Federation announces managers, coaches and administrators for 18U, 15U and 12U National Teams

Press Release USA Baseball

USA Baseball announced today the coaching staffs for its 2013 national teams. Highlighted by Wright State University head coach, Rob Cooper, who was announced as the field manager of the 18U National Team in January, the staffs for the 18U, 15U and 12U National Teams have been finalized. The inaugural 12U National Team will be led by Corona del Sol High School’s Dave Webb.

Cooper, a two-time Collegiate National Team staff member, will be joined on the coaching staff by pitching coach Mike Maack and assistant coaches Kevin Wilson and Eric Munson. Maack, the head coach at Prestonwood Christian Academy (Texas), has more than 27 years of NCAA Division I and high school coaching experience. Currently in his 12th season at Prestonwood, Maack previously was the head coach at Tennessee Tech University and before that served as the pitching coach for the University of Central Florida and University of Tennessee.

Wilson is a two-time Tournament of Stars and National Team Identification Series taskforce member and will be making his first appearance on a national team coaching staff. The former Cincinnati Bearcat enjoyed a six-year professional playing career before moving into coaching and now runs Kevin Wilson Baseball in Philadelphia. Munson, a USA Baseball Collegiate National Team alum (’97-’98) and Golden Spikes Award finalist, is currently an assistant coach at the University of Dubuque in Iowa after a year as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Southern California, and a professional career that saw Munson spend parts of nine seasons in the major leagues. Munson joined 18U manager, Cooper, at last summer’s inaugural 17U National Team Development Program as one of the on-field coaches. Steve Domzalski, from Wayne State University, rounds out the staff as the athletic trainer.

“We continually look to raise the bar higher in regards to the coaching staffs and administrators who lead our athletes in competitions each year,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO. “This year is no exception, and we are thrilled to see alumni of our programs return to help manage and coach for their respective clubs.”

The 18U National Team will return to Taichung, Chinese Taipei, for a second consecutive season to compete in the IBAF ‘AAA’/18U World Cup, August 30 – September 8. Last year’s 18U team played exhibition games in Taichung before winning gold at the IBAF 18U World Championships in Seoul, South Korea.

In addition to the 18U staff, USA Baseball also named its 15U National Team and inaugural 12U National Team managers, coaches and administrators today. Chatsworth High School (Calif.) head coach Tom Meusborn will return for a second season to manage the 15U team, and he will be joined by pitching coach Matt LaCour, the head coach at Harvard-Westlake High School (Calif.), and assistant coaches Chan Brown (Parkview HS – Ga.) and George Sanchez (Corona del Sol HS), all of whom have previously worked in some capacity for USA Baseball and its various youth-level teams.

Meusborn – who won his 600th game as head coach at Chatsworth High School this season – and LaCour were part of the inaugural 15U National Team coaching staff that went 4-0 during its friendship series in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, last August. This year’s 15U National Team will compete in the COPABE “AA”/15U Pan American Baseball Championships, in Barranquilla, Colombia, which will be held July 26 – August 4.

Also announced was the staff that will guide USA Baseball’s first 12U National Team at the IBAF 12U World Cup in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei. Dave Webb, head coach at Corona del Sol High School in Arizona, will serve as the manager, with the assistance of Terrence Freeman (Eagle’s View Academy – Fla.), Jason Sekany (private instructor – Calif.) and Tanner Vesley (Corona del Sol HS) in the dugout.

Webb has plenty of international experience having led the 2008 and 2009 14U National Teams to gold medals in Guatemala and Ecuador. Webb will also have the benefit of having Bill Krejci on the staff as the business manager. Krejci has been the athletic director at Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa, since 2000 after 22 years as the school’s baseball coach. In addition to his duties at Southwestern, Krejci has been involved with USA Baseball for the last 18 years.

USA Baseball previously announced the coaching staff for the 2013 Collegiate National Team, with TCU’s Jim Schlossnagle tabbed as the team’s manager. Schlossnagle’s staff includes Tim Esmay (head coach, Arizona State), Mike Bianco (head coach, Ole Miss), Ed Servais (head coach, Creighton) and bullpen coach Brett Basham. Brandi Davidson and Danny Wheat, both of TCU, will serve as the team’s press officer and certified athletic trainer.

USA Baseball is still in the process of finalizing several coaching and administrative positions for its various national team programs. A final announcement will be posted to www.USABaseball.com.

A current 2013 schedule for USA Baseball competitions and events can be found by clicking here.

Press Release by USA Baseball

DURHAM, N.C. – USA Baseball released its 60-man midseason Golden Spikes Award watch list on Thursday, bringing the organization one step closer to naming the top amateur baseball player in the country.

The watch list will continue to be a “rolling” list until May 28 — when the 30 semifinalists for the award are announced — ensuring that athletes can play themselves into consideration for the award. The Golden Spikes Award trophy will be awarded live on MLB Network for the third year in a row, with a live presentation scheduled during The Rundown on Friday, July 19. Through USA Baseball’s partnership with MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM), the presentation will also be simulcast with a live stream available from GoldenSpikesAward.com and USABaseball.com.

Twenty-eight new players were added to the list since its initial release on February 14, joining 32 others from the original watch list. The Southeastern Conference led all conferences in watch-list players, placing 11 on the midseason update, while Georgia Tech and Louisiana State each placed three players on the list. Louisiana State infielder Alex Bregman and Cal State Fullerton right-handed pitcher Thomas Eshelman, the only two freshmen on the list, both played their way onto the midseason watch list with strong freshman campaigns. Among the 60 are six 2012 Golden Spikes Award semifinalists, including two of last year’s finalists, Mark Appel (RHP, senior, Stanford) and Carlos Rodon (LHP, sophomore, North Carolina State).

USA Baseball officials will announce the 30 semifinalists for the 2013 Golden Spikes Award on Tuesday, May 28. The list of 30 will then be sent to a voting body consisting of past USA Baseball National Team coaches and press officers, members of media that closely follow the amateur game, select professional baseball personnel, and current USA Baseball staff, representing a group of more than 200 voters in total.

Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2013. Tuesday, May 28, marks the day when amateur baseball fans from across the country will be able to vote for their favorite semifinalist on GoldenSpikesAward.com. As part of this selection process all voters will be asked to choose three players from the list of 30 names. On Tuesday, June 4, USA Baseball will announce the three finalists, and voting will once again commence that same day.

USA Baseball partnered with MLBAM to create GoldenSpikesAward.com in 2008. Later that year, Florida State’s Buster Posey was presented the award at MLB All-Star FanFest in New York City. Stephen Strasburg of San Diego States won the award in 2009 in St. Louis, and Bryce Harper of Southern Nevada took home the trophy from Anaheim, Calif., in 2010. UCLA’s Trevor Bauer was the 2011 winner and Florida’s Mike Zunino won the 2012 award. Bauer and Zunino accepted their trophies as part of live presentations from MLB Network’s Studio 42.

Other past winners of the Golden Spikes Award include Terry Francona (1980), Will Clark (1985), Robin Ventura (1988), Jason Varitek (1994), J.D. Drew (1997), Mark Prior (2001), Jered Weaver (2004), Tim Lincecum (2006) and David Price (2007).

Important 2013 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award dates include:

• Thursday, Feb. 14: 50-man preseason watch list released, shaped by USA Baseball officials and advisors
• Thursday, May 2: 60-man midseason watch list released, shaped by USA Baseball officials and advisors
• Tuesday, May 28: 30 semifinalists announced, selected by USA Baseball officials; semifinalist voting begins; voters to select three
• Friday, May 31: Deadline to vote for finalists, 5 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, June 4: Three finalists announced; finalist voting begins; voters to select one
• Friday, June 14: Deadline to vote for winner, 5 p.m. ET
• Friday, July 19: Live Golden Spikes Award presentation airing on MLB Network’s The Rundown

The complete 2013 midseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List is as follows:

Name, Position, Class, School, Conference (in order of last name, new players bolded)

Chris Anderson, RHP, Junior, Jacksonville, Atlantic Sun
Mark Appel, RHP, Senior, Stanford, Pac-12
Barrett Astin, RHP, Junior, Arkansas, SEC
Michael Bass, IF, Senior, UNC-W, Colonial Athletic
Tyler Beede, RHP, Sophomore, Vanderbilt, SEC
Aaron Blair, RHP, Junior, Marshall, C-USA
Matt Boyd, LHP, Senior, Oregon State, Pac-12
Alex Bregman, IF, Freshman, Louisiana State, SEC
Kris Bryant, UTL, Junior, San Diego, West Coast
Danny Collins, OF, Junior, Troy, Sun Belt
Michael Conforto, OF, Sophomore, Oregon State, Pac-12
Kyle Crockett, LHP, Junior, Virginia, ACC
LB Dantzler, IF, Senior, South Carolina, SEC
Kent Emanuel, LHP, Junior, North Carolina, ACC
Phillip Ervin, OF, Junior, Samford, SoCon
Thomas Eshelman, RHP, Freshman, Cal State Fullerton, Big West
Zane Evans, C/RHP, Junior, Georgia Tech, ACC
Buck Farmer, RHP, Senior, Georgia Tech, ACC
Johnny Field, OF, Junior, Arizona, Pac-12
Mitchell Garver, C, Senior, New Mexico, Mountain West
Marco Gonzales, LHP, Junior, Gonzaga, West Coast
Jonathan Gray, RHP, Junior, Oklahoma, Big 12
Ryon Healy, IF, Junior, Oregon, Pac-12
Jeff Hoffman, RHP, Sophomore, ECU, USA
Jason Hursh, RHP, RS Sophomore, Oklahoma St, Big 12
Eric Jagielo, IF, Junior, Notre Dame, Big East
Aaron Judge, OF, Junior, Fresno State, Mountain West
Mason Katz, IF, Senior, Louisiana State, SEC
Jared King, OF, Junior, Kansas State, Big 12
Andrew Knapp, C, Junior, California, Pac-12
Corey Knebel, RHP, Junior, Texas, Big 12
Michael Lorenzen, OF/RHP, Junior, Cal State Fullerton, Big West
Sean Manaea, LHP, Junior, Indiana State, Missouri Valley
Trey Masek, RHP, Junior, Texas Tech, Big 12
Kyle McGowin, RHP, Junior, Savannah State, Mid-Eastern
Colin Moran, IF, Junior, North Carolina, ACC
Aaron Nola, RHP, Sophomore, Louisiana State, SEC
Matt Oberste, IF, Junior, Oklahoma, Big 12
Daniel Palka, UTL, Junior, Georgia Tech, ACC
D.J. Peterson, IF, Junior, New Mexico, Mountain West
Nick Petree, RHP, RS Junior, Missouri State, Missouri Valley
Andrew Pierce, RHP, Senior, Southern Mississippi, C-USA
Adam Plutko, RHP, Junior, UCLA, Pac-12
Bryan Radziewski, LHP, Junior, Miami, ACC
Hunter Renfroe, OF, Junior, Mississippi State, SEC
Carlos Rodon, LHP, Sophomore, NC State, ACC
Kyle Schwarber, C/OF, Sophomore, Indiana, Big Ten
Jimmie Sherfy, RHP , Junior, Oregon, Pac-12
Braden Shipley, RHP, Junior, Nevada, MWC
Dan Slania, RHP, Junior, Notre Dame, Big East
Ryne Stanek, RHP, Junior, Arkansas, SEC
Jeff Thompson, RHP, Junior, Louisville, Big East
Trea Turner, IF, Sophomore, NC State, ACC
Stuart Turner, C, Junior, Mississippi, SEC
Bobby Wahl, RHP, Junior, Mississippi, SEC
Trevor Williams, RHP, Junior, Arizona State, Pac-12
Tom Windle, LHP, Junior, Minnesota, Big 10
Derrick Workman, OF, Junior, Mercer, Atlantic Sun
Jimmy Yezzo, IF, Junior, Delaware, Colonial Athletic
Kevin Ziomek, LHP, Junior, Vanderbilt, SEC

Press Release USA Baseball

USA baseball will implement a rolling invitation process for naming players to the 2013 squad. A total of 18 athletes will be identified through officially sanctioned identification events in the spring for 12U National Team Training and eventual competition at the II IBAF 12U World Cup. Players eligible for the 2013 12U National Team must be born on or after Jan. 1, 2001.

The primary identification vehicle for the 2013 USA Baseball 12U National Team will be a series of regional identification tryouts and tournaments to be held from March through May 2013. These will be sanctioned identification events that are affiliated with the USA Baseball National Team Identification Series (NTIS). Details on the tryouts and tournaments will be released on USABaseball.com as they are available. Additonal secondary events and recommendations from professional scouts, college and high school coaches, and the amateur baseball community may also be used to identify players. As players are named to the team, USA Baseball will publicize the announcement(s) through a press release and/or by posting to USABaseball.com.

Once the 18 players have been invited, they will convene at a location and time yet to be determined to participate in the 2013 USA Baseball 12U National Team Training. At the 12U Training, players will participate in practices and exhibition games as they prepare to compete in the IBAF “A” World Championships to be held in Taipei City, Taiwan, from July 20-28.

Additionally, players may qualify for the 2014 12U National Team Trials by competing in the 2013 11U NTIS. The NTIS is held each September and provides USA Baseball with an advanced look at the upcoming class of top players at the 12U, 15U, 17U and 18U competition levels.

At the NTIS, USA Baseball Task Force members will identify a minium of 16 players for the following season’s 12U National Team Trials. Players may participate in the NTIS through a regional qualification process or via the USA Stars at-large program.

Additional identification events will be held in the summer of 2014 to identify players for the 2014 12U National Team Trials. These events may include, but are not limited to, 12U USA Baseball National Team Championships tournaments and events held at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.

Information contained in this selection process document is subject to change at the sole discretion of USA Baseball and without further notice. For more information on the USA Baseball NTIS, please click HERE.

I’ve followed this World Baseball Classic all over the web reading article after article and tweet after tweet. And there is one thing that seems to stand out, which Jeff Passan said best, “Major League Baseball promotes the WBC as an entity to spread the game internationally. Turns out we’re the ones with a thing or two to learn.”

Passan wrote an article calling American fans boring. I couldn’t agree more.

Let me preface this by saying I’ve spent the last three years living in baseball crazy South Korea. Here they dance, cheer, sing, and beat their thundersticks (which they came up with) no matter what the score is in the game.

Throughout the Classic there has been a lot of, as Passan puts it, “bellyaching and bitching about the horns and flag-waving and general enthusiasm that emanates from the fan bases of Latin American teams” And it’s not just the Latin American fans. You could include the Asian Fans in that as well. The US fans just haven’t seen them in person yet.

But why are we “bellyaching and bitching”? We should embrace it and take from it, not just that it’s okay to actually cheer, that it’s okay to have fun. So much of watching a game back home in the US is either yelling at your own guys because they did something wrong or yelling at the other team because, well, they aren’t your team.

Baseball is more than that. We usually sit and wait for the big play to stand up and cheer. Why? Why can’t we stand up and cheer at any point in the game? It not only breeds excitement in the stands, but it breeds excitement on the field and the players feed off of that.

Our society as a whole is too worried about ‘showing someone up’. When you stand at home plate and admire a long home run you are showing someone up. When you are cheering for your team and you show emotion you’re not.

Maybe it’s not considered ‘politically correct’. I’m here to tell you that being “PC” will be the downfall of the West.

Baseball is an emotional game. So let’s see some of that emotion. Don’t hold it in. Let it out.

And why are so many people not on board with the WBC? Time after time I’ve seen from a so-called “baseball fan” and even a lot of reporters that cover the came that they just can’t get into it. I don’t get it.

This has been some of the most exciting baseball played in a long time. There are so many interesting story lines, upsets, Cinderella stories if you will, yet so many people can’t get behind it at all.

They say it’s boring. That just means you haven’t watched any of it.

They say the games don’t matter, yet worry about their team in spring training. I can’t even begin to point out the irony there.

I think we would all like to see the best players in the tournament. But if we are all sitting here saying it doesn’t matter, why should they play? We need to express just how much it does matter to them. Then they will be more inclined to play. But we are never going to get there with all of the negative talk about why this thing doesn’t matter.

Just read the comments of Passan’s article. They complain about him, baseball, the tournament, and the players. Some of them are so misguided it’s not even funny. Since when does football have “unrelenting action”? You watch a football game for three hours and they actually play for what 15 minutes? Since when is that “unrelenting action”?

Of course most of the ones that make the really bad comments can’t even post under their own name. There are a lot of trolls on the internet. But there are a lot of fans that seem to be misguided and that is not good for the game.

If so many people are concerned about their team, why can’t they see the bigger picture? This tournament helps the game AROUND THE WORLD! In return that only helps the big leagues. Do you really think that this tournament doesn’t matter to places like Italy or the Netherlands? Baseball got some much needed exposure in those countries which only helps in the long run.

Perhaps that’s the problem with US fans. We are too concerned about what is happening right now to even see the long term effects of the tournament. We are a society that needs instant gratification, but if the fans could only see that this tournament helps their Dodgers or Yankees or Red Sox in the long run maybe they could support it a little more.

As a fan of the game, and a fan of growing the game worldwide, it’s frustrating to see so many fans, and at times writers, bash the tournament and say it is meaningless. They just don’t get it, but hopefully one day they will.

Keep up the good work Jeff Passan. Even if you write things that many American fans can’t stomach.

Edit: I wanted to clarify two points that I have seem to blend together here. Here is point #1

Figueroa Pitches Puerto Rico Past U.S., Into Semifinals

By Gabriel Fidler (@gabrielfidler)

Puerto Rico scored a run in the first inning and Nelson Figueroa made it stand it up with six scoreless frames, and the team withstood a late rally from the United States to qualify for the World Baseball Classic semifinals. The 4-3 decision eliminated the U.S. from the WBC almost exactly four years to the day after the Americans sent Puerto Rico home in the second Classic.

Angel Pagan showed why he is considered the sparkplug of the Puerto Rican offence with a game-opening single up-the-middle off U.S. starter Ryan Vogelsong. The San Fransisco Giants’ pitcher got two quick outs, but Puerto Rico staged a two-out rally.

With the infield playing toward the middle, Yadier Molina drove a pitch the other way and reached on a single through a big hole on the right side of the infield. Mike Aviles then stroked a ball between first and second to score Pagán from second. The single drove in his eighth run of the tournament, tied for third-best.

Vogelsong denied Alex Riíos a chance to drive home the runners on the corners with a popout, but Puerto Rico had a 1-0 lead.

Nelson Figueroa took the hill in the bottom of the first and worked around an error by Aviles, inducing a double play by Ryan Braun with one out to end the frame. Neither starter allowed a hit in the second.

Puerto Rico had another chance in the third. Pagán worked a free pass to start the inning, by Jesús Feliciano grounded into a double play. The 3-6-1 twin killing would save a run, as Carlos Beltrán ripped his only hit of the ballgame into the right field corner for a double. Yadier Molina popped the next pitch to third to keep the U.S.’ deficit at one.

The fourth and fifth innings were quiet as the two nations received good innings from their hurlers. Vogelsong would leave with two outs in the fifth inning after nearing his pitch limit, and Vinnie Pestano took over with Beltrán on first after a walk.

Pestano gave up a single to Aviles and then loaded the bases on a base on balls to Ríos, hitting only .156 in the Classic. With left-handed hitting Carlos Rivera due up, Greg Maddux, pitching coach for the Americans, visited the mound and left the righty Pestano in the game. Despite Jeremy Affeldt, a southpaw with World Series experience, warming in the pen, Pestano was allowed to pitch to Rivera.

The Mexican leaguer earned a walk on six pitches, scoring a second run for Puerto Rico. Pestano was allowed to remain in the game and, after working an 0-2 count on Andy González, left a slider in the zone. González crushed the pitch into the left field corner for a two-run double, and Puerto Rico’s lead grew to 4-0.

U.S. manager Joe Torre finally yanked his struggling reliever and sent in Affeldt. The lefty got a one-pitch groundball from Irving Falú and the nightmarish inning was finally over.

Figueroa remained on the hill for the sixth. He gave up the second hit of the game for the red, white, and blue, but then struck out Brandon Phillips, who reached in every other plate appearance in the game. Molina finished the inning by throwing a laser to second to erase Jimmy Rollins, who was trying to steal.

Affeldt stayed on for a scoreless seventh, though Pagán reached on a bouncer to the left side and created havoc at first base until Affeldt retired the side. The U.S. would finally score their first run in the bottom of the frame, the longest it had ever taken the team to plate a run in a WBC game.

Joe Mauer stroked a triple into the gap in right centre with one out, and Giancarlo Stanton sent him home with a single to left off reliever Giovanni Soto. He was forced out on a grounder, but Eric Hosmer rapped a single to centre to put two runners on. José de la Torre, who pitched Puerto Rico out of a jam against Italy two days earlier, got Adam Jones to strike out looking for the third out.

Heath Bell kept Puerto Rico off the board in the eighth, and the American offence kept clicking after another de la Torre strikeout of Shane Victorino. Rollins singled to right and Phillips beat out a slow roller to shortstop to put two runners on.

Braun ripped a two-bagger into the left field corner to plate Rollins, and the U.S. had narrowed the score to 4-2. Puerto Rican manager Edwin Rodriguez summoned Xavier Cedeno to face Mauer, but the star catcher worked a six-pitch walk.

Fernando Cabrera was next out of the bullpen for Rodríguez and got the second out from Stanton on an eight-pitch at bat. Cabrera then walked Zobrist on four pitches, forcing in a run and narrowing Puerto Rico’s lead to one.

Rodríguez continued to work the lefty-right matchups and brought in southpaw J.C. Romero to face Hosmer. With right-handers Jonathan Lucroy and J.P. Arencibia on the bench, Torre left in Hosmer, who was 1-for-31 against left-handed relievers in 2012. The pitching substitution worked magic for Puerto Rico as Romero generated an easy tapper to second, and the game moved to the ninth with the score 4-3 in Puerto Rico’s favour.

Craig Kimbrel, who took the loss after a brutal outing the night before, pitched the ninth. The red, white, and blue closer worked around a leadoff hit to hold Puerto Rico scoreless, giving the U.S. hitters one final chance to tie the game.

Romero stayed on to close and looked extremely good. The veteran pounded his sinker low in the zone, mixing in the occasional changeup and slider and got Jones to strike out on six pitches. He turned up the heat on Victorino, catching him looking for a three-pitch strikeout.

Rollins then flew out to Pagán, who waited just long enough for the ball to settle in his glove before jumping in celebration as the Puerto Rican bench mobbed Romero on the mound. The victory was the biggest upset in recent memory for Puerto Rico, ranked No. 12 in the world, in recent memory.

The 2013 World Baseball Classic is over for the second-rated U.S. team, continuing their streak of disappointment in the tournament. Puerto Rico joins a semifinals that does not include the top two teams in the world, though it does feature two-time defending WBC champions and third-ranked Japan, No. 7 Netherlands, the most recent world champion, and a loaded Dominican Republic team.

Rollins and Phillips both had two hits for the losers, who had eight hits and drew three walks. The Americans left seven runners on base. The bottom five in the order was 2-for-22, struck out four times, and left 11 men stranded.

Pagán raised his WBC average to .391 with a 2-for-3 day, scoring once and drawing a walk. Aviles joined him with a brace of hits and the team struck out only twice against U.S. pitching, drawing four walks and collecting nine hits.

Vogelsong was the hard-luck loser, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks, whiffing one in 5 2/3. Figueroa improved to 2-0 in the Classic, lowering his ERA to 1.80 with six scoreless innings. He surrendered only two hits and a base on balls, striking out two. Romero earned his first save of the tourney.

Puerto Rico will have only a few hours to prepare for their final game of the second round. It takes on an undefeated Dominican Republic side to determine the seeding for the semifinals. The contest starts at 6 p.m. GMT on Mar. 16.

Check back for news and analysis of that game and the championship round of the World Baseball Classic.

Dominican Republic Upsets USA, Advances in WBC

By Gabriel Fidler (@gabrielfidler)

In a game that truly earned the title of World Baseball Classic, Erick Aybar delivered a pinch hit, go-ahead single in the ninth inning to lead the Dominican Republic in a 3-1 victory over the United States. The dramatic victory qualified the Dominicans for the semifinal round and pushed the U.S.A. within one loss of elimination.

Both teams featured dominant pitching throughout the game, with neither nation able to mount a consistent offence. Despite the absence of ‘Captain America’, David Wright, the U.S. struck in the first against Samuel Deduno, who otherwise had a stellar performance.

Deduno, coming off a strong showing against Spain in the first round, looked shaky to start the game. He gave up a one-out single to Brandon Phillips before getting Ryan Braun swinging. Joe Mauer stroked a one-base hit off Deduno before Giancarlo Stanton bounced a ball up the middle that was stopped by a diving Jose Reyes. Reyes could not get a strong enough toss to second for the forceout and the U.S. had the bases jammed.

Deduno briefly lost control of the strike zone against Eric Hosmer, who took a four-pitch free pass to push across the first run for the U.S. The Dominican hurler followed with a full count against Adam Jones, but dropped a curveball down the heart of the plate to catch Jones looking. It was the last time that the U.S. would have multiple runners on base.

R.A. Dickey started for the United States and had a better feel of his knuckleball than in his first WBC start, but after retiring the first four Dominican batters, left a knuckler in Hanley Ramirez’s wheelhouse. Ramírez crushed the ball to the walkway in left centre, striking the ‘427 foot’ sign with the ball.

Dickey almost ran in to trouble with two outs in the inning after a single by Carlos Santana, sending him to second on a wild pitch. The right-hander got out of the frame with a groundball to keep the score level.

J.P. Arencibia led off the bottom of the second with a single against Deduno. After the runner advanced to second on a sacrifice, Deduno bore down, striking out Jimmy Rollins looking and getting a grounder from Phillips.

The Dominicans got two hits in the third, but Dickey once more battled out of the jam, and the two starters traded zeroes through the fourth. Deduno hit his pitch count after four, but struck out seven while scattering seven baserunners. The U.S. had a runner on base in all four of his frames, but Deduno worked around it every time with a tight curveball to compliment his 92-mph/148-kmh tailing fastball.

Dickey lasted five frames before exiting at the pitch limit. After a booming double by Nelson Cruz with one out in the fourth, Dickey sent down the final five batters he faced. He struck out four, walked one, and surrendered five hits.

From the bottom of the fifth onward, it was a battle of the bullpens. Both teams were up to the task, with each registering only one hit between the fifth and eighth innings. Kelvin Herrera was particularly impressive in relief of Deduno, working through the heart of the US order in the fifth and sixth, allowing no hits or base on balls.

Luke Gregerson, Tim Collins, and Steve Cishek worked the sixth through eight innings for U.S. manager Joe Torre. Cishek hurled an impressive 1-2-3 inning in the eighth against Robinson Cano, Edwin Encarnacion, and Ramírez, catching the latter looking on strike three and leaping off the mound with a triumphant fist pump.

The U.S. got only their sixth hit of the game in the eighth, but Pedro Strop was not troubled by the Mauer safety, striking out Giancarlo Stanton looking and getting a fly ball from Eric Hosmer to send the game to the ninth.

Torre sent in his closer, Craig Kimbrel, with the game tied at one and the 6-7-8 hitters due up for the Dominican Republic. Cruz torched his second double of the game, this time sending it to the opposite alley from his first two-bagger.

Stanton, the rightfielder for the Americans, made a nice play to cut off the ball, diving to catch the ball off one bounce and throwing a laser into second, just behind Cruz. Kimbrel gave up only one double in all of 2012 while finishing games for the Atlanta Braves.

Santana bounced out slowly to second, and Cruz was off with the pitch, making it to third without drawing a throw. With Ricardo Nanita, the only member of the Dominican lineup without big league experience due up, Dominican skipper Tony Pena sent in pinch hitter Erick Aybar.

Aybar took a called strike two on a horrendous call by the home plate umpire, bounding out of the box in disbelief, but ripped the next ball to shallow right field. Cruz came racing home with the Dominicans’ first run since the second inning, and Aybar had a RBI-single as the well-represented Dominican fans erupted into pandemonium. The dugout for the visitors erupted as well, and Cruz was battered with praise as he made his way to the bench.

Peña’s men were not finished with Kimbrel, as Aybar took off for second on the next batter, stealing second base and putting another run in scoring position. Kimbrel got out number two on a strikeout, but Reyes struck a single to left field and Aybar sprinted home to make it 3-1. By this point, both the players and fans for the Dominican Republic were in an absolute frenzy as the U.S.’ fans looked on helplessly.

Torre had finally had enough from Kimbrel, who had a 1.01 ERA in 2012, inserting Mitchell Boggs. Boggs got a ground ball to put an end to the rally, but the Dominican Republic had firmly taken the momentum.

Fernando Rodney entered to close out the game and did just that. Peña’s stopper got a 1-2-3 inning, striking out one for his fourth save of the Classic, tied for most all-time. Strop improved to 3-0, setting WBC records for most wins in a tournament and eclipsing the previous mark for career victories by a reliever.

While Aybar may have been the player of the game, Cruz and Santana each notched two hits to lead the Dominican. U.S. pitchers struck out nine of their opponents and held the Dominicans hitless with runners in scoring position until Kimbrel’s implosion.

Kimbrel suffered his first loss for Team U.S.A., ruining a night that had seen the Americans hold the powerful Dominican bats to six hits until the ninth frame. Mauer was the sole hitting star for the U.S., collecting a pair of safeties to raise his average in the tournament to .444.

The red, white, and blue certainly missed the contributions of Wright, who came in hitting .438 with a Classic-leading 10 RBI. The team was only 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and struck out nine times while leaving eight runners stranded.

Wright will be questionable with a sore back for the Americans’ next game against Puerto Rico. Torre will only have a day to regroup before facing intra-national rivals in Marlins Park. Game time is scheduled for 7 pm. EST on Mar. 15. The loser will return home, while the winner will join the Netherlands, Japan, and the Dominican Republic in San Francisco.

Before flying across the country, the Dominicans will have one more game to determine whether they will face the Dutch or the Japanese in AT&T Park. The 1 p.m. EST game on Mar. 16 will pit them against the winner of the U.S.-Puerto Rico contest.

Stay tuned for coverage of the final two games of the second round and the single-elimination finals of the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

David Wright was pulled from Team USA’s World Baseball Classic game on Thursday with the Dominican Republic due to a rib injury. Captain America, as he has been named due to his earlier WBC heroics, will miss the rest of Round 2 and possibly the rest of the WBC if Team USA advances.

Wright has been one of the catalyst to get the USA to this point in the Classic. He is hitting .438 (7 for 16) and is leading the WBC in RBI with 10. However, it doesn’t appear he will get to improve on that.

Manager Joe Torre doesn’t expect to have Wright back in the lineup and has replaced him with Willie Bloomquist.

It was a team decision involving Team USA and New York Mets medical staffs to sit Wright. He really wanted to play and wasn’t pulled until just before the first pitch.  However, Wright understands why the decision was made.

Wright knows the first priority is to be ready for the New York Mets Opening Day game, so now is not the time to play through an injury even if it isn’t very painful to play with.

Unfortunately for Team USA, Wright cannot be replaced at this point in time. The only time a roster move can be made mid-round is if a catcher gets hurt or there is a family emergency. He can be replaced if the team makes the Championship Round in San Francisco. All that is needed for that is a win against Puerto Rico on Friday night.

One of the most anticipated match ups has finally arrived. The USA will face the Dominican Republic on Thursday night in Miami to see who will get the first bid from Pool 2 into the Championship Series in San Francisco.

Both teams have been on a roll of late and feature two of the hottest hitters in the Classic. The Dominican’s Robinson Cano is leading the tournament in hits (12), doubles (4), and total bases (22). Plus he is hitting .632 with a pair of home runs.

David Wright might not be leading the Classic in hitting, but he is have a great tournament. He is hitting .438 with two doubles and a home run. And he has had some huge hits leading the Classic in RBI with 10.

But who will be getting the start on the mound? Let’s take a look.

USA

The USA will be starting the reigning N.L. Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey. Dickey didn’t have a great start in the opening game against Mexico. He gave up four runs in four innings. He didn’t walk a batter, but he did give up six hits.

Dickey will look to get his knuckleball tumbling on Thursday. He will be facing a strong Dominican lineup.

Dominican Republic

Sam Deduno will get the start for the Dominican. He started 15 games last season with the Minnesota Twins going 6-5 with a 4.44 ERA.

The 29-year old has spent most of his career in the minor leagues compiling a 45-45 record over 169 games (140 starts). He has struggled with his control in the big leagues walking 53 batters in 79.0 innings in 2012. However, over eight minor league seasons he has averaged 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

The winner of the game will have a ticket to the Championship Round in San Francisco. The loser will face Puerto Rico in an elimination game on Friday March 15.

Captain America Strikes Again in US Win

By Gabriel Fidler (@gabrielfidler)

David Wright, dubbed ‘Captain America’ after his clutch grand slam against Italy, came through again in the second round of the World Baseball Classic. The U.S. third baseman doubled his WBC-leading RBI total to 10 in a 7-1 victory over Puerto Rico.

The final score was not indicative of how hard a battle this was for the U.S. Four of the runs came in the Americans’ last two times at bat, as Puerto Rican pitching kept them off balance for most of the game.

The U.S. was first to score, plating a run in the opening frame. Ryan Braun walked against Mario Santiago and scored on a double by Joe Mauer, who reached base four times in the game.

Puerto Rico, which scored the fewest runs of any team to make the second round, looked helpless against Gio Gonzalez, making his first appearance in the Classic. The southpaw did not allow more than one baserunner to reach base in any inning, regularly hitting the mid-90s/low-150s with a nasty two-seam fastball and using a nifty curve.

The red, white, and blue gave González an insurance run in the third inning. Brandon Phillips stroked a hit to left to start the frame, and Ryan Braun followed with an infield hit to the hole at shortstop. After a walk to Mauer loaded the bases, Wright drove in his first run on a grounder. The U.S. would leave two on in the inning, but took a 2-0 lead.

Neither team threatened in the fourth, and González finished his outing with a 1-2-3 fifth, striking out two batters. The U.S. fell short of another big inning in the bottom of the frame, but pushed across its third run.

Rollins singled to right and moved over on a sacrifice bunt. Santiago struck out Ryan Braun, but strike three bounced away from catcher Yadier Molina and Braun raced to first. That was all for Santiago, who went 4 1/3 innings. Andres Santiago walked Mauer to load the bases and Wright came through with a RBI single through the right side of the infield. Puerto Rico got the next two outs, but it was now 3-0.

Neither nation added to the scoreboard in the sixth, and Vinnie Pestano followed Jeremy Affeldt’s scoreless sixth with his own in the seventh. The U.S. once more scraped together a run, this time with two outs. Eric Hosmer beat out an infield hit to shortstop and stole second base. Adam Jones laced a single to centre to make it 4-0.

Puerto Rico finally got on the board in the eighth. Pinch hitter Jesus Feliciano was hit to start the frame and moved to third on a double by Eddie Rosario, a 21-year old top Minnesota Twins’ prospect. Feliciano scored on a grounder by Ángel Pagán. David Hernandez prevented Puerto Rico from getting any closer, though.

With the U.S. only now firmly in control, three more insurance runs were tallied in the bottom of the frame. Jimmy Rollins started things off with a single over second base and Braun beat out another ground ball single to the left side of the infield.

Joe Mauer earned his third free pass to load the bases, but Wright once more stepped up, crushing a double to deep centre, the longest ball hit during the game. He was stranded at second, but Craig Kimbrel got three outs in the ninth and the 7-1 score was final.

The irony of Wright’s moniker is that it was cemented in a game which featured two teams from the United States, as Puerto Rico is a territorial dependency. Wright tied Hisayoshi Chono, who hit the mark earlier in the day, and Jose Abreu for most RBI in a game in the 2013 Classic. The mark is still short of Ken Griffey, Jr.’s memorable seven RBI-day in 2006 against South Africa.

Rollins, Braun, and Giancarlo Stanton joined Wright with two hits, with the first hitters scoring twice as well. Puerto Rican pitching kept the U.S. from finding its groove until the eighth inning, as the U.S. stranded 12 runners and hit 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

Rosario was the only Puerto Rican with two knocks against the U.S. The team banged out only seven hits and was 0-for-7 with baserunners on second or third.

Mario Santiago took the loss, though he pitched out of two predicaments in his 4 1/3 frames. He gave up three runs on five hits and two walks, striking out three with a 96-mph/154-kmh fastball. Six other pitchers toed the rubber for Puerto Rico, with José de la Torre’s sixth inning the most impressive. The Boston Red Sox minor league struck out Rollins, Phillips, and Braun with two on.

González got his first WBC victory for the U.S. He hurled five shutout innings, allowing just three hits while whiffing five. Five relievers closed out the game.

Italy and Puerto Rico will battle to remain in the World Baseball Classic on Mar. 13 at 7 p.m. EST in Marlins Park. The loser will go home in the double-elimination bracket. The United States will have a day off to prepare for the Dominican Republic on Mar. 14 at 7 p.m. EST. The winner will automatically qualify for the semifinals in San Francisco.

Stay tuned for news and analysis of the rest of the Classic.

Round 2 kicked off today in Miami for Pool 2. The second game of the day features the USA vs Puerto Rico in should be a very good game. However, the starting pitchers in the game are quite different when it comes to experience. One has only reached the highest minor league level in 2011. While  his opponent was winning 20 games in the big leagues last season.

Puerto Rico

Mario Santiago will get the start for Puerto Rico. He was drafted in the 16th round in 2005 and pitched seven seasons in the minor leagues reaching as high as Triple-A in 2011. However, he was out of organized baseball in 2012 only pitching in the Puerto Rican Winter League where he struggled. In 2012 for Carolina, he went 1-3 in five games with an ERA north of eight.

Santiago pitched in the 2009 WBC going 1-1 with 11 strikeouts and a 0.75 ERA. He has not pitched for Puerto Rico so far in 2013.

USA

The USA will send a 21-game winner from a year ago to the hill, the Washington Nationals Gio Gonzalez. He led the league in wins and finished third in the Cy Young Award voting. He had a great year for the Nationals and looks to continue that in the WBC.

In 2012, he set a Nationals club record for pitching 25 consecutive scoreless innings. He also ranked third in the league with 8.8 strikeouts per 9 innings by a lefty.

Gonzalez has not pitched for the USA in previous WBCs or so far this season. He will be making his debut today.

U.S. Escapes Canada, Advances to WBC Second Round

By Gabriel Fidler (@gabrielfidler)

The United States, ranked second in the global baseball charts, survived a tenacious Canadian team and piled on two big innings late in the game in a 9-4 victory. The Pool D finale was a winner-take-all event, and it was the U.S. who will advance to Miami to join Italy, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico as the top seed from the pool.

Both countries received battling efforts from their starters, each of whom gave up two runs in a single inning, but faced several threats. Sixth-rated Canada’s relief pitchers could not keep up with talents of the U.S. all-stars.

It appeared that the Americans would strike first when David Wright led off the top of the second with a booming double to the wall in right centre. He moved to third on a fielding error that put runners on first and second. Adam Jones bunted Wright and Ben Zobrist over, but Wright was caught in a rundown on a sharply struck ground ball off the bat of Eric Hosmer and the U.S. failed to score.

It was Canada who first claimed the lead against U.S. starter Derek Holland. In the bottom of the frame, Justin Morneau led off with a double on the first offering from Holland, and two pitches later, left-handed hitting Michael Saunders blasted a two-run homer off the southpaw. The four-bagger to the right field corner gave Canada a 2-0 lead. Holland gave up two more hits in the inning but kept the margin at two.

After the rough second inning, Maple Leaf starter Jameson Taillon settled in for the third, striking out two in the 1-2-3 frame. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ top prospect caught both Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Braun looking.

Canada failed to add to their lead in the third and the U.S. figured out Taillon. Joe Mauer started things off with a hit and moved over on a walk to Wright. Ben Zobrist tapped a bouncer between the pitcher’s mound and third base, and beat out a wild throw from Taylor Green. The throwing error caused Mauer to score and Zobrist moved to third with no outs. Jones had another sacrifice to drive in a run, this time of fly ball variety, and the score remained 2-2 through four.

Both teams were retired 1-2-3 in the fifth, with Dustin Molleken taking over for Taillon, who allowed one earned run on four hits and a walk. Holland went five innings, retiring the final seven batters he faced, though he had to settle for the no decision. He struck out four and surrendered two runs, also allowing four hits and a base on balls.

Canada took back the lead in the sixth. Joey Votto walked and went to second on Justin Morneau’s second safety of the game. New U.S. pitcher Glen Perkins looked like he might work out of the predicament after catching Saunders looking at strike three and inducing a fly ball for the second out, but Adam Loewen ripped a RBI-single to make it 3-2.

A pressing American offence got two hits in the seventh and had runners on second and third with one out, but PhillippeAumontretired Brandon Phillips and Ryan Braun. The Philadelphia Phillies’ pitcher pumped his fists in exultation after Braun grounded out and Canada needed only two more outs to advance.

Desperate for an insurance run, Heath Bell registered a three-up, three-down inning for Canada in the seventh and turned the ball over to the U.S. hitters for the eighth.

Joe Mauer bounced a ball up-the-middle to lead off the frame, going to second on a walk to Wright. Zobrist tried unsuccessfully to bunt the runners over, popping out to the catcher for the first out. Jones picked up his teammate with a two-run double to deep left centre and gave the U.S. its first lead in the game. Shane Victorino made up for back-to-back strikeouts with runners on with a single through the hole into left field to make it 5-2.

David Hernández, rusty from over a week without use, was the recipient of some bad luck in the bottom of the eighth, giving up a run on two infield singles and one safety to the outfield on a 10-pitch at bat to plucky Canadian catcher Chris Robinson. The RBI went to Loewen, who scored Votto on a groundball. U.S. manager Joe Torre once more used his bullpen well, inserting Steve Cishek with two outs and runners on second and third and getting a ground ball out to end the threat.

With the score now 5-4, the red, white, and blue looked to regain the momentum and add an insurance run to the score, but they got their best offensive output of the tournament. Phillips started with a double and came around to tie the game on a Jonathan Lucroy safety. A third walk to Wright and an infield hit to Zobrist loaded the bases, and Hosmer, a late addition to the squad, roped a long double to centre to make it 9-3. The two-bagger was his third hit of the game.

Craig Kimbrel, the U.S. closer, exhibited filthy stuff in the bottom of the ninth, averaging 95/153 on a late-tailing fastball to catch two batters looking, including slugger Votto to end the game.

The win went to Bell and the loss to Henderson, who started the disastrous eighth inning. Both Torre and Team Canada skipper Ernie Whitt used six pitchers in the game.

Canada left eight men on base and hit .273 with runners in scoring position, while the US stroke a .353 mark in the same situations. Zobrist had three infield singles to pace the American team in hits. Jones and Hosmer each drove in three and Wright crossed the plate on three different occasions. Braun and Rollins both had stolen bases.

Canada is eliminated from the World Baseball Classic with a 4-2 record in all rounds, leaving them at 9-5 all-time. The United States will face the loser of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico contest on Mar. 13 at 1 a.m. GMT. Stay tuned for more recaps, news, and analysis.

Today Canada and the USA play for all the marbles. The winner goes on to the second round and the loser goes home. So who will they start in the big game? Let’s take a look.

USA

Derek Holland of the Texas Rangers gets the start for Team USA. He had an up and down year in 2012 going 12-7 with a 4.67 ERA in 29 games.

He is best remembered by Rangers fans for his Game 4 performance in the 2011 World Series. He tossed 8.1 innings of shutout ball en route to the win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

This is his first time pitching in the WBC.

Canada

Jameson Taillon gets the start for Team Canada. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 21-year old hard throwing right-hander is one of the top pitching prospects in baseball.

In 2012, he pitched in the minor leagues mostly for Single-A Bradenton. He did pitch in three games at the Double-A level having some success.

If the World Baseball Classic wants to be taken as seriously as they want to, they need to change a thing or two.

The biggest thing is setting up a system of who will need to re-qualify for the next WBC. There is nothing written anywhere in the rules that states who has to go through re-qualification. Why not?

Perhaps they were waiting for a possible scenario. One that we may see come to fruition on Sunday after noon in Phoenix.

When the USA plays Canada, a lot is at stake. It was thought by many that the USA was one of the favorites to win the entire tournament. Already after two games, they are fighting for their lives. Not just in the 2013 WBC, but also for the 2017 Classic.

If the USA loses to Canada, it will finish last in Pool D. The general thought has been that the teams who finish fourth in the first round pools will have to re-qualify. So what happens if the USA has to re-qualify?

So far the tournament semifinals and finals have always been held here in the USA, along with one of the opening rounds. Could the USA having to re-qualify change things for 2017?

Major League Baseball puts a lot into the WBC and it depends on the support not only from the teams but from the fans here as well. This is an interesting development that could have ramifications that no one can see yet.

So, is the WBC waiting to see what happens before announcing who has to re-qualify? What other criteria could they use? Would they come up with some formula using runs scored and allowed to determine it similar to the tie breaker rule?

If they did that after the US is knocked out, it will diminish any efforts they have made to be taken seriously. You can’t go about making the rules after the fact to suit your wants is not the way to run a world event.

Which brings me to the next thing they need to change.

I understand that they want to guarantee each team three games, but is that more important than determining the best teams on the field rather than through some mathematical formula? Bring back the double-elimination style first round and do away with this Team Quality Balance stuff that dictates who moves on when there is a tie.

We watch the WBC because it brings together the best from each country. So let them play it out on the field and nor rely on math to determine who goes home and who doesn’t.

I’d like to hear your thoughts as well. Leave a comment below and let us know.

The USA is coming off a disappointing opening game loss to Mexico. With the 2012 N.L. Cy Young Award winner pitching, the USA figured to be a little more competitive, but credit Mexico for shutting down the big USA bats.

Italy, on the other hand, is on a roll. The upset Mexico to open the WBC. Then they demolished Canada run-ruling them in the eighth innings.

With a loss, the USA would all be out and Italy would win the pool. So let’s take a look at the starting pitchers.

USA

The San Francisco Giants Ryan Vogelsong will get the start for Team USA. In 2012, he went 14-9 in 31 starts with a 3.37 ERA. He was at his best in the postseason. In four starts, he went 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA helping the Giants win the World Series.

Originally drafted by the Giants in the 1998 Draft, Vogelsong failed to catch on with a team as a starter. So, he headed for Japan in 2007 where he pitched for three seasons. Finally getting his chance in 2011, he made the most of it.

Italy

Getting the start for Italy will be Luca Panerati who spent the 2012 season pitching for Fortitudo Bologna of the Italian Baseball League. In 2012, he went 8-4 with a 3.28 ERA in 82.1 innings.

Panerati pitched in the US minor leagues from 2008-2011 pitching as high as Single-A.

He has international experience. In 2007, at the age of 17, he pitched in a win against the USA at the World Cup. It was the only loss for the USA in the tournament and the first time in 21 years that Italy had beaten the USA. He pitched in the 2009 WBC but only for a third of an inning.

Mexico is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Italy yesterday, and today they will have to face one of the favorites in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, Team USA. This will be Team USA’s first game of the Classic. They have yet to win a title, so they will be looking to get off to a strong start. Here are the starting pitchers for each team.

Mexico

Milwaukee Brewers 16-game winner Yovani Gallardo will get the start for Mexico. Gallardo went 16-9 in 2012 for the Brewers. He posted a 3.66 ERA in the process striking out 204 in 204 innings.

Gallardo is a strikeout pitcher. In his 4+ seasons at the MLB level, he has pitched 916.1 innings and collected 936 strikeouts. That is 9.2 per 9 innings over his career. Each of his four full seasons he has posted 200+ strikeouts.

Gallardo is a big time pitcher who will need to step up against Team USA. This is his first appearance in the WBC.

USA

Team USA will start the reigning N.L. Cy Young Award winner, R.A. Dickey of the Toronto Blue Jays. Last season with the New York Mets, Dickey went 20-6 and posted an ERA of 2.73.

Dickey has spent parts of 10 seasons at the Major League level with the Rangers, Mariners, and Mets. As a college standout, from the University of Tennessee, Dickey pitched in the 1996 Olympics winning a bronze medal with Team USA. He started two games in the Olympics and won both. This is his first WBC.

Team USA announced its star studded provisional roster for the 2013 World Baseball Classic on Thursday. The 28-man team includes 13 position players and 15 pitchers (1 still to be announced) with only four players returning from the 2009 squad.

Returning are Mets third baseman David Wright, outfielders Ryan Braun and Shane Victorino, and short stop Jimmy Rollins. They helped the USA to a 4th place finish losing to eventual champion Japan in the semifinals.

The starting pitching is lead by 2012 NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey followed by the Giants Ryan Vogelsong, the Ranger Derek Holland, and the Braves Kris Medlen. The bullpen is anchored by the Braves Craig Kimbrel and will feature 10 relievers. The final pitching spot is thought to be held for Justin Verlander depending on how he feels after he starts throwing.

The bullpen is full of strong relievers including Chris Perez and Vinnie Pestano of the Indians, Steve Cishek (Marlins), Heath Bell (D-backs), Glen Perkins (Twins), Luke Gregerson (Padres), Jeremy Affeldt (Giants), Mitchell Boggs (Cardinals), and Tim Collins (Royals).

The starting eight is shaping up to be Braun, Adam Jones (Orioles), and Giancarlo Stanton (Marlins) in the outfield. Around the horn will be Mark Teixeira (Yankees) at first, Brandon Phillips (Reds) at second, Rollins at short, and Wright at third with Joe Mauer (Twins) behind the plate.

The bench shapes up with Willie Bloomquist (D-backs), Victorino, Ben Zobrist (Rays), with backup catchers Jonathan Lucroy (Brewers) and J.P. Arencibia (Blue Jays).

The American team has never reached the finals in the two previous WBCs. Joe Torre and his staff have their work cut out for them this year. Each team has until February 20th to finalize their rosters.

2013 TEAM USA ROSTER

Press Release USA Baseball

USA Baseball announced Sunday the naming of Wright State baseball coach Rob Cooper as manager of the 2013 18U National Team. Cooper will be making his managerial debut for Team USA after previously wearing the red, white and blue as part of the coaching staff of the 2007 and 2009 Collegiate National Teams.

“Rob Cooper’s extensive background as a successful college head coach and member of our 2007 and 2009 Collegiate National Teams’ coaching staffs makes him a perfect fit to be the field manager for the 2013 18U National Team,” said Brant Ust, USA Baseball’s 18U National Team Director. “Additionally, as a coach at last summer’s inaugural 17U National Team Development Program, Rob had the opportunity to become familiar with some of the players who will ultimately comprise the Tournament of Stars and 18U National Team player pools. USA Baseball is excited to have Rob as the manager who will guide the 18U National Team in defending the gold at this year’s IBAF 18U World Championships.”

“I’m extremely honored to be given this opportunity,” said Cooper.  “One of my career goals was to manage a USA national team and have the chance to play for a gold medal.  This is going to be my career highlight and I am very excited about it.”

Cooper enters his ninth season at the helm of the Raiders in 2013.  He has guided his teams to seven-straight 30+ win seasons, has made five appearances in the Horizon League Championship Game, winning three of them, and has led WSU to three NCAA Regional berths.

He has directed the program to over 250 victories, with his 2007 squad setting the school standard with 21 wins in Horizon League play. He is one of only five coaches to lead his team to multiple Division I NCAA Tournaments at Wright State, guiding the Raiders to a regional in 2006, 2009 and 2011. He has watched 21 of his players sign professional contracts, seven of those being selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, while four players have garnered All-American honors, 45 players have been selected to the All-League teams and 16 players have earned All-Newcomer honors.

During the 2012 campaign, career win #250 came at UIC on April 22 in the form of a 4-3 decision. The Raiders also posted the program’s second-longest winning streak ever as the Raiders reeled off 14 straight victories during March and April, outscored their opponents 185-67 in the process.

The 2011 season saw Cooper win his second straight Horizon League Coach of the Year award and record his 200th coaching victory with an 8-2 decision at home over Youngstown State on March 26. The Raiders won their second straight Horizon League regular-season title with a 16-7 record, claimed the league tournament crown by winning three straight games and advanced to the NCAA Regionals in College Station, Texas.

In 2010, Cooper was selected as the Horizon League Coach of the Year as WSU finished 31-25, including a win over a #1-ranked team for the second straight season with a 2-1 decision at Virginia on March 5. The Raiders won the Horizon League regular-season title with a mark of 17-6, the first regular-season conference crown for the program since the 1997 squad won the Midwestern Collegiate Conference title. Wright State then advanced to the championship round of the league tournament before falling twice to Milwaukee.

The 2009 Wright State team compiled a 33-30 overall record, including an 8-5 victory at #1-ranked Georgia on March 24. The schedule included four teams ranked among the top-25 and a handful of national powers that received votes during the season. WSU claimed victories over national contenders Tulane, Kent State and UNC Wilmington on the road, while facing the #1-ranked team five times during the season (four games at Texas A&M, one game at Georgia).

Before coming to WSU, Cooper served as the hitting coach, recruiting coordinator and bench coach at Oral Roberts University.  Cooper began his coaching career at national power Miami (FL), spending two seasons (1994-95) as a student/graduate assistant on the Hurricanes’ staff. While at Miami, Cooper helped lead the Hurricanes to College World Series berths in 1994 and 1995.  After spending the 1996 season as an assistant and team academic coordinator at Wake Forest, he then moved on to Tulane for the next two seasons, serving as the Green Wave’s hitting coach. During his tenure as an assistant coach at Miami and Tulane, his teams advanced to NCAA Tournaments in 1994-95 (Miami) and 1998 (Tulane). In 1997, the Green Wave won the Conference USA regular-season crown.

Cooper left Tulane following the 1998 season and returned to Sacramento City College, where he starred in the early 1990′s before lettering at Miami in 1993. In his first season at Sac City, Cooper helped guide SCC to the California Community College State Tournament championship. Sac City was then the runner-up in 2002.

Along with his college coaching experience, Cooper also was an associate scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1990-92.

Cooper earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Miami in 1994 and a master’s in sports sciences/administration from Miami in 1996. He and his wife, Maureen, reside in the Beavercreek area and have two children, Jake and Tyson.

Wright State kicks off the 2013 baseball campaign with the First Pitch Banquet on Tuesday, January 22, at WSU’s Nutter Center, with former Major League pitcher Dave Stewart the keynote speaker.  The season begins at the USA Baseball National Training Complex Classic in Cary, North Carolina, February 15-17, with the home opener set for Tuesday, February 26, at 5:00 against Xavier.

About USA Baseball
USA Baseball is the national governing body for the sport of baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). The organization selects and trains the World Baseball Classic, World Cup and Pan American teams (and all other USA Baseball professional teams); and the Collegiate, 18U, 15U, and Women’s National Teams, all of which participate in various domestic and international competitions each year. USA Baseball also presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. For more information, please visit USABaseball.com and GoldenSpikesAward.com.

ASU’s Esmay, Ole Miss’ Bianco and Creighton’s Servais join Schlossnagle’s staff

Press Release USA Baseball

DURHAM, N.C. — USA Baseball announced today it has finalized the 2013 Collegiate National Team coaching staff with the addition of assistant coaches Tim Esmay, Mike Bianco and Ed Servais. Esmay, Bianco and Servais currently serve as head coaches for the Arizona State, Ole Miss and Creighton baseball teams, respectively.

“As we continue preparations for the 2013 Collegiate National Team season we are pleased to have Mike Bianco, Tim Esmay and Ed Servais join the coaching staff,” said Eric Campbell, USA Baseball General Manager, National Teams. “These coaches complete a great staff for the coming summer, and we look forward to having them represent our country in international competition.”

All three coaches will be making their debut on a USA Baseball coaching staff. They round out TCU skipper and 2013 collegiate team manager Jim Schlossnagle’s four-man staff.

Esmay, who will serve as the hitting coach in addition to coaching third base, has a 131-48 record, including 55-29 in conference, through three seasons at the helm of the Sun Devil baseball team. He has one College World Series appearance, one conference title and two NCAA tournament trips, and was named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 2010. Coach Esmay has mentored eight All-Americans, 25 all-conference honorees and four members of Team USA in Tempe, and 31 Sun Devils have been taken in the MLB Draft in his ASU tenure, which is the most of any Div. I school in that time span. He has guided ASU to the highest regular-season winning percentage in the Pac-12 since 2010, is the second-fastest coach in ASU history to reach 100 wins and recently led the program to its 50th consecutive 30-win season. For his career, he is 344-283-1 in 11 seasons, including eight at the University of Utah.

Serving as the pitching coach in 2013, Bianco is entering his 13th season as the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels and has compiled a career record of 571-349-1 (471-278-1 at Ole Miss). In that time, he has helped the Rebels to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, the 2009 Southeastern Conference Championship, the 2006 SEC Tournament championship and a pair of SEC Western Division titles. Bianco has coached seven Rebels to All-America honors and 31 All-SEC selections. Seven of his Ole Miss players were active in the Major Leagues this past season. Bianco has also coached seven players who have competed internationally with USA Baseball in the past 12 seasons as the Rebel head coach.

Ed Servais, who will coach team defense as well as coaching first base, enters his 10th season leading the Creighton baseball program in 2013. He is the winningest coach in program history with 327 victories. He owns a career coaching record of 327-195. Servais has led the Jays to the NCAA Tournament in three of the past six seasons (2007, 2011 & 2012) and has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year four times in his eight years at Creighton (2004, 2005, 2007 & 2011). Servais has coached 43 players to All-MVC honors, including 19 All-MVC First Team selections. He has coached nine All-Americans and had 15 Bluejays selected in the MLB Draft. Servais’ teams have finished among the nation’s best in fielding percentage and sacrifice bunts every season, including 2012, when the Bluejays finished eighth in fielding percentage (.978).

Also announced today were the remaining members of the 2013 Collegiate National Team’s administrative staff.  TCU’s Danny Wheat will serve as the team’s certified athletic trainer and Brandie Davidson will serve as the team press officer.

Wheat enters his ninth year as an ATC for the Horned Frogs, and 2013 will mark his fifth appearance in the red, white and blue. Davidson is in her 10th year as an assistant media relations director at TCU. It will mark her second appearance with USA Baseball as she served as the press officer for the 2012 USA Baseball Women’s National Team.

The dates for the 2013 schedule and opponents will be announced in the coming weeks on USABaseball.com.

About USA Baseball
USA Baseball is the national governing body for amateur baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Baseball Federation (IBAF).  The organization selects and trains the World Baseball Classic, World Cup and Pan American teams (and all other USA Baseball professional teams), and the Collegiate, 18U, 15U, and Women’s National Teams, all of which participate in various domestic and international competitions each year.  USA Baseball also presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country.  For more information, please visit USABaseball.com and GoldenSpikesAward.com.

The final roster for USA Baseball has been announced for the 18U World Championships in Seoul, South Korea. The players represent 8 different states. The final 20 players were selected after the final round of national team trials in Fullerton, California.

After starting with 144 players, it was whittled down to 40. Those 40 players competed in phase one of the team trials. Following the Prospect Classic, where the 40 players competed, the roster was down to 28. Those 28 players competed in the final round of the trials in California before the roster was cut down to the final 20.

The team will travel to Taiwan to play a three game exhibition series with Taiwan from August 25-27.

The 18U World Championships in Seoul run from August 30 to September 8. The USA opens play in a pool with Venezuela, Colombia, Australia, Netherlands, and host Korea.

USA 18U Roster:

Name, Position, Hometown
William Abreu, OF, Hialeah, Fla.
Christian Arroyo, IF, Brooksville, Fla.
Cavan Biggio, IF/OF, Houston, Texas
Ryan Boldt, OF, Red Wing, Minn.
Bryson Brigman, IF/OF, San Jose, Calif.
Ian Clarkin, LHP, San Diego, Calif.
Kevin Davis, RHP, Brewton, Ala.
Stephen Gonsalves, LHP, San Marcos, Calif.
Connor Heady, IF/RHP, Prospect, Ky.
John Kilichowski, LHP, Tampa, Fla.
Jeremy Martinez, C, Santa Ana, Calif.
Andy McGuire, IF, Vienna, Va.
Reese McGuire, C, Covington, Wash.
Dom Nunez, IF, Elk Grove, Calif.
Chris Okey, C, Mt. Dora, Fla.
Ryan Olson, RHP, Upland, Calif.
Carson Sands, LHP, Tallahassee, Fla.
Dominic Taccolini, RHP, Sugarland, Texas
Keegan Thompson, RHP, Cullman, Ala.
Garrett Williams, LHP, Shreveport, La.

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Press Release Major League Baseball

Tournament to Showcase Top Players from the Dominican Republic, United States and Puerto Rico

Major League Baseball will host a tournament of amateur talent in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from Sunday, August 12th through Wednesday, August 15th.  The tournament will feature four teams: two teams consisting of July 2, 2013 eligible players from the Dominican Republic; a team from Puerto Rico; and the USA Baseball 15U National Team.

Eight games will be played in Estadio Quisqueya beginning with a day-night doubleheader on Sunday, August 12th.  The first game, set for 2:00 p.m., will feature Puerto Rico against the first Dominican Republic team, while the second game will feature Team USA and the second Dominican Republic team at 7:00 p.m.  Two day games will be played each day from Monday, August 13th through Wednesday, August 15th, with the first game beginning at 9:30 a.m., followed by the second game at 2:00 p.m.

“We are excited to bring together prospects from the Dominican Republic, the United States, and Puerto Rico, just as we have in past ventures with players from Canada and Venezuela,” said Kim Ng, Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations for Major League Baseball.

The eight-game tournament follows a series of showcases and tournaments previously held in the Dominican Republic designed to provide MLB Clubs, managers and scouts with a setting to view and evaluate top eligible amateur players from the Dominican Republic and other countries.

Rosters and a complete schedule of games will be announced in the coming days.

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Press Release USA Baseball

CARY, N.C. — With trips to Cuba and the Netherlands on the horizon, the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team finalized its 22-man roster on Monday.
The 2012 version of Team USA is currently 4-0 with wins over the Fayetteville Swampdogs, Wilmington Sharks and Morehead City Marlins of the Coastal Plain League and Catawba Stars of the Virginia Collegiate League.

The Red, White and Blue will participate in the final two games of the Prospect Classic on Monday and Tuesday before beginning the international portion of its schedule.

Adam Plutko (UCLA) will start Monday’s Prospect Classic contest at the National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., and Carlos Rodon (North Carolina State) will get the nod on Tuesday at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Guided by Tennessee head coach Dave Serrano, the Collegiate National Team will travel to Havana where it will play five games against Cuba at Latin American Stadium, July 5-9.

The first four games against Cuba are tentatively scheduled to start at 8 p.m. before a 5 p.m. first pitch for the final game. The international friendship series will mark the first between the two baseball powers since 1996.

From there, the U.S. will conclude its summer tour by traveling to the Netherlands for Honkbal Week in Haarlem, July 13-22. In addition to Team USA, Cuba, Japan, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico and Chinese Taipei will also participate in the tournament.

Serrano will serve as the manager of Team USA and will be assisted by George Horton (Oregon), Jason Gill (Loyola Marymount) and Andy Stankiewicz (Grand Canyon).

The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team roster is as follows:
David Berg, Fr., RHP, UCLA
Kris Bryant, So., IF, San Diego
Dan Child, So., RHP, Oregon State
Michael Conforto, Fr., IF/OF, Oregon State
Austin Cousino, Fr., OF, Kentucky
Jonathon Crawford, So., RHP, Florida
Kyle Farmer, So., IF, Georgia
Johnny Field, So., IF/OF, Arizona
Adam Frazier, So., IF, Mississippi State
Marco Gonzales, So., LHP/IF, Gonzaga
Brett Hambright, Sr., C, Oregon
Jordan Hankins, So., IF, Austin Peay
Michael Lorenzen, So., OF, Cal State Fullerton
D.J. Peterson, So., IF, New Mexico
Colton Plaia, Jr., C, Loyola Marymount
Adam Plutko, So., RHP, UCLA
Jake Reed, Fr., RHP, Oregon
Carlos Rodon, Fr., LHP/IF, North Carolina State
Ryne Stanek, So., RHP, Arkansas
Trea Turner, Fr., IF, North Carolina State
Bobby Wahl, So., RHP, Mississippi
Trevor Williams, So., RHP, Arizona State

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The USA U15 National Team has decided not to attend the U15 World Championships to be held later this summer in Chihuahua, Mexico.

After working closely with the IBAF, the local organizing committee, and MLB’s security advisors, USA Baseball decided to decline the invitation due to security concerns.

USA Baseball and its Board of Directors did not feel comfortable with the safety of the team due to the state department’s security advisories against travel to the region.

Instead of sending the team to Mexico, USA Baseball will be sending the U15 team to play teams of top prospects in the Dominican Republic. The four-game series will take place across the island at different MLB club facilities.

The U15 World Championship will take place in Chihuahua, Mexico from August 16-26.

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CARY, N.C. – Day 1 of the National High School Invitational (NHSI) has come to a close with a couple close games, a 1-hitter, and a couple runaways. Three teams from California picked up wins, while the three teams from Georgia went 2-1 collectively.

American Heritage (Fla.) 6, Oxford (Ala.) 2

Esteban Puerto drove in 2 runs as American Heritage High School (Fla.) opened the 2012 NHSI with a win over Oxford (Ala.) on Wednesday. American Heritage ran out to a 5-1 lead and held on for their first win of the tournament.

Harvard Westlake (Calif) 6, Russell County (Ala.) 2

Harvard Westlake (Calif) got a great start out of sophomore Jack Flaherty to pick up their first win in the 2012 NHSI. Harvard Westlake is without one of the top pitching prospects in the country, Lucas Giolito. Giolito is considered a top 10 prospect for the June draft, but he is sidelined right now with a strained ligament in his pitching elbow.

Russell County (Ala.) had a 17 game winning streak heading into the day’s match up.

Brookwood (Ga.) 7, Highlands Ranch (Colo.) 0

Lucas Sims struck out 11 while giving up only 1 hit to Highlands Ranch (Colo.) in 6 innings to pick up the win for Brookwood (Ga.). Ryan Woodard added a double and 3 RBIs to lead Brookwood at the plate.

Parkview (Ga.) 11, George Washington (N.Y.) 3

The Parkview (Ga.) Panthers roughed up George Washington (N.Y.) starter Kevin Torres for 8 runs en route to a victory. Edwin Arias, Rob Youngblood, and Matt Olson each drove in 2 runs. Olson also picked up the win on the hill. The Parkview bats were helped by 5 George Washington errors and 7 walks.

Orange Lutheran (Calif.) 1, Columbus (Ga.) 0

Orange Lutheran (Calif.) got a run in the first inning, and that’s all they needed as they made it hold up. Their lead off hitter was hit by a pitch. He then moved to third base on a couple ground outs before scoring on a Tommy Bell single.

Kyle Carter went the distance for Columbus but took the loss.

Mater Dei (Calif.) 10, Bishop Gorman (Nev.) 3

Number 18 in the Baseball America Top 25 Mater Dei took down the #2 ranked Bishop Gorman to open up their 2012 NHSI.

Mater Dei got 8 runs in the top of the 3rd inning after falling behind 2-1. They pounded out 6 doubles. Davis Tominaga pitched a complete game for the win. Ryan Barr , Tyler Adkinson , and Austin Grebeck all drove in a pair of runs for Mater Dei.

Schedule for Thursday March 29
Sarasota vs Lee County 9:30 am
Gulliver Prep vs Carroll 9:45 am
Highlands Ranch vs Oxford 10 am
George Washington vs Russell County 12:30 pm
Mater Dei vs Winner Gulliver Prep/Carroll 1:05 pm MLB.com
Bishop Gorman vs Loser Gulliver Prep/Carroll1:15 pm
Brookwood vs American Heritage 3 pm
Parkview vs Harvard-Westlake 3:45 pm
Orange Lutheran vs Winner Sarasota/Lee County 4:35 pm MLB.com
Columbus vs Loser Sarasota/Lee County 5:30 pm

For more information on the NHSI visit USABaseball.com

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DURHAM, N.C. – USA Baseball recently announced that seven games from the National High School Invitational (NHSI) will be televised on MLB.com. The games will be shown using MLB’s production crew and streaming technology.

The NHSI is one of the premier high school tournaments in the country. It will feature 16 of the top high school teams from around the country. It will feature some of the top talent in the country including several teams currently ranked in Baseball America’s Top 25.

The schedule for the televised games is as follows:

• Wed., Mar. 28: No. 10 Harvard Westlake vs. Russell County, 1 p.m.
• Wed., Mar. 28: No. 18 Mater Dei vs. No. 2 Bishop Gorman, 4:30 p.m.
• Thurs., Mar. 29: Round 2 game featuring two 1-0 teams, 1 p.m.
• Thurs., Mar. 29: Round 2 game featuring two 1-0 teams, 4:30 p.m.
• Fri., Mar. 30: Round 3 game featuring TBD teams, 3 p.m.
• Fri., Mar. 30: Round 3 game featuring TBD teams, 6:30 p.m.
• Sat., Mar. 31: Gold medal game, 12 p.m.

For a complete schedule click here.

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