CARY, N.C. – The future of baseball looks bright for Menifee’s own Hudson Bills, a left-handed pitcher who was invited to the prestigious USA Baseball 12U National Team Training Camp. Bills was among the 36 athletes named to the roster following the 11U Futures Invitational held in Cary, North Carolina.
USA Baseball announced the 36-player roster for the 2024 12U National Team Training Camp early last month, which took place from June 24-28 in Cary, N.C. This camp served as preparation for the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier, scheduled for September 20-29 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The training camp featured five days of intrasquad games, performance assessments, and on-field workouts. The roster was divided into two teams for a four-game Stars vs. Stripes series, allowing the coaching staff to evaluate players in competitive gameplay. Following the camp, an Extended Training Camp roster will be named to reconvene before the World Cup Qualifier.
“We are very excited to select 24 players from a very competitive Futures Invitational field to take the next step at Training Camp,” said Cole Beeker, USA Baseball’s 12U National Team Program Director. “We are very confident in the Training Camp roster we have assembled, and our attention now turns to preparing to defend our gold medal this September.”
California boasted the highest number of representatives on the Training Camp roster, with 13 athletes from the state making the cut. Among them, including Hudson, are the following standout players:
Dave Beck, RHP, San Diego, Calif.
Sevastian Bojorquez, LHP/OF, Santa Clarita, Calif.
Christian Cicero, C/INF, Orange, Calif.
Gianni Donatti, OF, El Dorado Hills, Calif.
Ruben Elias, INF/RHP, Chino Hills, Calif.
Adam Gonzalez, INF/RHP, Canyon Country, Calif.
Matias Gonzalez, INF/C, Porter Ranch, Calif.
Gavin Klovstad, RHP/OF, Orange, Calif.
Austin Lira, OF/LHP, Sun Valley, Calif.
Justin Lloyd, INF/RHP, Riverside, Calif.
Joshua Park, OF/RHP, La Mirada, Calif.
Mason Ruvalcaba, INF/RHP, Chino Hills, Calif.
Bryan Madsen will lead Team USA in 2024, making his managerial debut after serving as an assistant coach on last year’s team that won gold at the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup. He will be joined by pitching coach Wes Brooks and assistants Josh Ellison and Roger Wright. Brooks and Ellison are making their international coaching debuts, while Wright returns after serving as an assistant coach last year.
USA Baseball, headquartered in Cary, N.C., is the national governing body for baseball in the United States. Since 1978, it has been committed to serving, protecting, and supporting the game and its 15.6 million participants. With a history of 69 gold medals in international competition, USA Baseball also focuses on the growth and health of the sport through development initiatives like BASE (Baseball Athlete Safety Education), Fun At Bat, Pitch Smart, PLAY BALL, and the Prospect Development Pipeline.
The inclusion of Bills and other talented young athletes in the USA Baseball 12U National Team Training Camp underscores the depth of talent in youth baseball today. With dedicated coaching and top-tier training, these young players are well on their way to representing the U.S. on the global stage.
For more information about USA Baseball, its national teams, and development initiatives, visit USABaseball.com or USABDevelops.com and follow @USABaseball and @USABaseball12U on X.
JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia.com.
