CANCÚN, Mexico – The United States is set to face Czechia in the 2026 World Baseball Softball Confederation U-15 Baseball World Cup Opener this Friday, September 25. First pitch is to be thrown at 2:30 p.m. local/3:30 p.m. ET at Estadio Sherwin-Williams Beto Ávila in Cancún, Mexico.
Team USA, along with five other teams in Group B, are competing for three berths to the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup Super Round, which is set to be held October 1-3, while the World Championship Final will be played on October 4. All team records and standings can be found HERE.
LAST TIME OUT
This year marks the first time the 15U program has competed in a World Cup setting since hoisting the World Cup trophy in 2022. In its 2022 campaign, the U.S. competed in Hermosillo, Mexico, posting an 8-1 record en route to capturing the program’s sixth gold medal. Across nine games, Team USA scored double digits on five occasions, including the semifinal contest, where the stars and stripes won 11-1. In the gold medal game against Cuba, Ethan Holliday provided the go-ahead run with an RBI in the fifth inning to help the United States win 4-3 and hoist the World Cup trophy.
PITCHING MATCHUP
RHP Štepán Strnad (CZE) vs. LHP Michael Ohman (USA)
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Czechia was among one of the first teams to qualify for the World Cup, advancing to the U-15 European Championship Final held in Trieste, Italy, in July 2025. Czechia would ultimately fall to Germany 12-2 in the title game, yet would still secure a berth to this year’s World Cup tournament.
HISTORY AGAINST CZECHIA
This will be the first time the 15U National Team has competed against Czechia.
GROUP B STANDINGS
- Australia (0-0)
- Chinese Taipei (0-0)
- Czechia (0-0)
- Nicaragua (0-0)
- United States (0-0)
- Venezuela (0-0)
INSIDE THE ROSTER
The 2026 roster features seven USA Baseball national team alumni, with all seven having been on either the 2023 12U National Team World Cup Qualifier roster, World Cup roster, or both. Eleven players on the roster have participated in USA Baseball national team development programming, while one player boasts experience in past development events jointly hosted in partnership with Major League Baseball. Twelve states are represented on the 2026 15U National Team roster, with California leading all states with four players, while Alabama follows with three players. Florida and Texas each boast a pair of athletes, while nine states–Arizona, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Virginia, Wisconsin–each account for a player apiece. More information on the 2026 15U National Team Roster can be found HERE.
AT THE HELM
The 2026 15U National Team will be led by the same coaching staff that guided last year’s gold medal-winning squad. Three-time Team USA coach Casey Scott returns as manager for a second consecutive summer, while two-time Team USA medalist and former 15U National Team manager Drew Briese serves as pitching coach. Four-time assistant coach Steve Butler returns to the dugout, and JD Pruitt will make his second straight stint as assistant coach. More information on the 2026 15U National Team coaching staff can be found HERE.
SCHEDULE
The schedule for the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup is as follows:
- September 26 - vs. Nicaragua - 10:30 a.m. local/11:30 a.m. ET
- September 27 - vs. Australia - 10:30 a.m. local/11:30 a.m. ET
- September 28 - at Chinese Taipei - 6:30 p.m. local/7:30 p.m. ET
- September 29 - at Venezuela - 2:30 p.m. local/3:30 p.m. ET
- October 1-4 - Super Round/Finals - TBD
FOLLOW ALONG
To stay up to date with the USA Baseball 15U National Team, follow along with @USABaseball15U on Twitter/X, and @USABaseball on Instagram. For more information on the schedule including live statistics and streaming, visit HERE.
