The 4th annual USSSA All American Games were once again held at the Osceola County Stadium inKissimmee, FL from  August 9th-12th The event was the most successful to date with players traveling from all over the country.Trekking from 33 different states, the players each faced a tough task of competing at a high level in hopes of making the National Team that will play international competition next summer. The 15u and 16u national teams will compete in the 2013 USSSA Gold Medal Games. The Gold Medal Games will have approximately 14 different international teams that will fly to Kissimmee, FL and compete for a Gold Medal. The USSSA HS Varsity National Team (17u/18u) will travel internationally and compete against some of the top National Teams from around the world.

In order to correctly evaluate and choose the top individuals, USSSA and ABR had to organize the best of the best to coach the individual teams as well as rove the entire event.  The staff consisted of college coaches, Major League Scouts, and former major league players.  Each staff member not only scouted the teams, but wrote full reports on the individual players in order to aid in the selection process.

August 12thmarked the announcement of the USSSA First Team All-Americans at the 14u, 15u, and 16/17u age levels and one thing became extremely evident, diversity.  Players from twelve different states including but not limited to New Mexico, Louisiana, California, Pennsylvania, and Oregon were announced to be part of the 2012 USSSA First Team All-American and 2013 USSSA National Teams.

At the very competitive 14u age level there were a number of standouts. Roy Thurman from Indiana did it all - with plus power from the right side, tremendous bat speed, his running abilities, and overall athleticism, Roy proved to be far beyond his age.  Another stand out was a RHP from Alabama, Tanner Graham. Tanner has an explosive FB that coupled with his command of the zone, proved tooverpower hitters at times.  In the 3 innings pitched he struck out 7 hitters while throwing limited pitches. Tanner has plus off speed that he can also throw for strikes in any count. In the MIF,Kristian Franklin from Michiganshowed scouts why he belonged on the National Team as he is not only a plus runner, but he is one of the smoothest MIFs in the whole country that also generates plus power from the plate.

At the 15u age level, Jeremy Vasquez from Florida showed he can swing the bat with anybody in the country no matter the age of his competitor. Jeremy has plus power from the plate with clean mechanics that contributed to countless doubles in the All American Games. Jordan Barchus from Oregon showed the ability to play multiple positions.  Jordan came into the All American Games listed as a MIF and showed scouts his athleticism by playing outfield extremely well even though he had not played there previously. The left handed hitter hustled every play, backing up the right positions, and turned some heads in the Sunshine State. Another stand out at the 15u level was none other than Texas native Austin Ferguson. The natural left handed swinger seemed to square up everything and consistently hit line drives.

At the 16u/17u level, Khalil Denson from California showed many scouts on the East Coast that he belongs on a big stage. The speedy SS showed his range in his second game by making a diving catch on a groundball and throwing the runner out from his knees.  Another Oregon player,Clayton Gelfand, bursted onto the scene in his first game with his 2-seam FB sitting 88mph with plus sink.  Clayton pounded the zone with three pitches for a strike and made it extremely tough on hitters to consistently square anything up.  Daytona Bryden(Illinois) has one of the simplest swings in the country. With his all fields approach and aquiet load, the right handed hitter made consistent solid contact showing the scouts he can hit at any level.

Selecting the National Teams at each age level was a difficult task due to all the talented players. The scouts tirelessly talked about each player in order to make the right decision for the 2013 National Teams.  In the end, the 27 players announced on August 12thimpressed all coaches and scouts in attendance and are the beginning of the 2013 USSSA National Teams that will represent their country during next summer.  Please stay tuned to the Amateur Baseball Report Facebook page and website as the rest of the National Teams will be posted in the next ten days!