USA Baseball launches first Baseball5 National Team

USA Baseball today announced the establishment of its Baseball5 National Team. This team, which will be the federation’s seventh national team and first to be established since 2013, marks a significant milestone in USA Baseball’s mission to develop the discipline of Baseball5 in the United States. 

“We are proud to announce the formation of USA Baseball’s Baseball5 National Team,” said USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler. “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for the organisation and reflects the continued growth of USA Baseball as an innovative leader in the sport. This moment also marks a profound opportunity for athletes across the nation interested in Baseball5 to represent Team USA in international competition. We are thrilled to further develop the discipline in the United States, while upholding the Baseball5 National Team to USA Baseball’s unwavering standard of excellence.”

Additionally, USA Baseball has named four-time Team USA coach Victor Solis as manager of the inaugural Baseball5 National Team. No stranger to building programmes from the ground up, the appointment marks the third time in Solis’ career he has served as a programme’s inaugural head coach and second time he has managed a USA Baseball national team.

“It is always a tremendous honour to be considered for any opportunity with USA Baseball,” said Solis. “Being named manager of the Baseball5 National Team is a privilege that I hold in the highest regard, and it is especially meaningful as it involves leading the inaugural team. I am grateful for the chance to help introduce and grow the sport of Baseball5, and I look forward to contributing to the development of something special.”

The roster and future identification events for the Baseball5 National Team will be announced at a later date. 

The creation of the Baseball5 National Team marks a significant step in the advancement of the sport and USA Baseball’s endeavour to grow the game across all levels and audiences. USA Baseball has been at the forefront of implementing Baseball5 in schools across the United States and has played an active role in rolling out Baseball5 in primary and secondary physical education curricula, reaching over 200,000 students across 690 schools nationwide. Additionally, USA Baseball has introduced the game at Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) America conferences, brought the sport to Playworks’ Youth Leadership Summit, and kickstarted other initiatives aimed at youth participation. Even more recently, USA Baseball has brought Baseball5 to 49 college campuses across the United States.