PANAMA CITY – Team USA will continue play at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier on Sunday against Puerto Rico. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 am local/12:00 pm ET at Estadio Juan Demóstenes Arosemena in Panama City, Panama.
LAST TIME OUT
The U.S. kicked off the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in style on Saturday, no-hitting Costa Rica in an 18-0 win. Nico Partida and Xavier Mitchell combined for the no-no, with Partida tossing the first four and Mitchell finishing the fifth in the run-rule win. Partida struck out 11 in the win and Mitchell had three, as only one out recorded by the staff was not a strikeout. It was the first no-hitter for the 18U National Team since 2014 vs. Ecuador.
Offensively, Team USA was paced by Kayson Cunningham and Brayden Jaksa, who each had two hits and four RBIs apiece. Ten different U.S. players scored at least one run in the victory, including Gavin Fien, Ethan Holliday, and Jaksa, who crossed home three times. Team USA’s win was carried by a 15-run third inning in which the team sent 20 players to the plate and had six hits and six walks. Grady Emerson chipped in three runs in the win.
SCOUTING PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico enters Saturday’s contest with a 1-1 record. After opening the tournament with a 9-5 loss to Panama on Friday, Puerto Rico responded with an 8-4 win over Brazil on Saturday. The club is led by Jonathan Matos at the plate, who has gone 4-for-7 with two doubles through his first two games. Jatniel McCloud also has two RBIs through Saturday’s contest. On the mound, Puerto Rico owns a 3.77 team ERA and has struck out 15 batters in 13.0 innings of work.
HISTORY AGAINST PUERTO RICO
Team USA and Puerto Rico have met six times at the U-18 level since their first matchup in 2005. The United States owns a 5-1 all-time record in the series and a 4-0 mark in Qualifier play, but Puerto Rico won the most recent matchup at 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)
K’s: Nico Partida (11)
QUALIFIER SUCCESS
Team USA has won six consecutive gold medals at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier, dating back to 2009. Since first competing in the event in 1993, the U.S. owns six gold medals, four silvers, and three bronze medals. The stars and stripes own a 49-1 record over their last 50 World Cup Qualifier games.
STANDINGS
Panama 2-0
United States 1-0
Brazil 1-1
Puerto Rico 1-1
Venezuela 0-1
Costa Rica 0-2
INSIDE THE ROSTER
The U.S. roster features four players who have previously donned the stars and stripes. Grady Emerson has played for the 15U National Team in each of the past two summers, helping Team USA win a World Cup in 2022 and a friendship series in 2023. He is joined by a pair of teammates from the 2022 World Cup-winning squad: Ethan Holliday and Brady Murrietta. Additionally, Gavin Fien returns to Team USA after playing for the 2019 12U National Team. Eight total players on the roster have also previously participated in a USA Baseball development program, including three-time participant Kayson Cunningham.
MEET THE COACHING STAFF
The 18U National Team is led in 2024 by Rick Eckstein, a five-time Professional National Team coach and former MLB hitting coach. Eckstein served under longtime big-league manager Davey Johnson for several U.S. professional teams, winning three medals. He secured USA Baseball’s “Doc” Counsilman Science Award in 2008 and the 2023 Coach Educator of the Year Award. Eckstein began his coaching career in 1997 and held stints as the hitting coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals. He is joined on staff by his brother, 2006 World Series MVP David Eckstein, along with two-time MLB All-Star Brad Penny and longtime high school coach Steve Stone.
