GAMEDAY: Team USA Continues World Cup Qualifier Play Against Puerto Rico

PANAMA CITY – Crew USA will proceed play on the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier on Sunday towards Puerto Rico. First pitch is scheduled for two:30 pm native/3:30 pm ET at Estadio Juan Demóstenes Arosemena in Panama Metropolis, Panama.

LAST TIME OUT

The U.S. kicked off the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in type on Saturday, no-hitting Costa Rica in an 18-0 win. Nico Partida and Xavier Mitchell mixed for the no-no, with Partida tossing the primary 4 and Mitchell ending the fifth within the run-rule win. Partida struck out 11 within the win and Mitchell had three, as just one out recorded by the workers was not a strikeout. It was the primary no-hitter for the 18U Nationwide Crew since 2014 vs. Ecuador.

Offensively, Crew USA was paced by Kayson Cunningham and Brayden Jaksa, who every had two hits and 4 RBIs apiece. Ten completely different U.S. gamers scored not less than one run within the victory, together with Gavin Fien, Ethan Holliday, and Jaksa, who crossed house 3 times. Crew USA’s win was carried by a 15-run third inning wherein the crew despatched 20 gamers to the plate and had six hits and 6 walks. Grady Emerson chipped in three runs within the win.

SCOUTING PUERTO RICO

Puerto Rico enters Saturday’s contest with a 1-1 file. After opening the match with a 9-5 loss to Panama on Friday, Puerto Rico responded with an 8-4 win over Brazil on Saturday. The membership is led by Jonathan Matos on the plate, who has gone 4-for-7 with two doubles by means of his first two video games. Jatniel McCloud additionally has two RBIs by means of Saturday’s contest. On the mound, Puerto Rico owns a 3.77 crew ERA and has struck out 15 batters in 13.0 innings of labor.

HISTORY AGAINST PUERTO RICO

Crew USA and Puerto Rico have met six instances on the U-18 degree since their first matchup in 2005. America owns a 5-1 all-time file within the collection and a 4-0 mark in Qualifier play, however Puerto Rico gained the latest matchup on the 2023 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup.

TEAM USA STAT LEADERS

HITS: Kayson Cunningham, Brayden Jaksa (2)

RBIs: Kayson Cunningham, Brayden Jaksa (2)

RUNS: Gavin Fien, Ethan Holliday, Brayden Jaska (3)

TB: Gavin Fien, Brayden Jaksa (3)

BB: Ethan Holliday, Brayden Jaksa, Eli Willits (2)

IP: Nico Partida (4)

Okay’s: Nico Partida (11)

QUALIFIER SUCCESS

Crew USA has gained six consecutive gold medals on the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier, relationship again to 2009. Since first competing within the occasion in 1993, the U.S. owns six gold medals, 4 silvers, and three bronze medals. The celebrities and stripes personal a 49-1 file over their final 50 World Cup Qualifier video games.

INSIDE THE ROSTER

The U.S. roster options 4 gamers who’ve beforehand donned the celebs and stripes. Grady Emerson has performed for the 15U Nationwide Crew in every of the previous two summers, serving to Crew USA win a World Cup in 2022 and a friendship collection in 2023. He’s joined by a pair of teammates from the 2022 World Cup-winning squad: Ethan Holliday and Brady Murrietta. Moreover, Gavin Fien returns to Crew USA after enjoying for the 2019 12U Nationwide Crew. Eight complete gamers on the roster have additionally beforehand participated in a USA Baseball growth program, together with three-time participant Kayson Cunningham.

MEET THE COACHING STAFF

The 18U Nationwide Crew is led in 2024 by Rick Eckstein, a five-time Skilled Nationwide Crew coach and former MLB hitting coach. Eckstein served beneath longtime big-league supervisor Davey Johnson for a number of U.S. skilled groups, successful three medals. He secured USA Baseball’s “Doc” Counsilman Science Award in 2008 and the 2023 Coach Educator of the Yr Award. Eckstein started his teaching profession in 1997 and held stints because the hitting coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals. He’s joined on workers by his brother, 2006 World Sequence MVP David Eckstein, together with two-time MLB All-Star Brad Penny and longtime highschool coach Steve Stone.