WBSC Premier12 bronze medallist Casey Lawrence earns USA Baseball Performance of the Year Award
Casey Lawrence earned the USA Baseball International Performance of the Year thanks to his outstanding start in the WBSC Premier12 2024 presented by RAXUS bronze medal game. USA beat Venezuela, 6-1, and Lawrence, a 37-year-old right-hander with 59 games at the Major League Baseball (MLB) level, pitched six scoreless innings, allowing only four hits and striking out seven,
Rick Eckstein, who served under manager Mike Scioscia as the hitting coach at the Premier12 2024, received the Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year Award after leading the U-18 National Team to first place undefeated in the WBSC Americas U-18 Baseball World Cup Qualifier.
The tournament's MVP, Kayson Cunningham, took home the Richard W. Dick Case Award as the Athlete of the Year. The U-18 National Team was named the Team of the Year.
Meggie Meidlinger helped USA to a Women's Baseball World Cup silver medal pitching out of the bullpen without allowing an earned run and was named the Sportswoman of the Year.
The list of awards also includes:
- Developmental Coach of the Year Bryan Madsen (U-12 National Team)
- Volunteer Coach of the Year Josh Ellison (U-12 National Team and U-18 National Team Training Camp)
- Coach Educator of the Year Roy Hallenbeck
- Doc Councilman Science Award Skylar Meade (Collegiate National Team)
- Service Provider of the Year Byron Campbell (Premier12 strength and conditioning coach)
- Golden Spikes Award (Best Collegiate Player of the Year) Charlie Condon (University of Georgia.
"It is an honour to celebrate and reward our outstanding athletes, coaches, and staff for their remarkable accomplishments throughout 2024," said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball's Executive Director and CEO. "This year provided another strong showing for the organization, adding two gold medals, a silver medal, and a Premier12 podium finish to our account. As we shift our focus to maintaining our success in 2025, it is vital to take a moment to acknowledge and appreciate all of those who played a role in making 2024 another successful campaign for USA Baseball."