OKINAWA, Japan – Team USA and Japan are set to meet in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup title game on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. JST/3:00 a.m. ET from Okinawa Cellular Stadium.
PITCHING MATCHUP
RHP Coleman Borthwick (USA) vs. LHP Ryosuke Sueyoshi (JPN)
HISTORY AGAINST JAPAN
Team USA is 7-5 in 12 all-time matchups against Japan at the U-18 level. The two nations first met in 1999 at the IBA Junior World Cup and most recently faced off in the Super Round opener at this year’s WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup, a 6-2 extra-inning victory for Japan. Six of the 12 games between the U.S. and Japan have been decided by three runs or fewer.
WE’VE SEEN YOU HERE BEFORE
The United States and Japan have met twice in the World Championship Game. The first matchup came in 2013, when Brady Aiken fired seven strong innings to lead Team USA to a gold medal in a 3-2 win. Two years later, Nick Pratto pitched 6.1 innings of one-run ball as the U.S. emerged with another world title with a 2-1 win. Sunday marks the second gold medal game between the two nations to take place in Japan (also: 2013).
LAST TIME OUT
Matthew Sharman spun six scoreless innings and six U.S. hitters picked up multiple hits as Team USA beat Puerto Rico, 7-0, in its Super Round finale on Saturday night. Sharman utilized three double plays to pitch his six shutout frames, allowing just two hits and striking out four. He lowered his tournament ERA to 0.70, improving his record to 2-0 after beating Germany in the Opening Round.
Coleman Borthwick and Brody Schumaker were in the middle of all the offense for the stars and stripes on Saturday. Borthwick stayed hot after his three-hit day against Korea, picking up two hits to have five hits in five at-bats. He and Schumaker both had a game-high two RBIs, as Schumaker ignited Team USA’s big fifth inning with a two-run single up the middle. James Clark, Andrew Costello, Grady Emerson, and Aiden Ruiz joined Borthwick and Schumaker with two hits in the 7-0 win.
AIN’T OUR FIRST RODEO
Sunday’s title game marks Team USA’s 17th trip to the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup gold medal game. The U.S. is 10-6 all-time in World Championship games, putting it one shy of Cuba for the most all-time. In its most recent trip to the gold medal game, the stars and stripes beat Chinese Taipei, 5-1, in 2022.
ABOVE AVERAGE
As a team, the United States has the highest batting average of all 12 teams at the World Cup. The U.S. owns a .319 average through its first eight games, also leading the tournament with a .447 OBP. The team is also atop the leaderboard in OPS (.823), runs (53), doubles (10), and walks (39).
STARTING STRONG
Team USA’s starting pitchers have a 0.17 ERA in eight starts at the World Cup. The staff has allowed just one earned run in 40.0 innings, allowing just 14 hits while striking out 50 batters to just seven walks. The U.S. starters have permitted just one extra-base hit in its 40 innings.
SHUTTIN’ EM OUT
The United States has pitched five shutouts in eight games of tournament play. The team is one shutout away from tying the program record of six shutouts in a single World Cup, set by the gold-medal winning team in 2017. The 2017 squad picked up its sixth shutout in the gold medal game against Korea.
MURPH’S GOT WHEELS
U.S. outfielder Anthony Murphy has stolen six bases, the most of any player at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup. He has two multi-stolen base games (Germany and China) and swiped his most recent bag in the Super Round finale against Puerto Rico.
HOT HITTERS
The four leading hitters at the World Cup will be in action during the World Championship Game. United States shortstop Aiden Ruiz sits atop the leaderboard with 11 hits, followed by Japan’s Hyuma Okabe, who has 10. Coleman Borthwick and Japan’s Kazuki Takahata follow with nine hits, giving them the third-most in the tournament.
THE ROSTER
The 20-player Team USA roster features five USA Baseball alumni, 10 players with USA Baseball national team development programming experience, and four players who have participated in MLB Develops events and programming. Grady Emerson is appearing on a national team roster for the fourth consecutive summer, becoming the first player in USA Baseball history to play for two 15U National Teams and two 18U National Teams. He is joined by his 2022 15U teammates Carson Bolemon and Andrew Costello, who helped Team USA win gold at the 2022 WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup. 2023 15U alum Jorvorskie Lane Jr. makes his second appearance on a U.S. roster, while two-time alum Jared Grindlinger rounds out the alumni on the roster.
In addition to the five alumni on the roster, 10 total players have experience participating in USA Baseball’s national team development programming. Emerson and Grindlinger were both members of the 2022 13U/14U Athlete Development Program (ADP), while Costello and Jacob Lombard both participated at the 2023 16U/17U National Team Development Program (NTDP). Bolemon, Coleman Borthwick, Will Brick, Lane Jr., Anthony Murphy, and Gio Rojas competed at the 2024 16U/17U NTDP, and Grindlinger played at the 2025 16U/17U NTDP in July.
Additionally, James Clark, Lombard, Murphy, and Aiden Ruiz all have experience across a myriad of MLB Develops programs and events. The quartet has participated in nearly all of MLB Develops’ offerings, including the Breakthrough Series, DREAM Series, Hank Aaron Invitational, High School All-American Game, High School Home Run Derby, and The Program-all of which are hosted jointly with USA Baseball.
