MÉRIDA, Mexico – The United States opens World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup Super Round play against Dominican Republic Thursday afternoon at Parque Kukulcán Alamo in Mérida, Mexico. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. local/5:00 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
The United States grabbed a 1-0 win over Venezuela on Tuesday evening at Estadio Sherwin-Williams Beto Ávila. Raylen Hunter helped Team USA take an early lead, and the pitching staff made it stand throughout the game despite Venezuela’s threats on offense. Noah Osterman, Jaxxon Hanen, Braylon Rogers, Noah Vrzal, Max Kimbrell, and Jackson McAneeley combined to keep Venezuela scoreless.
PITCHING MATCHUP
LHP Liz Daniel Presinal Avalo (DOM) vs. LHP Michael Ohman (USA)
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
The Dominican Republic is among the tournament’s top slugging teams, leading the field with a .429 batting average, while also pacing the tournament in extra-base hits (27) and home runs (5). Additionally, the team is averaging 12 hits and 12.8 runs per game.
The Dominican Republic boasts an exceptionally deep lineup, with 11 different players recording four or more base knocks. Among qualified hitters, the Dominican Republic has nine players who are hitting .400 or better, including Milfree Figueroa and Ángel Montás, who are tied for the team lead with eight RBIs. Figueroa leads the squad in homers with two.
While hitting is the team’s strong suit, the D.R. has also received steady production from its pitching staff, which owns a 1.91 ERA over 29.1 innings pitched. Its arms limit opponents to a .171 batting average, while giving up just three extra-base hits. The staff can struggle with command, however, as the team has issued 18 walks in addition to seven hit-by-pitches and eight wild pitches.
The Dominican Republic will start left-handed pitcher Liz Daniel Presinal Avalo against a lefty-dominant U.S. lineup. Avalo has made one start this tournament, giving up four runs, two of which were earned, on five hits across 3.0 innings against Germany. Although Avala punched out five batters, he also allowed two of the Dominican Republic’s three extra-base hits.
HISTORY AGAINST DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The 15U National Team has not faced any nation more than the Dominican Republic, with the stars and stripes owning an 11-0 all-time record. The U.S. played the Dominican Republic in the first game in program history, collecting a 14-1 win in 2012 during a friendly series.
Since the two teams first met in 2012, Team USA has outscored the Dominican Republic 125-24. Additionally, the United States has held the Dominican Republic to one run or less on seven occasions. The last time the two nations met was in 2023 during an international friendship series held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. There, the United States beat the D.R. in three games and surrendered only two runs.
This will be only the second time these teams have competed in a World Cup setting.
TEAM USA STAT LEADERS
- BA: Raylen Hunter (.667)
- HITS: Raylen Hunter (12)
- RBIs: Greyson Wuis (7)
- RUNS: Raylen Hunter (9)
- TB: Raylen Hunter (18)
- BB: Matti Di Maggio, Paris Head (4)
- SB: Tyler Early (5)
- IP: Michael Ohman (4.2)
- ERA: Many tied (0.00)
- Ks: Michael Ohman, Noah Vrzal (7)
SUPER ROUND STANDINGS
- United States (2-0)
- Chinese Taipei (1-1)
- Dominican Republic (1-1)
- Japan (1-1)
- Mexico (1-1)
- Nicaragua (0-2)
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 2 - vs. Mexico - 7:30 p.m. local/9:30 p.m. ET
- 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.
