OKLAHOMA CITY – For the first time in over 30 years, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Junior Men’s World Championship (JMWC) returns to American soil as 19 athletes have earned a spot on the 2016 USA Softball Junior Men’s National team. Announced today by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball, these athletes will face the top 19-Under international Junior Men’s teams in Midland, Mich. where they will seek the program’s first medal since the 1985 WBSC JMWC in Fargo, N.D.
Click here for the roster for the 2016 USA Softball Junior Men’s National Team
“The coaching staff is very excited about this cycle of players,” said USA Softball Junior Men’s National Team Head Coach Tim Lyon (South Jordan, Utah). “We have a nice mix of returning and new players. This should be the deepest group we have had in some time. Given the fact we have four players who gained a lot of experience at the last World Championship, we expect big things out of this group. It is great to be playing on home soil and we look forward to a great World Championship in Midland next summer.”
In addition to Lyon, the 2016 JMNT will also be led by Assistant Coaches Scott Standerfer (Charleston, Ill.), Tyron McKinney (Ashland, Ohio) and Dan Nessler (North Mankato, Minn.), while Dan Highland (Normal, Ill.) will serve as the team leader for the U.S. delegation.
Four athletes will once again don the Red, White and Blue as veterans on the JMNT. Bryce DuCharme (Hudson, Wis.), Justin Perez (North East, Pa.), Peyton Hall (Prairie du Chien, Wis.) and Zane Chason (Alma, Ga.) will guide the 15 rookies on the squad, leading the team with their prior Junior Men’s World Championship experience. Chason finished the 2014 WBSC JMWC with a 1-1 record in the circle, pitching 23 innings with 22 strikeouts while DuCharme led the 2014 roster with 12 singles and a .378 (14-for-37) batting average.
As they prepare for the WBSC JMWC, slated for July 22-30, the 2016 JMNT will start their season with a training camp in Irvine, Calif. January 1-4. Pitchers and catchers will also attend a series of camps before the team reunites in Normal, Ill. in June for a series of exhibition games and training. The team will regroup again in early July for their final training and exhibition games before the WBSC JMWC.
Click here for a complete schedule for the 2016 USA Softball Junior Men’s National Team
Team USA will look to improve upon its fifth place finish at the last WBSC JMWC, which was held in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada in 2014. Team USA finished with a 7-4 record, their best in a Junior Men’s World Championship since 1985.
Fans can follow along with the USA Softball JMNT all year long at www.ASAUSASoftball.com.
2016 Junior Men’s National Team
Name Hometown
(Returning players from 2014 Whitehorse squad shown in bold)
Sergio Balderrama El Paso, Texas
Kelly-Fagan Beam Bakersfield, California
Zane Chason Alma, Georgia
Michael Douds Erie, Pennsylvania
Bryce DuCharme Hudson, Wisconsin
Peyton Hall Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Craig Lewis Winston, Missouri
Jeff Lewis Amboy, Minnesota
Dominic Marquez Long Beach, California
Derek Martin Stevens, Pennsylvania
Devin Martin Stevens, Pennsylvania
Matthew Martin Myerstown, Pennsylvania
Brady Parker Midland, Texas
Justin Perez North East, Pennsylvania
Brogan Potter Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Chase Stratton Clearfield, Utah
Martin Valencia Perris, California
John Vigil Long Beach, California
Taylor Weldin Bakersfield, California
Coaches
Head Coach
Tim Lyon
Assistant Coaches
Scott Standerfer
Tyron McKinney
Dan Nessler
Editor’s note:
Special note of congratulations to Dominic Marquez, from Long Beach California, who is another graduate of the “Castillo Fastpitch Academy”.
He is a 4th generation Castillo fastpitch player, great-grandson of Lupe Castillo, who ran the Carson Rounders in the 1970’s, grandson of Paul Castillo, the skipper for the Those Guys, a young So Cal area team, and nephew of Team USA’s Kevin Castillo. Dominic’s father, Alfredo was a former teammate of mine, and his mother, Michelle is rumored to be the best hitter in the Castillo family.
Dominic is a current teammate of mine in the local Montebello league. Dominic has been around fastpitch most of his life, and also plays baseball at Jordan High School in Long Beach. His father’s nickname was “Potato”, so when Dominic was born, they dubbed him “Tater Tot”. When he grew up, and started to play ball, the nickname changed to “Potato Chip”, a — pardon-the-pun, chip off the old block. The youngster has come a long way, and is now “Dominic Marquez, member of the 2016 USA Jr. Men’s team.”
Congrats also to Taylor Weldin, the son of California A’s skipper Dave Weldin, who is a pitcher, having had the opportunity to learn from some of the best, on the A’s pitching staff.
Zane Chason is the ace of the pitching staff, having been a member of the 2014 USA Jr. Men’s team that competed well at Whitehorse Yukon, just missing the medal round by one game. Zane is one of the hardest throwing pitchers in the Jr. Men’s division. Also back will be 2014 starting outfielder and top hitter, Bryce DuCharme, Peyton Hall, and Justin Perez (son of Erie PA great, Frankie Perez). Both Hall and Perez have good power, each homering in the 2014 tournament at Whitehorse.
About ASA/USA Softball
Founded in 1933, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball is the National Governing Body Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, ASA/USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 74 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.5 million. ASA/USA is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles as well as claimed eight World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about ASA/USA Softball, please visit http://www.asausasoftball.com/.
About the World Baseball Softball Confederation
Headquartered in the Olympic Capital city of Lausanne, Switzerland, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) was established in April 2013 and granted recognition as the sole competent authority in baseball and softball by the International Olympic Committee at the 125th IOC Session in September 2013. The WBSC represents a united baseball/softball sports movement that encompasses over 65 million athletes worldwide. The WBSC governs all international competitions involving any of the National Teams of its 141 National Federation members. The WBSC oversees the Softball World Championships, The Premier 12, the World Baseball Classic, and the U12, U15, U18, U21 and Women’s Baseball World Cups. For further information, please go to www.WBSC.co or follow the WBSC on Twitter at @WBSC.
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