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Team USA Coaching Staff Announced for 2026 WBC

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Team USA Coaching Staff Announced for 2026 WBC

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today named the Team USA coaching staff for the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC). Nine assistant coaches will join Manager Mark DeRosa, who returns to the U.S. dugout for the second consecutive Classic after leading the stars and stripes to a silver medal in 2023.

2023 National League Manager of the Year Skip Schumaker will take the reins as bench coach, joined by five-time World Series champ Andy Pettitte (pitching coach) and seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday (hitting coach). Two-time Team USA coach and Los Angeles Dodgers Third Base Coach Dino Ebel returns in the same role while Detroit Tigers Bench Coach George Lombard will be the first base coach.

Former big-league managers Fredi González (assistant manager) and David Ross (bullpen coach) will assist for the U.S., and former MLB All-Stars Brian McCann and Michael Young round out the staff as assistant managers.

“I’d like to welcome David Ross, Skip Schumaker, Matt Holliday, George Lombard, Fredi González, and returning coaches Michael Young, Brian McCann, Andy Pettitte, and Dino Ebel to the team,” said Team USA General Manager Michael Hill. “Together, the baseball knowledge and experience of this group of men is unmatched and I’m looking forward to working with each of them to bring a WBC championship back to the USA.”

In total, the 10-man coaching staff–which features six USA Baseball alumni–has combined for 110 big-league seasons, 24 All-Star Game appearances, and 11 World Series titles. The staff has totaled over 8,500 hits in the big leagues, including 1,025 home runs.

Team USA is looking to capture its second World Baseball Classic title in the sixth installment of the event in 2026. The U.S. took home the title in the 2017 iteration and most recently claimed a silver medal at the 2023 Classic.

The U.S. is a member of Pool B at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, joined by Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, and Mexico. Pool B is scheduled to take place from March 6-11 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, the home of the Houston Astros. The top two nations will advance to the quarterfinal round in Houston against the top two finishers from Pool A.

The sixth edition of the World Baseball Classic, which runs from March 5-17, will take place at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas; Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico; the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, and loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida. The semifinal round (March 15 and 16) and championship game (March 17) will be held in Miami.

2026 World Baseball Classic Team USA Coaching Staff:

Manager: Mark DeRosa
Bench Coach: Skip Schumaker
Pitching Coach: Andy Pettitte
Hitting Coach: Matt Holliday
First Base Coach: George Lombard
Third Base Coach: Dino Ebel
Bullpen Coach: David Ross
Assistant Manager: Fredi González
Assistant Manager: Brian McCann
Assistant Manager: Michael Young

Schumaker, an eleven-year big leaguer and current senior advisor for the Texas Rangers, assumes bench coach duties. Schumaker spent two seasons managing the Miami Marlins in 2023 and 2024, leading the Club to a playoff appearance in his debut season en route to being named National League Manager of the Year. Prior to his career in coaching, Schumaker played in the big leagues from 2005-2015, including eight seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. He finished his career with a brief stop with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013 before playing his final two years with the Cincinnati Reds. Schumaker, who collected 905 hits as a big leaguer, also suited up for Team USA at the Olympic Qualifier in 2006. He began his coaching career as the San Diego Padres’ first base coach in 2018 before becoming the bench coach for the Cardinals ahead of the 2022 season and then making his managerial debut with Miami in 2023.

Pettitte, MLB’s all-time postseason wins leader, reprises his role as pitching coach. Throughout his 18-year career in the Bigs, Pettitte won five World Series titles with the New York Yankees–who drafted the southpaw in the 22nd round of the 1990 MLB Draft–and was a three-time All-Star. He made his debut for the Yankees in 1995, won four world championships in five years from 1996 to 2000, and earned ALCS MVP honors in 2001. Pettitte also won a World Series with the Yanks in 2009 and finished his postseason career with 19 wins, including five in World Series games. He concluded his career with 256 victories and a 3.85 ERA, and his No. 46 jersey was retired by the New York Yankees in 2015. In 2019, Pettitte earned the USA Baseball Volunteer Coach of the Year award after serving as a pitching coach in the inaugural Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League.

A three-time USA Baseball alum and seven-time MLB All-Star, Holliday will serve as the hitting coach for the United States. Holliday was selected in the seventh round of the 1998 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies and spent his first five big-league seasons with the Club, making three consecutive All-Star game appearances from 2006-2008. He put together three more All-Star campaigns with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2010-2012, receiving MVP votes in two of those seasons. Holliday ended up spending eight seasons with St. Louis before wrapping up his playing career with the New York Yankees and one more season in Colorado. Holliday hit 316 home runs in his 15-year MLB career, batting .299 with an .889 OPS. He also played for Team USA on three separate occasions, competing for the 18U National Team in 1997, the Professional National Team in 2003, and the World Baseball Classic squad in 2006.

Lombard, the bench coach for the Detroit Tigers, will be the first base coach for the United States at the 2026 WBC. Drafted in the second round by the Atlanta Braves in 1994, Lombard spent time in the big leagues with the Braves, Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and Washington Nationals. Lombard’s playing career concluded in 2006, and he began his professional coaching career in 2010 as the hitting coach for the Single-A Lowell Spinners before earning a managerial gig for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast Red Sox in 2011 and 2012. Lombard continued his ascent through the Minor League system, becoming a roving outfield and baserunning coordinator for Boston’s farm system in 2012. He got his first big-league coaching gig as first base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015, spending six seasons in that role and capping it with a World Series title in 2020. Following the championship season, Lombard was named bench coach for the Tigers, a role he still currently holds.

Current Los Angeles Dodgers Third Base Coach Ebel will return to Team USA in the same position after serving on staff at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and more recently, the 2024 Premier12 tournament. Ebel returned to the Dodgers organization as third base coach in 2019 and has helped lead them to five NL West titles and the 2020 and 2024 World Series titles. In his playing days, Ebel signed with the Dodgers as a free agent in 1988 after winning the Division II baseball championship with Florida Southern College; he then spent eight years in their farm system. Ebel served eight years as a manager across multiple Minor League levels for the Dodgers before joining the Los Angeles Angels organization in 2005 as the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees manager. The Angels elevated him to the big leagues as the third base coach in 2006, a position he would hold until being named bench coach in 2014. He returned to Angels third base coach duties again in 2018 before re-joining the Dodgers in 2019.

Ross takes over bullpen coach duties, bringing with him 15 years of playing experience and four seasons as a big-league manager. The former catcher most recently spent four seasons as manager for the Chicago Cubs from 2020-2023, guiding the Club to a playoff appearance in his first season in 2020. Prior to his managerial gig, Ross played for seven teams across 15 years in MLB. He debuted with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002 and played there for three seasons. In 2006, Ross posted a career-best season with 21 home runs and 52 RBIs for the Cincinnati Reds and later spent four seasons with the Atlanta Braves from 2009-2012. After winning a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2013, Ross concluded his playing career with two seasons with the Cubs, becoming the oldest player in MLB history to hit a World Series home run (39 years old) in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series to help Chicago win its first title since 1908. He was named a special assistant for the Cubs following his retirement and appeared as a baseball analyst on ESPN prior to being Chicago’s manager from 2020-2023.

González will be an assistant manager on DeRosa’s staff, bringing with him a decade of managerial experience. After six seasons as a catcher in the New York Yankees’ system, González began his professional coaching career as manager for the Miami Miracle (A+) in 1990. He joined the Florida Marlins’ organization in 1992 and climbed his way to the big-league staff in 1999, spending two seasons as the third base coach for the Fish. After a stint with the Richmond Braves (AAA) in 2002, González became a coach on Atlanta’s Major League staff in 2003. He earned his first big-league managerial gig ahead of the 2007 season with the Florida Marlins, where he spent four seasons and posted two winning campaigns. In 2010, González was named manager of the Atlanta Braves, a position he held until 2016. He led the Braves to two 90-plus-win seasons and two playoff appearances in his six seasons at the helm. González then returned to Miami as a big-league coach for three years before spending 2020-2024 on Baltimore’s coaching staff.

McCann, a seven-time All-Star, six-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and Team USA alumni, will be an assistant manager under DeRosa. After being selected in the second round of the 2002 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves, McCann went on to have a 15-year career in the Bigs, spending 10 of those seasons in Atlanta. He appeared in the MLB All-Star game in six consecutive seasons from 2006-2011, hitting 20 or more home runs in five of those campaigns. McCann, who also had stints for the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros, finished his standout career with 282 home runs and a .262 batting average. The Athens, Georgia, native is the only catcher in MLB history to win a Silver Slugger Award in both the American League and National League. He was a teammate of Team USA Manager Mark DeRosa on the United States roster at the 2009 WBC, batting .333 with six RBIs and a 1.194 OPS. McCann was also a member of DeRosa’s staff in 2023, serving as an assistant.

Young, a perennial All-Star throughout his career, brings 14 seasons of big-league experience to his post as assistant manager. The former infielder was selected in the fifth round of the 1997 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays and was traded to the Texas Rangers in 2000, where he spent the first 13 seasons of his career and made seven All-Star Game appearances. He was named to the Midsummer Classic every year from 2004 to 2009, playing 135 or more games in each of those seasons. Young collected over 200 hits in six different campaigns, including an MLB-leading 221 in 2005–winning the AL batting title–and 213 in 2011. He played his final big-league season split between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013 before retiring at the conclusion of that season. Young, who was inducted into the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016 and had his No. 10 retired by the Club in 2019, also played for Team USA in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006 and assisted DeRosa in 2023. He is currently a special assistant to the general manager for the Rangers.

Follow @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and X for all of the up-to-date information on Team USA’s 2026 World Baseball Classic team.

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#11 Creighton Volleyball to Meet #8 Arizona State in Sweet 16 in Lexington

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December 8, 2025

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Courtesy of Rob Anderson, Creighton Athletics

OMAHA, Neb. — The NCAA has announced that the No. 11 Creighton Volleyball team will meet No. 8 Arizona State on Thursday, Dec., 11 in Lexington, Ky. The teams will square off at 12 p.m. Central inside Memorial Coliseum.

Winners of 22 straight matches, Creighton is 27-5 this fall. The Bluejays are making their fifth Sweet 16 appearance, and third consecutive. Arizona State is 28-3 this fall and making their second Sweet 16 in the past three seasons. The only previous meeting between the programs came in 2002.

Thursday’s match will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Second-ranked Kentucky (27-2) will host Cal Poly (27-7) at 2:30 p.m. Central on Thursday.

The Regional Final featuring Thursday’s winners is scheduled for Saturday, with a time and broadcast plans to be announced following Thursday’s results.

For those fans interested in acquiring tickets to the NCAA Lexington Regional, all-session tickets will be on sale Monday at 9 a.m. Central with single-session tickets on sale Tuesday at 9 a.m. CT on UKathletics.com. 





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Serve receive dooms Arizona Wildcats volleyball 2nd rd NCAA Tournament

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December 8, 2025

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Arizona Wildcats volleyball players Haven Wray (8), Carlie Cisneros (12), and Brenna Ginder (3) smile during a Second Round NCAA Tournament match against Stanford on Dec. 6, 2025

Arizona Wildcats volleyball players Haven Wray (8), Carlie Cisneros (12), and Brenna Ginder (3) smile during a Second Round NCAA Tournament match against Stanford on Dec. 6, 2025
Photo courtesy of Arizona Athletics

The Stanford Cardinal didn’t have their starting setter against Arizona on Saturday evening, but they did have a powerful serve. The Wildcats couldn’t handle or match it in a 3-1 (25-16, 25-27, 25-17, 25-20) loss in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Volleyball Tournament.

It wasn’t a disappointment for Arizona head coach Rita Stubbs, who was making her first appearance in the tournament as a head coach and leading the program to its first since 2018. The Wildcats won a match, giving them their first win in the tourney since 2016. They just couldn’t make it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since the same year.

“We took each day and the challenge that was before us, and we just gave it everything we had, which is exactly what you want,” Stubbs said. “You know, you want to battle and compete the entire time. And I like to think we exposed some issues that Stanford has, so that’s exciting.”

But that serve and pass game wasn’t one of them. Stanford had eight aces against nine service errors. The Wildcats committed 10 errors without serving a single ace.

“Before I went in, I was like, it’s all about the serve and pass,” Stubbs said. “And we were missing too many balls to the libero when we did serve it in, and then the serves just weren’t tough enough. And so I told them in the fourth set before we started, I was like, I don’t care if we miss a serve, we just got to be aggressive. And we missed the serve and wasn’t aggressive.”

The Wildcats still fought through it despite starting just one senior and one junior. The starting group of four sophomores and a freshman, along with the three seniors and one junior who subbed in, never let go of a set even when they looked to be buried by the Cardinal.

“It wasn’t for lack of effort,” Stubbs said. “It was just you got to be used to it,and then what I shared with them is that we have to go through things like this to get to our next. So much of this is still new for us with this group. The difference is your seniors are finished, and so now it’s about competing and doing better than we did this year next year to honor the seniors. That’s the direction we’re going.”

Stanford led wire-to-wire in the first set. The Cardinal never went on a big run. The biggest run was four points, but by that time they had put enough small runs together to build a nine-point lead at 22-13. It was the largest of the set and ended as the final margin.

Arizona didn’t fold despite Stanford running out to a 4-0 lead in the second set. The Wildcats used their own 4-1 run to tie the set at five points each. It stayed tight throughout, but Arizona got to set point at 24-23.

The Cardinal wiped away two set points, but they couldn’t string two points together to earn one of their own. The Wildcats put their third one away to even the match with a 27-25 second set.

Arizona never really bothered Stanford in the third. The Cardinal were able to put together larger runs and eventually led by 10 at 22-12. The Wildcats cut into the lead a bit, but they still dropped the set by eight and were one set from ending their season.

Things were tight early in the fourth set, but a critical call went against Arizona and seemed to turn the tide. At 7-5, Stanford’s Elia Rubin hit an attack that was called out. The television replay didn’t appear to show a touch by Arizona. It certainly didn’t appear to show anything definitive enough to overturn the call on the floor.

Stanford challenged and won the challenge. The call was overturned and the point went to the Cardinal. A one-point gap became three points. From there, they went on an 8-2 run to take a 16-7 lead.

The Wildcats knew it was their last chance. They continued to fight. The teams traded points for a while, then Arizona started to string a few together. A 5-1 run cut the lead to four points at 23-19.

The service errors raised their ugly head again. Giorgia Mandotti’s error gave Stanford several match points. Jordan Wilson’s final kill of her college career saved one, but that’s as far as it went. Jordyn Harvey put the next point away to win it for the home team.

Wilson finished her college career with a match-high 17 kills, seven digs, and two total blocks (one solo). That gave her 499 kills, 269 digs, 26 aces, 10 assists, and 44.0 total blocks in 108 sets this season. The outside hitter took over 9th place in total kills in a season, surpassing Kendra Dahlke’s 496 in 2016, the last year Arizona won an NCAA Tournament match. She also grabbed 10th in kills per set in a season with 4.62, knocking out Barb Bell’s 1994 season (4.51 k/s).

In her three years as a Wildcat, Wilson had 1,191 kills, 593 digs, 55 aces, 27 assists, and 127 total blocks in 310 sets over 86 matches. Her 3.84 kills per set (minimum of 200 sets played) over her Arizona career place her fifth in Wildcat history, surpassing the 3.82 of Tiffany Owens (2007-10).

Carlie Cisneros had 12 kills on .275 hitting, committing just one hitting error in four sets. Her nine digs kept her just shy of a double-double. It was the third straight match with 10 or more kills for Cisneros and the eighth in the last nine matches.

The development of Cisneros as a regular scoring threat was huge for the Wildcats in the tournament and down the stretch of the regular season. It also gives Stubbs hope for next season when Wilson is gone.

“That happened at Kansas, as well,” Stubbs said. “When Jordan struggled, she stepped up. It happened against Texas Tech when Jordan didn’t play. So, you know, she definitely wants to be the go-to player, and has shown that she’s capable of doing it.”

As has so often bee the case this season, it was a true team effort. Twelve members of Arizona’s 17-player roster made an appearance in the match, including all four seniors. Six players had at least two kills. Seven had at least one block. Eight had at least one dig.

“I was pleased with us and how we competed and how people that went in tried to make a difference and did a good job,” Stubbs said.

Journey Tucker once again showed that she can be a dominant force in the middle. The junior had four kills on .400 hitting and led the team with five total blocks.

Fellow junior MB Sydnie Vanek didn’t start, but she also made an impact when she came in. Vanek also had four kills. She tied for second on the team with three total blocks.

The match may have ended the season and the college careers of Wilson, Haven Wray, and Ana Heath; Mandotti still has a year of eligibility left either at Arizona or elsewhere. There were still a lot of positives to walk away with.

“I’m just grateful,” Stubbs said. “I’m grateful for the fact that Haven did it five times, and that Jordan transferred in, and that Ana stuck with it through the ups and downs of not having a position, per se. After her setting years, made the commitment to say, ‘Hey, I’m going to do this and commit to it.‘ It just says a lot about who they are as people, and you just always want the best for them, which is why I told them not to hang their heads. The best thing we can do to honor them is to be good from here on out, so that this was not for naught.”



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How to watch Nebraska volleyball’s Sweet 16 match vs. Kansas

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NCAA Volleyball Regional Schedule Set

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December 8, 2025

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The fourth-seeded Indiana volleyball team (25-7, 14-6 B1G) will play in the Sweet 16 for just the second time in program history. The NCAA announced start times and dates for next week’s regional semifinals on Sunday (Dec. 7) afternoon. The Hoosiers will play top-seeded Texas at Gregory Gymnasium on Friday (Dec. 12) afternoon at Noon ET on ESPN.

 

Following the greatest regular season in program history, IU was awarded a top-16 national seed and the chance to host the opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers made quick work of their first two matchups, sweeping Toledo and fifth-seeded Colorado in Bloomington to advance to the Sweet 16.

 

IU is one of five Big Ten programs remaining in the NCAA Tournament. Of the 16 schools left in the big dance, IU is one of two teams (Cal Poly) that didn’t make the big dance last year. The Hoosiers have already set a single-season program record for wins (25) and will attempt to advance to the regional final for the first time in program history.

 

The other matchup in the Austin Regional will pit second-seeded Stanford and third-seeded Wisconsin against each other. Their match will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of IU’s. The winners of both regional semifinals will meet on Sunday (Dec. 14) afternoon for a spot in the national semifinals in Kansas City.



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Louisville volleyball NCAA Tournament bracket, Texas A&M vs UofL game

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December 8, 2025

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Dec. 6, 2025Updated Dec. 7, 2025, 6:08 a.m. ET

After defeating Marquette 3-2 in the second round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament on Saturday night, No. 2 Louisville will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, and take on No. 3 Texas A&M in the Sweet 16 at 7 p.m. Friday.

This will be the Cardinals’ seventh consecutive regional appearance but first with Dan Meske as head coach.

Here’s everything you need to know to keep up with the match from home:

No. 2 seed Louisville versus No. 3 seed Texas A&M will be broadcast live on ESPN or ESPN2.

Authenticated subscribers can access ESPN2 via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN app.

Those without cable can access ESPN2 via streaming services, with Fubo offering a free trial.

Buy Louisville volleyball tickets here

After defeating Marquette, UofL will play Texas A&M in the Lincoln, Nebraska, Regional Friday at 7 pm. Here’s a look at the tournament schedule:

  • First and second rounds: Dec. 4-6
  • Regionals: Dec. 11-14
  • Semifinals: Dec. 18 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri
  • Championship: Dec. 21 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri



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The Omaha World-Herald’s Nebraska All-Class volleyball teams

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December 8, 2025

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