, Texas – Keller (65)
• *^Jorvorskie Lane Jr. – OF – Grapevine, Texas – Grapevine (9)
• ^Jacob Lombard – INF – Miami, Fla. – Gulliver Schools (2)
• ^Anthony Murphy – OF – Corona, Calif. – Corona (61)
• Trey Rangel – RHP – The Colony, Texas – The Colony (8)
• ^Giovanni Rojas – UTIL – Coral Springs, Fla. – Stoneman Douglas (10)
• Aiden Ruiz – INF – Queens, N.Y. – The Stony Brook School (26)
• CJ Sampson – INF – Tomball, Texas – Tomball (40)
• Brody Schumaker – INF – Ladera Ranch, Calif. – Santa Margarita Catholic (88)
• Matthew Sharman – RHP – Woodstock, Ga. – Etowah (58)
• Kaden Waechter – RHP – St. Petersburg, Fla. – Tampa Jesuit (25)

*denotes USA Baseball alumni
^denotes USA Baseball development program participant

The roster is led by the top player in the 2026 class, SS Grady Emerson who becomes the first player in USA Baseball history to play on two 18U National Teams and two 15U national teams. He’s played for Team USA in each of the past four summers. 

The roster also includes 16 players on BA’s top 200 high school list for 2026 and two players ranked on BA’s top 100 high school list for 2027.