Cal Ripken Jr. spent 21 seasons in Major League Baseball where he tallied 3,184 hits (14th all-time) and played in over 3,000 games (8th all-time). Ripken was a 19-time All-Star and 2-time MVP before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007. Ripken is nicknamed "The Iron Man" because of his stretch of 2,632 consecutive games played -- the longest streak in MLB history.
Member of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame, following a 15-year career in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, and New York Mets. He also serves as a USA Baseball Sport Development Contributor.
Kyle Stark has served as the Assistant General Manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates since 2011, previously holding the titles as the Pirates' Farm Director and Director of Player Development. Prior to joining the Pirates, Stark spent four years in the Cleveland Indians Baseball Operations department.
Shaun Larkin spent six years playing professionally in the Cleveland Indians organization before moving on to the coaching ranks. Shaun coached four seasons at the high school and collegiate levels before being named short season rookie level manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016. He has since been promoted to the Coordinator of Skill Development for the Dodgers.
Paul Mainieri enters his 12th season as the head coach of the Louisiana State Tigers baseball program, amassing SEC Coach of the Year accolades twice, along with bringing LSU their sixth National Championship in 2009. 79 of Mainieri's players at LSU have signed contracts with MLB teams and he has produced a first round draft pick in seven out of the last nine MLB amateur drafts. LSU has also seen 115 players receive SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition during his tenure.
Steve Keener was elected as CEO of Little League International in 1994 after serving as part of the Executive Staff of Little League Baseball from 1980-1994. He has helped Little League expand to providing baseball in more than 80 countries worldwide.
Elliott Hopkins is the National Federation of State High Schools Associations (NFHS) Director of Sports, Sanctioning, and Student Services. He also holds roles within the NFHS as its Baseball and Wrestling Rules Editor, Resource Center Supervisor, and directs the Student Leadership Summit - speaking nationally to students exclusively about hazing prevention and sportsmanship. Elliot has also served on the USA Baseball executive committee representing the NFHS and is a long-standing committee member of USA Baseball Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. He has an extensive background in education, athletics, administration and community service.
Dr. Josh Bloom is the Medical Director of the Carolina Sports Concussion Clinic, and Head Medical Team Physician for the Carolina Hurricanes and USA Baseball. He also serves as an active member of the NCHSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, the USA Baseball Medical and Safety Advisory Committee, the NC Medical Society Sports Medicine Committee, and the NHL Team Physician Society Concussion Return to Play and Research Subcommittees.
John Vodenlich is in his 15th season as the University of Wisconsin Whitewater Head Coach where he has won two Division III National Championships and two Division III Coach of the Year honors. He has also had 28 former players sign professional contracts since joining the staff in 1994 as an assistant.
David was named Vice President of Youth Programs for Major League Baseball in 2016. Prior to his current role, David played an instrumental part in the continued growth of the RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program for over 8 years, being named its first-ever Director at MLB in 2008 and ultimately serving as the program's Senior Director. He has over 20 years of youth sports experience, with a concentration in creating and supporting grassroots initiatives for youth baseball & softball leagues.
Andrew Bartman joined the USA Baseball Staff in March 2019 as the Director of Coaching Development. Bartman is in charge of developing coaching resources and working with the Sport Development team to assess and grow the organization's coaching education offerings. He also runs the USA Baseball Coaches Clinic program, including scheduling and coordinating each event. Prior to joing USA Baseball, Bartman was the Youth Division Liaison at the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) for two years. While there, he coordinated community clinics and manager the youth clinics at the organization's national convention. He also served as a baseball coach at the collegiate level for 12 years.
