CARY, N.C. — USA Baseball has revealed its annual organizational award winners, recognizing the top athletes, coaches, performances, and staff from its 2024 national teams and development programs. After being named Tournament MVP and guiding the 18U National Team to a gold medal finish, Kayson Cunningham took home the Richard W. “Dick” Case Award, recognizing the athlete of the year.
Alongside Cunningham, 18U National Team Manager Rick Eckstein earned Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year honors after guiding his squad atop the podium. The Sanford native was also the hitting coach for the Premier12 team and helped the U.S. earn a bronze medal in Japan. Casey Lawrence, who was on the Premier12 roster with Eckstein, struck out seven batters in six shutout innings during the bronze medal game to collect International Performance of the Year honors. Meggie Meidlinger was named the Sportswoman of the Year after a stellar showing out of the bullpen during the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals in Canada.
Fresh off a gold-medal run at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in Panama, the 18U National Team was awarded Team of the Year honors for the fifth time, leading the race amongst all national teams. Additionally, Skylar Meade received the “Doc” Counsilman Science Award while Roy Hallenbeck earned Coach Educator of the Year honors.
Byron Campbell (Service Provider of the Year), Charlie Condon (Golden Spikes Award), Josh Ellison (Volunteer Coach of the Year), and Bryan Madsen (Developmental Coach of the Year) round out the 2024 award winners.
“It is an honor 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.”
The complete list of the 2024 USA Baseball organizational award winners is as follows:
* Richard W. “Dick” Case Award: Kayson Cunningham (18U National Team).
* Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year: Rick Eckstein (18U National Team and Premier12 Team).
* Sportswoman of the Year: Meggie Meidlinger (Women’s National Team).
* International Performance of the Year: Casey Lawrence (Premier12 Team).
* Team of the Year: 18U National Team.
* Developmental Coach of the Year: Bryan Madsen (12U National Team).
* Volunteer Coach of the Year: Josh Ellison (12U National Team and 18U 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 Team).
* Golden Spikes Award: Charlie Condon (University of Georgia).
Rick Eckstein served on two coaching staffs and won two medals in 2024, earning him the Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year Award. The Seminole High School and Seminole State College graduate, a seven-time Team USA coach, first managed the 18U National Team in August at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in Panama. The U.S. went 8-0 and won a gold medal with Eckstein at the helm, outscoring opponents 58-9, leading the tournament with a .280 batting average, and posting a 1.08 ERA on the mound. Eckstein coached three players to spots on the all-tournament team, including Tournament MVP and Richard W. “Dick” Case Player of the Year Award winner Kayson Cunningham. After bringing a gold medal home from Panama, Eckstein then served as hitting coach on Mike Scioscia’s staff for the Professional National Team at the Premier12 tournament in November. The U.S. offense ranked second in the tournament in hits (83), runs scored (51), and home runs (12), with Eckstein leading the charge in capturing a bronze medal. Eckstein, who now has five medals as a USA Baseball coach, was previously named the organization’s Coach Educator of the Year in 2023.
