BOCA CHICA, Dominican Republic – The United States is set to play Panama on day three of Super Round play Tuesday morning at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Americas U-18 Pan-American Championship at 8:30 a.m. ET at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
LAST TIME OUT
Due to inclement weather and unplayable field conditions, yesterday’s Super Round matchup against Venezuela was postponed.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Panama went 3-1 in the Opening Round and owns a 1-1 Super Round record, with its only loss coming in a 2-1 defeat to Puerto Rico.
Panama’s strength is its pitching, as its staff owns a 1.41 ERA and has held opponents to two runs or fewer in every contest. Its arms limit opponents to a .175 batting average and has given up only one extra-base hit.
The nation is batting .261 and has struck out only 18 times as a team. Four batters are hitting .300 or better, including Renso Javier who leads the team in batting average (.400)
HISTORY AGAINST PANAMA
The 18U National Team has a storied history against Panama. Besides Canada, the program has not played any nation more than it has competed against Panama, owning a 26-2 all-time against the nation. The two teams first met at the 1987 World Junior Championships, with Team USA winning 9-3.
These two teams have played six times since 2022, more than any other nation during that stretch. Across those six games, the United States has outscored Panama by a 40-9 margin, including two gold-medal game victories. The U.S. is riding a 23-game winning streak, with its last loss coming in 1999.
Team USA last played Panama in the opening game of the 2025 World Cup held in Japan. In that contest, the United States beat Panama, 9-0, behind a three-hit performance from Aiden Ruiz and 4.0 innings of shutout ball thrown from Gio Rojas.
TEAM USA STAT LEADERS
- BA: Chase Fuller (.583)
- HITS: Chase Fuller (7)
- RBIs: Sebastian Wilson (10)
- RUNS: Sebastian Castillo (7)
- TB: Chase Fuller, Sebastian Wilson (10)
- BB: Sebastian Castillo, Drake Hawpe, Broder Katke (4)
- SB: Sebastian Castillo, Lubin Rincon, Dylan Seward (2)
- IP: Ethan Gustus (5.0)
- Ks: George Ferguson (8)
SUPER ROUND STANDINGS - ALL STANDINGS
- Puerto Rico (2-0)
- United States (2-0)
- Panama (1-1)
- Venezuela (1-1)
- Dominican Republic (0-2)
- Nicaragua (0-2)
SCHEDULE
- October 28 - vs. Puerto Rico - 10:00 a.m. ET
- October 29 - Medal Round - TBD
INSIDE THE ROSTER
The 2026 roster features Isaac Vidal, who will appear on a USA Baseball national team for the third time, in addition to 15U National Team alums Cooper Collins and Samir Mohammed. Nine players on the roster have participated in USA Baseball national team development programming, while four players have participated in a past development event jointly hosted in partnership with Major League Baseball. Additionally, top ranked 2027 MLB Draft prospects Dylan Seward (No. 3), Malachi Butler (No. 8), and George Ferguson (No. 16), and Lubin Rincon (No. 20) are featured on the roster. More information on the 2026 18U National Team Roster can be found HERE.
AT THE HELM
The 2026 18U National Team is led by Team USA alum and 13-year major leaguer Brian Schneider, who makes his managerial debut with the program. Alongside Schneider is 11-year MLB reliever and two-time Team USA alum Luke Gregerson, who will serve as pitching coach. Former professionals Doug Mientkiewicz and Tim Raines Jr. round out the staff as assistant coaches.
FOLLOW ALONG
To stay up to date with the USA Baseball 18U National Team, follow along with @USABaseball18U on Twitter/X, and @USABaseball on Instagram. For more information on the schedule including live statistics and streaming, visit HERE.
