Cope shines at Day 2 of USA Baseball U18 40-Man Roster Trials

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Mike Ashmore

August 26, 2025

While some of us don’t have fancy graphics and aren’t evaluators, we still get to make trips to the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, NC for their U18 40-man roster trials. I made my first work trip down that way to check out the day’s Stars-Stripes game as part of their training camp in advance of their trip to Japan, and here are a few quick names and observations from a very quick trip to North Carolina.

Two-time Main Event invite and 2025 team captain RJ Cope, Jr. truly shined in his relief outing, striking out four batters over two innings without allowing an earned run. The 6-foot-8 lefty and Vanderbilt commit mostly sat 91-93 MPH on the day, and threw 26 of his 45 pitches for strikes. He ended his outing on a strong note, recording his fourth K of the day to make a strong case to pitch in the WBSC U-18 World Cup.

Texas baseball commit Grady Emerson continues a standout training camp. He nearly went out of the yard on a pull side double off the very top of the wall in right field and 4-for-7 in camp thus far. At one point, Emerson was considered the top high school player in the 2026 Draft class — some have USA teammate Jacob Lombard ahead of him for the moment — and the future seems bright for the 6-foot-1, 180 pound lefty bat and infielder.

Carson Bolemon is a Wake Forest commit who is mostly considered to be the top 2026 lefty in the country. It’s a now frame at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds and it’s mostly a three-pitch mix with a fastball up to 95, curveball and changeup. Bolemon was mostly dominant over a three-inning start, walking none and allowing just one hit while striking out five.

The son of long-time big-leaguer Jose Contreras, Joseph Contreras is on that same track. Up to 98 in his past, he was more between 93-96 in Cary with a slider and changeup with what also appeared to be more of a forkball out of a longer, lankier 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame that has some strength in the lower half. He struck out three batters in two frames, allowing one hit and walking one.

Catcher Will Brick also showed some absurd arm strength with a caught stealing from his knees later in the game, getting the ball to second with plenty of authority even with a very short hop.  Brick is considered to be the top-ranked 2027 backstop in the class, and is showing he can handle playing up.

Statistically, it was a disappointing day for Main Event invite Cole Prosek, but the metrics likely show otherwise for the Ole Miss committed outfielder. Prosek hit two balls on the screws on Monday morning in Cary in his four AB’s, but both were directly at someone.

Mike Ashmore
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