12/08/2024 1 Minute Read

USA, Panama, Puerto Rico and Cuba qualify for WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2025

They finished in the top four positions at the WBSC Americas Qualifying Tournament, played in Panama from August 2 to 11. They join Italy and Germany in the list of qualified National Teams. The eight-team WBSC Asia Qualifier, scheduled from September 2 to 8, will qualify three. One team from Africa, one from Oceania and a Wild Card will complete the participants.

World No. 3 USA, No. 10 Panama, No. 12 Puerto Rico, and No. 8 Cuba will represent the Americas at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2025. They earned their right to participate by winning the WBSC Americas Qualifying Tournament quarterfinals in Panama on August 9.

Panama shutout No. 20 Nicaragua, 4-0, behind a complete game by Dereck Gómez. Puerto Rico relied on a complete game by Angel Cruz to defeat No. 16 Canada 4-2. Adiel Ponce limited No. 6 Venezuela to a couple of hits as Cuba dominated 5-1. The United States won a pitching duel against No. 2 Mexico, 1-0. Starter Aidan Stillman earned the win, allowing one hit and a walk over six innings. Reliever Cooper Rummel worked the final three outs, allowing a walk. Mexican starter Jesus Castro allowed one run on four hits over three innings, and reliever Markos Sanchez shut out the US.

USA defeated Puerto Rico in the semifinals, 6-3, and Panama in the final, 4-2, to earn the U-18 Continental Title. It's their seventh consecutive U-18 Pan American win.

Cuba lost the semifinal against Panama, 3-1, and competed for bronze against Puerto Rico. The Boricua won the third-place game, 3-2.

The WBSC Americas U-18 Baseball World Cup Qualifier had 13 participants.

There are now six National Teams qualified for the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2025.

No. 14 Italy and No. 17 Germany qualified through the U-18 European Championship 2024.

Asia will qualify three teams through the XIII BFA U-18 Asian Baseball Championship, scheduled from September 2 to 9 in Taipei City.

No. 4 Korea, No. 5 Chinese Taipei, No. 38 Pakistan and No. 42 Thailand are in Group A. No. 1 Japan, No. 28 Philippines, No. 32 Hong Kong and No. 51 Sri Lanka are in Group B.

The top two finishers of each group will advance to the Super Round. After the Super Round, the first and second-place teams will compete for the U-18 Asian Title. The third and fourth-place finishers will compete for Asia's third spot in the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2025 and a bronze medal.

The medal games are scheduled for September 8.

Africa (1), Oceania (1) and a Wild Card will complete the set of participants in the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2025.