Jesuit’s Waecther named to USA 18U National Team
The right-handed pitcher will represent USA Baseball in the upcoming WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Japan in September.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
Jesuit senior Kaden Waechter was named to the 2025 USA Baseball 18U National Team on Wednesday (Aug 27) and will be representing his country next month in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup from September 5-14 in Okinawa, Japan.
Waechter, who was named to the USA roster as a right-handed pitcher but also plays middle infield in high school, is a two-time All-813Preps second team selection.
“I’m really excited to be able to represent and compete for our great country,” Waechter said on Wednesday night. “This is going to be a really cool opportunity, and I’m very blessed to have it.”
Jesuit head coach Miguel Menendez said his senior is well-deserving of this honor for both his talent and his off-field makeup.
“I’m so happy and excited for Kaden as he prepares to play for Team USA,” Menendez said. “To be able to represent your country is a special honor that very few get a chance to experience. He is such a high-character young man and he will represent himself, his family, Jesuit, and all of Hillsborough County well during his time on Team USA.”
This spring, a knee injury in the preseason kept Waechter out on offense and defense until late-March, and kept him from the mound until April. He had hits in all but two of his 18 games, batting .423, with 13 RBI and 14 runs (click here to read our feature on Waechter from April). On the mound, the righty went 4-1 in five appearances, posting a 0.67 ERA and 29 strikeouts – including his final two starts in the region playoffs, where he pitched a combined 12 innings of shutout baseball, while allowing four total hits and striking out a combined 21.
“It’s only a 20-man roster, so there weren’t many spots to fill,” he said of the opportunity to play on for Team USA. “This has been a dream of mine.”
He added: “Ever since I had a big jump and a big summer, I set that goal. I told my parents and family that this was something I wanted to do, and they were rooting for me.”
The preseason injury, which cost him around six weeks of the season, and eight on the mound was frustrating, but he said having that setback meant his arm was in great shape for his summer play.
“Obviously, I wanted to be out there with my brothers at Jesuit – that’s always what we want to do is to try and win a state championship,” he said. “But right now I feel great. It feels like my arm is in midseason form and I’m looking forward to the adrenaline, the atmosphere and everything about competing in Japan.”
Asked if he’d ever visited Japan, Waechter said this will be his first time leaving the United States and his parents had to work on getting him a passport.
“I’ve actually never left the country,” he said. “We just got my passport done prior to the first trial, just in case. We started at 80 players, so this was kind of a long-shot (back) then.”
And what is Waechter most excited about?
“I’ve seen pictures and everything looks amazing. But I’m most looking forward to the food – I love sushi.”
Waechter, a Florida State commit, had an impressive summer as he went through the USA Baseball Trials, while also pitching in the Perfect Game National Showcase and being named to this month’s PG All-American Classic.
His Jesuit teammate Wilson Andersen (our 2025 All-813Preps Most Valuable Player) was also named to the PG All-American Classic game, and made the final 42 players in consideration for the USA 18U National Team.
Jesuit senior RHP Wilson Andersen
Waechter is one of four players from Florida selected to the team, along with Santa Rosa Beach South Walton’s Coleman Borthwick (a 2025 Class 3A state runner-up), Gulliver Prep’s Jacob Lombard, and 2025 7A state champion Parkland Stoneman Douglas’ Giovanni Rojas.
Parkland Stoneman Douglas senior Giovanni Rojas
Rojas had an incredible 15-strikeout performance in Stoneman Douglas’ state semifinal win against Alonso in May, and was 12-0 on the mound in his junior season.
USA Baseball’s first game of the 18U World Cup will be against Panama on Sept 4 at 9:30 pm local (10:30 am local Sept 5 in Okinawa, Japan).
