Team USA ready to defend 18U World Championship.
MaxPreps 2013 National Player of the Year Jack Flaherty will lead Team USA into competition in Taiwan.
File photo by Vince Pugliese
Team USA 18U begins the defense of its world championship on Friday with a roster that includes the MaxPreps National Player of the Year and the Perfect Game All-American Classic MVP.
Jack Flaherty, who led Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) to a Southern Section Division I championship, is listed on the roster as an infielder, however his pitching earned him
National Player of the Year honors from MaxPreps. He went 13-0 with a 0.63 ERA and 112 strikeouts.
Meanwhile Jakson Reetz of Norris (Firth, Neb.) was a
MaxPreps Small Schools All-American and also earned
MVP honors at the Perfect Game Classic where he went 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBIs.
The duo highlights a 20-man roster that will begin international competition at the IBAF AAA/18U World Cup in Taichung, Taiwan on Saturday. Pool play begins with a Friday game against Colombia, followed by Korea on Saturday, Italy on Sunday, Australia on Monday and Cuba on Tuesday. The medal game is set for Sept. 8.
Team USA 18U has already played several exhibition games in Taiwan, losing to Chinese Taipei 6-5 on Monday and defeating the same team 3-1 on Tuesday.
Team USA 18U Roster
Trace Loehr, IF, 5-9, 169,
Putnam (Milwaukie, Ore.)Scott Hurst, OF, 5-10, 167,
Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.)Justus Sheffield, LHP, 5-10, 190,
Tullahoma (Tullahoma, Tenn.)Michael Rivera, C, 5-7, 196,
Venice (Venice, Fla.)Bryson Brigman, IF, 5-10, 168,
Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.)Adam Haseley, OF, 6-0, 176,
First Academy (Orlando, Fla.)Lane Thomas, OF, 6-0, 170,
Bearden (Knoxville, Tenn.)Jack Flaherty, IF, 6-4, 204,
Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.)Brady Aiken, LHP, 6-3, 203,
Cathedral Catholic (San Diego)Keaton McKinney, RHP, 6-5, 215,
Ankeny (Iowa)Jake Nix, RHP, 6-4, 205,
Los Alamitos (Calif.)Mac Marshall, LHP, 6-0, 182,
Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.)Alex Destino, LHP, 6-2, 208,
North Buncombe (Weaverville, N.C.)Cole Tucker, IF, 6-2, 174,
Mountain Pointe (Phoenix)Marvin Gorgas, RHP, 5-9, 192,
East Hampton (Conn.)Jakson Reetz, C, 6-0, 193,
Norris (Firth, Neb.)Luis Ortiz, RHP, 6-1, 215,
Sanger (Calif.)JJ Schwarz, C, 6-1, 189,
Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.)Joe DeMers, RHP, 6-0, 200,
College Park (Pleasant Hill, Calif.)Kel Johnson, OF, 6-3, 199, Homeschool
Coach: Rob Cooper,
State College (Pa.)
