Lakewood Teen Competes For Team USA Baseball Roster Spot

LAKEWOOD, CA — Hamilton Friedberg is one of 88 baseball players on a mission to complete a possibly once-in-a-lifetime goal: win the gold medal at the World Baseball Softball Confederation in Japan in September.

The Lakewood resident and Orange Lutheran High School baseball player has been selected to the first phase of the U18 USA National Team that will compete in Cary, North Carolina, through Tuesday. Of those 88 players, only 40 will make it onto the next round.

However, only 20 will make the final cut for the Team USA roster that will take on several other countries at the World Baseball Softball Confederation in Japan from Sept. 5 to 14.

“We are very excited about the collection of talent coming to Cary,” Brett Curll, USA Baseball’s 18U National Team Director, said in a statement “The eighty-eight players who will compete at Training Camp are the top 18-and-under athletes in the country and we look forward to welcoming them to Cary on our journey to a world championship.”

Friedberg is an infielder for Orange Lutheran, a high school that has developed several pro baseball players, including Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole.

Last season, the school placed 2nd in its league with a 10-5 record. Friedberg batted .286, had a .352 on-base percentage, 18 hits and 8 runs batted in during the season, according to his MaxPreps profile.

Friedberg will be competing with players from across 24 different states for a National Team roster spot. He is also one of 18 California residents selected for the first phase of the camp.

The U18 National Team is managed by Rick Eckstein, an eight-time coach for the team and brother of 2006 World Series MVP David Eckstein. David Eckstein, two-time MLB All-Star Brad Penny and longtime high school coach Steve Stone also make up part of the staff for the national team.