Gavin Fien’s baseball picture has been painted with red, white, and blue from the very beginning. What started as early exposure to USA Baseball by watching and learning from his older brother quickly turned into a personal pursuit to the highest level the game has to offer. His connection to USA Baseball isn’t just a chapter in his story—it’s the foundation of it.

“I started playing when I was four or five. Just the typical t-ball, wiffle ball, here and there, the little stuff,” Fien said. “I definitely got introduced to the scene pretty early. But when I was playing growing up, I loved it immediately. I enjoyed the game and the spirit of it from the jump.”

The love for the game stemmed from backyard wiffle ball and t-ball just like most kids getting first introduced to the sport. But what unlocked a new level of excitement was watching his older brother, Dylan Fien.

Dylan, who’s one year older than Gavin, auditioned for USA Baseball as a 12-year-old with younger brother Gavin cheering on like only a little brother could.

“[Dylan] went through the initial USA process at 12. He made the open, which is the top 100 of the age group. So that kind of introduced me to USA Baseball in a way.”

The introduction through Dylan set the stage for Gavin to begin his pathway to the highest levels of Team USA. While suiting up side-by-side with Dylan, Gavin had his sights set on stardom.

“Next it was my turn. I made initial trials playing-up a year. The year I played up, I did not make the team,” Fien said.

Trying to achieve a feat on the national scale playing up a year was a tall task that ultimately fell short. But the trials and tribulations of hanging with the older kids just prepared Gavin even more.

“I kept it going and made the team in my year. That was kind of the first time where I realized I can do something pretty cool with baseball,” Fien said.

And do something pretty cool, he did. Fien went on to secure a spot on the 2019 12U National Team, which began its competition in Cary, North Carolina. After camp in Cary, the squad traveled across the world to participate in the 2019 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup all the way in Tainan, Taiwan.

“First off, the plane ride is pretty crazy for a 12-year-old…That experience was so cool, just seeing Taiwanese culture and everything. Being a 12-year-old, maybe I wasn't as appreciative as I would be now, but that trip is something I'll remember my whole life,” Fien said.

The 12U National Team would go on to finish 6-2 at the World Cup, but the experience was far bigger than wins and losses.

“I had never been out of the country until playing for USA Baseball. I'll always be grateful to say the first time I left the country was to represent my country,” Fien said.

At the conclusion of his 12U tenure, Fien was back to the grind with his next chapter of USA Baseball just a few years, inches, and pounds away.

Fien quickly developed and continued his conquest in the stars and stripes by being named to the 2024 18U National Team, his second representation of USA Baseball on the national scale.

“18U was definitely different. When you’re 12, it's great to make the team and obviously a huge honor, but you’re still kind of a kid. At 18, you’re more mature, you’re older and realize that baseball is getting pretty serious,” Fien added.

Fien and his 18U National Team squad went a perfect 8-0 in the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier, downing Panama 4-2 in the gold medal game.

“It was awesome to compete at trials in the first place. Then to be able to make that team was special and something you can’t take for granted. These are the best players in the world at this age and to be a part of that was an incredible honor. To cap it off and go win gold in Panama was just unbelievable,” Fien said.

From spectating his brother, to 12U, to 18U and now stepping into the spotlight at the 2025 MLB Draft Combine. The USA pipeline has watched Gavin grow up, and remains with him along his Combine journey.

“I think the way that I've been able to progress and develop through USA Baseball, it’s made me realize that maybe I can have a real career in baseball,” he said. “The Combine is almost like the final impression, so I just want to show off what I can bring to the table and what I can provide to whoever's going to draft me,” Fien said.

To achieve a lifelong dream, you have to start at the beginning. As the long days turn into short years, Fien knows that you have to stop and look around every once in a while.

“It all goes by so fast. Even as long as it seems with some of the tournaments and trials with the national teams, it felt like it went by in a flash and I was just back in Temecula. It’s so important in life to just appreciate what you have right now and the opportunities at hand to take advantage of. These opportunities are some that kids would die for. I'm just so grateful that I'm in this place that I'm at,” Fien added.

Fien is projected as the No. 26 overall prospect headlining the 2025 MLB Draft and is ready to make some noise in the final act of his amateur career before earning his professional card in just a few weeks.

“The Combine is almost like the final impression, so I just want to show off what I can bring to the table and what I can provide to whoever's going to draft me. All the eyes in the world are here at the Combine so just showing what I have and what I can provide organizations with before hopefully helping them win for their major league team someday.”

The 2025 MLB Draft Combine will take place at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona from June 17-21 with coverage on MLB Network and through social media on @USABasePipeline on X and Instagram.