USA Baseball announced a 36-player roster on June 21, 2026, for the 12U National Team Training Camp set to begin June 22 in Cary, North Carolina. The five-day camp will help select athletes for the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier scheduled for November 20-27 in the Dominican Republic.
The roster features young talent from 14 states, with California contributing 10 players and Texas sending seven. Training Camp will run through June 26 and include intrasquad games, performance assessments, on-field workouts, and a four-game Stars vs. Stripes series to evaluate players in competitive settings.
California and Texas Lead State Representation
The geographic distribution of the 36-player roster reflects baseball’s regional strongholds across the nation. Arizona sent three athletes to camp, while Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia each contributed multiple players. States including Alabama, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington rounded out the selections.
The offensive makeup shows balance, with 18 right-handed batters, 17 left-handed hitters, and one switch-hitter. Players will compete across multiple positions, with several listed for both infield and outfield duties along with pitching responsibilities.
Cole Beeker, 12U National Team Program Director, said the roster emerged from a competitive week at the 11U Futures Invitational. He expressed confidence in the athletes’ ability to compete at the highest level as the coaching staff works to assemble a championship-caliber team.
Wes Brooks Takes Over as Manager After Gold Medal Success
Wes Brooks makes his managerial debut for the 12U National Team after serving as pitching coach on the 2025 squad that won gold at the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup. His promotion rewards his contributions to the program’s most recent international championship.
Kyle Howell joins as pitching coach, with Erick Quesada and David Houseton serving as assistant coaches. Howell and Houseton are making their international coaching debuts, while Quesada returns after working with the 2023 and 2025 World Cup teams. Four additional coaches with extensive experience will support the staff at Training Camp: Eric Brown, Guy Civitello, Ryan Hall, and Roger Kieschnick.
The coaching staff faces the task of narrowing the 36-player Training Camp roster to an Extended Training Camp group that will reconvene before the November qualifier. The Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad series will provide crucial evaluation opportunities in game situations.
Program Chases Ninth Gold Medal in 13 Years
The 12U National Team program has dominated international competition since its 2013 inception, winning nine gold medals. The most recent triumph at the 2025 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup marked the program’s eighth gold in 12 years.
Team USA has medaled in six of the seven WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cups it has entered and leads all nations with six world cup titles. The consistent success has established the program as a developmental pathway for elite youth baseball talent.
The November qualifier in the Dominican Republic will determine which teams advance to the next WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup. Regional qualifying tournaments separate the Americas bracket from other global competitions, with the qualifier format designed to identify the strongest teams from North, Central, and South America plus the Caribbean.
Notable Lineage on Camp Roster
Taz Tulowitzki from Austin, Texas, appears on the roster as an infielder and right-handed pitcher. The name matches that of Troy Tulowitzki, the five-time All-Star shortstop who played 13 major league seasons with the Colorado Rockies and Toronto Blue Jays.
Several players bring versatility, listed at multiple positions. Catcher slots include Kohen Davis from Loganville, Georgia, Caleb McDaniel from Burbank, California, Ransom Rasmussen from Scottsdale, Arizona, Antonio Rolando from Stevenson Ranch, California, and Jacob Woods from Corpus Christi, Texas. Each catcher also pitches right-handed, adding depth to the pitching staff.
The Training Camp roster includes outfielders, infielders, and dual-position athletes who will compete across the five-day evaluation period. Position flexibility will factor into final roster decisions as coaches balance offensive production, defensive range, and pitching depth for international competition.
Training Camp opens June 22 in Cary, with USA Baseball planning to announce the Extended Training Camp roster following the June 26 conclusion.
