USA Baseball Blog

2021 Stars & Stripes Box Set Autograph Checklist

We are joined on this episode of Offseason Chatter by two-time USA Baseball alum Mikey Torres. The southpaw chats with us about his experience competing at the 15U National Team Trials for one of 20 spots on the final roster and what it meant to him to hear his name called as a member of Team USA. Torres also talks about his first experience donning the red, white, and blue as a member of the 2018 12U National Team, what it was like to win a gold medal for his country, and the differences between his two experiences playing for Team USA, as well as what his offseason training and holidays are like, and much more. Torres hit .545 (6-for-11) with a double and a triple for the Stripes at the 2021 15U National Team Trials. He also tallied five RBIs, five runs scored, and two stolen bases to help the Stripes clinch the trials series, 4-1.

Six-time Women’s National Team alum Kelsie Whitmore joins us on this episode of Offseason Chatter. She talks about her journey in baseball and her experiences with Team USA from making her first team in 2014 at just 16 years old, to winning a gold medal at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, to what it’s like now being a veteran member of the Women’s National Team program and mentoring the upcoming talent. Whitmore also touches on her time playing professional baseball with the Sonoma Stompers and the Portland Pickles, her experience coaching at the inaugural USA Baseball Girls Camp in 2021 and at MLB/USA Baseball joint development events like the Girls Baseball Breakthrough Series, and how she stays strong and ready to play throughout the offseason.

We are joined on this episode of Offseason Chatter by George Wolkow, who was named to the 2021 15U National Team in September. The South Carolina commit talks about setting goals for himself each year, how those goals motivate him, and what it meant to him to accomplish his biggest goal so far by making Team USA. Wolkow also touches on bonding with his USA Baseball teammates, the emotions of his walkoff double for the Stars during the 2021 15U National Team Trials, how he maximizes his time and stays active in the offseason, and more. Wolkow started in all five trials games for the Stars in 2021, collecting two hits, two runs scored, and three RBIs while drawing three walks and swiping two bags.

Olympic silver medalist Nick Martinez joins this episode of Offseason Chatter to talk all things Team USA, holidays, offseason work, and more. Martinez touches on the experience of walking in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, what it meant to represent the U.S. on the highest stage, his lifelong friendship with Olympic teammate Eddy Alvarez, his holiday memories and plans for this year, how he’s owning his offseason, and more. The right-hander led Team USA in the Olympic Games this summer in innings pitched with 11 over two starts and recorded a team-best 16 strikeouts, doubling the squad’s next-highest pitcher. He recorded nine of his punchouts in his start against Korea, helping tie the U.S. Olympic record for strikeouts in a game (14). Martinez also got the nod on the mound for the gold medal game against Japan, finishing with seven strikeouts and just one run on five hits in six innings of work.