MÉRIDA, Mexico – The United States continues World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup Super Round play against Mexico Friday night at Parque Kukulcán Alamo in Mérida, Mexico. First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. local/9:30 p.m. ET.
Team USA went unbeaten in pool play, notching five straight wins in Cancún to secure the first overall seed in the Super Round. With the first overall seed, the United States has secured home field advantage over the next three contests and begins the Super Round with a 2-0 record. At the end of Super Round play on October 3, the two teams with the best records will advance to the gold medal game, which will be played on October 4. All team records and standings can be found HERE.
LAST TIME OUT
Paris Head recorded four hits and three RBIs, and the United States held off the Dominican Republic, 8-6, Thursday at Parque Kukulcán Alamo in its first Super Round game. Bryant Ju added a solo home run, while Head, Ju and Chris Worrell Jr. combined for six RBIs as Team USA built an early lead and held off a late Dominican Republic push. Five U.S. pitchers combined to limit the tournament’s top offensive team, with Noah Vrzal earning the win and Jackson McAneely recording his second save as the United States improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Super Round.
PITCHING MATCHUP
LHP Jose Manuel Pacheco Torres (MEX) vs. RHP Nate Handley-White (USA)
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Mexico posted an Opening Round record of 4-1 and has a quality resume to go with it. While Mexico does not overpower opponents on either the offensive or defensive side, it has managed to keep games close, as four of its six games played have been decided by three or fewer runs.
Mexico is not the most potent offense, as the team has registered five or fewer hits as a team across five of its six games, while the squad is batting .243 altogether. Additionally, the team has only 33 hits and six extra-base knocks.Despite that, the team puts the ball in play and puts together quality at-bats, as Mexico has the fourth lowest strikeout rate while racking up the second most walks.
Its offense is led by infielder Esteban Beltran, who is hitting .471 and accounts for nearly a fourth of the team’s hits. There is no close second, as only one other player is hitting above .300.
On the other hand, the team is carried by its pitching staff. On the bump, the team boasts a 2.82 ERA across 39.2 innings, while leading all teams with 66 strikeouts. It holds opponents to a .243 batting average and has only conceded 23 walks.
In the team’s first Super Round game, Mexico committed three errors and gave up 11 hits while getting shutout by Chinese Taipei, 10-0.
Mexico will start left-handed pitcher Jose Manuel Pacheco Torres against a lefty-heavy U.S. lineup. This will be Torres’ first start, but third appearance, as come out of the bullpen against Germany and Japan. Torres owns a 4.20 ERA with seven punchouts and two hits across 3.1 innings pitched.
HISTORY AGAINST MEXICO
The 15U National Team is 6-0 all-time against Mexico, with the teams first competing at the 2013 COPABE Pan Am “AA” Championships.
Since the two teams first met in 2013, Team USA has outscored Mexico 58-16. Across six contests, three games have been decided by two or fewer runs. Additionally, the United States has competed against Mexico in Mexico on four occasions, while this will be the first time these two teams have competed in Yucatán.
Last time out, the United States run-ruled Mexico, 10-0, in the gold medal game of the 2025 at the WBSC U-15 Baseball Pan American Championship - Central and North America. Mexico and the U.S. have only competed twice since 2019.
TEAM USA STAT LEADERS
- BA: Raylen Hunter (.591)
- HITS: Raylen Hunter (13)
- RBIs: Greyson Wuis (7)
- RUNS: Raylen Hunter (9)
- TB: Raylen Hunter (19)
- BB: Many tied (5)
- SB: Tyler Early (5)
- IP: Michael Ohman (6.2)
- ERA: Many tied (0.00)
- Ks: Michael Ohman (10)
SUPER ROUND STANDINGS
- United States (3-0)
- Chinese Taipei (2-1)
- Japan (2-1)
- Dominican Republic (1-2)
- Mexico (1-2)
- Nicaragua (0-3)
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:
- October 3 - vs. Japan - 3:00 p.m. local/5:00 p.m. ET
- October 4 - Finals
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. All games will be streamed on GameTime.Sport, while fans in the United States can also view games on BallySports.com or in the Bally Sports Live app on the MiLB Channel and MiLB Extra Channel. For more information on the schedule including live statistics and streaming, visit HERE.
