The USA Baseball 18U team made a second round of cuts, going from 40 players down to 28. The following 28 players will come back to Cary, NC in September, where the roster will be cut down again to the final 20 before the team heads off to Cartagena, Columbia for the COPABE PanAm AAA Championships. Here is the official release on the second round of cuts. . .

DURHAM, N.C. — Following a two-week evaluation period that concluded with the inaugural Prospect Classic, USA Baseball announced the names of 28 players who have received invitations to join the 18U National Team at a second round trial, to be held Sept. 12-21, in Cary.

From there, 20 athletes will be selected to compete in the 2011 COPABE Pan American AAA/18U Championships in Cartagena, Colombia, Sept. 23-Oct. 2. Team USA is the defending champion of the tournament, having defeated Cuba, 6-1, in the 2009 title game.

Highlighting the 28-man trial roster is five-time USA Baseball Alum Albert Almora (Hialeah, Fla.) and 2010 USA Baseball Player-of-the-Year Alex Bregman (Albuquerque, N.M.). In all, 11 of the 28 invitees are alums of USA Baseball.

The USA Baseball 18U National Team Trials roster is as follows:

18U National Team Trial rosters (second round)

Albert Almora, OF, Hialeah, Fla.

Alex Bregman, IF, Albuquerque, N.M.

Gavin Cecchini, IF, Lake Charles, La.

Troy Conyers, LHP, Lakeside, Calif.

Matthew Crownover, LHP, Ringgold, Ga.

Chase DeJong, RHP, Long Beach, Calif.

Max Fried, LHP, Van Nuys, Calif.

Carson Fulmer, RHP, Lakeland, Fla.

Joey Gallo, IF/RHP, Las Vegas, Nev.

Lucas Giolito, RHP, Santa Monica, Calif.

Ty Hensley, RHP, Edmond, Okla.

C.J. Hinojosa, IF, Spring, Texas

Cole Irvin, LHP, Anaheim, Calif.

Carson Kelly, IF/RHP, Portland, Ore.

Jeremy Martinez, C, Fountain Valley, Calif.

Mitch Nay, OF, Chandler, Ariz.

Chris Okey, C, Mt. Dora, Fla.

Cody Poteet, RHP, Bonita, Calif.

Nelson Rodriguez, C,  New York, N.Y

Rio Ruiz, IF, Covina, Calif.

Addison Russell, IF, Pace, Fla.

Clate Schmidt, RHP, Acworth, Ga.

Lucas Sims, RHP, Lawrenceville, Ga.

Hunter Virant, LHP, Camarillo, Calif.

Walker Weickel, RHP, Orlando, Fla.

Mikey White, IF, Hoover, Ala.

Nick Williams, OF, Galveston, Texas

Jesse Winker, OF, Windermere, Fla.