Baseball is back, and so are USA Baseball alumni! Team USA is doing it all in 2026: diving catches, no-hitters, and walk-off base knocks are all happening at the hands of our alumni. Players who have previously donned the stars and stripes are making impacts at every level, from high school to the pros. Follow along as USA Baseball’s alumni report tracks top performances on the diamond and highlight-worthy weekends from coast to coast.

WEEK OF MAY 18

(NCAA)

• With 58 homers in his career and 14 on the season, Drew Burress (2019 15U, 2024 & 2025 CNT) became Georgia Tech’s program leader in dingers. En route to the Jackets’ 10th ACC Conference Championship title, Burress went 5-for-12 with three runs and two RBIs across three games. The Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist helped lead Georgia Tech to a regional host and number two overall seed entering the College World Series.

• Recording a multi-homer game in the SEC tournament, Cam Kozeal (2022 18U) continued his impressive season at the plate, helping lift Arkansas over Texas 8-1. Tallying three hits, two runs scored, and five RBIs, Kozeal was a big part of helping the Razorbacks advance to the semifinals.

• Earning SEC All-Tournament Team honors, right-handed relief pitcher Gabe Gaeckle (2024 & 2025 CNT) propelled the Arkansas Razorbacks to a dominant 8-1 win over No. 5 Texas. The junior threw six innings with nine strikeouts, walking just one batter in the win-or-go-home quarterfinal round of the SEC Tournament.

• Ethan McElvain (2019 15U & 2024 CNT) recorded a season-high 4.1 innings in the Razorbacks’ semifinals matchup against Auburn. The left-handed pitcher struck out six of his 14 batters he faced, allowing just two hits and no runs to help Arkansas advance to the championship game. He picked up his sixth win of the season while bumping his record to a perfect 6-0 and lowering his ERA to 1.08.

• Helping his team to an ACC Championship title, Georgia Tech’s Vahn Lackey (2025 CNT) extended his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games, going 3-for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored in the championship game. Throughout the tournament, the junior tallied six hits, three home runs and six RBIs.

(PRO)

• Picking up his fourth quality start of the season, Ryan Weathers (2017 18U) was dominant on the mound for the Yankees. In a game against a divisional opponent, Tampa Bay, Weathers kept the game knotted at 0-0 for his seven innings of work, allowing just four hits, while tallying four strikeouts. Ultimately getting no decision in the game, Weathers kept the Yankees in the game, winning 2-0 on a walk-off homer by Aaron Judge.

• CJ Abrams (2018 18U) tallied seven total bases, including a home run on Friday against the Atlanta Braves. Abrams recorded three RBIs in the game, leading the Nationals to hand the Braves their second series loss of the season, and the Nationals became the first National League team to beat them in a series. With his home run total up to 12 on the season, Abrams keeps up his pace as one of the best-hitting shortstops in all of baseball.

• Brice Turang (2014 15U, 2016 & 2017 18U, 2026 WBC) who leads the Brewers in OBP at .410, reached base during all six outings last week, tallying seven hits and five walks. His best performance came when he went 3-for-4 with a 2-run homer in Milwaukee’s 5-2 victory over the Cubs in game two of the series.

• Grant Taylor (2017 15U) picked up his first save of the season for the White Sox in a 2-1 victory over the Mariners. Across three innings this past week, Taylor threw for four strikeouts, no walks and no runs allowed. The right-handed reliever lowered his season ERA down to a 1.78.

• Nick Kurtz (2015 12U) had a strong week at the plate, recording 11 hits, eight RBIs and six runs scored. Kurtz was the extra innings hero, plating the game winning run in the 10th during games three and four of the A’s series against the Angels to complete the sweep. Kurtz currently has the longest active on-base streak in the MLB at 48 games which ties Mark McGwire's franchise record.

• Raising his OPS 146 points across six games last week, Lake County Captains outfielder Jace LaViolette (2023 CNT) drove in three runs on three separate occasions while hitting three home runs in six games, bringing his season total to eight. His eight homers are tied for fourth-most among Cleveland Guardians minor leaguers. LaViolette is currently riding a six-game hitting streak, batting .400 with 10 hits, three home runs, two doubles, and a triple over that span.

• Just one week into his major league career, Colt Emerson (2017 12U, 2022 18U) joined elite company after going 4-for-4 with three doubles and an RBI single on Sunday. The 20-year-old became just the 18th player in MLB history to record four hits in a game with at least three being extra-base hits, adding his name to a list that includes Alex Rodriguez, Miguel Cabrera and Manny Machado. Emerson also joined Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players in Mariners history to have a four hit game at age 20 or younger.