A New Era for Collegiate Baseball
USA Baseball has announced a 28‑player roster that will represent the United States at the inaugural World Collegiate Baseball Championship, set to open in Taichung City, Taiwan, on July 11, 2026.
The selection process followed an eleven‑day stretch of workouts, practices and intrasquad scrimmages that gave the coaching staff ample opportunity to evaluate talent from across the country.
Under the direction of General Manager Eric Campbell, the team will be guided on the bench by manager Dan Hartleb, with assistants Matt Hobbs, Jonathan Hernandez, Tracy Smith and Tom Walter completing the staff.
The roster blends experience with fresh faces, featuring returning national team members Ryan McPherson, who is headed to his third appearance, and 2024 18U gold medalists Trent Grindlinger and Nico Partida.
Four players — Tague Davis, Easton Hawk, Aidan King and Tomas Valincius — are slated for their first national team call‑up, while others such as Jackson Sanders, JD Stein and Joshua Whritenour have previously worn USA Baseball uniforms in development programs.
The lineup draws from 21 different colleges and five conferences, with Florida contributing three athletes and the Southeastern Conference accounting for fifteen of the selected players.
Eric Campbell expressed confidence that the mix of seasoned alumni and emerging talent will give the United States a strong chance as it opens pool play against Korea, Chinese Taipei and Japan before the semifinals and medal games.
Fans can follow the team’s progress on USABaseball.com and via the @USABaseballCNT and @USABaseball accounts on social media for the latest updates.