USA Baseball Game Notes
Team USA vs. Nicaragua Live Stats
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – The USA Baseball Professional National Team will open play in the 2021 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Baseball Americas Qualification Event for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad Tokyo 2020 with a 7 p.m. (ET) matchup against Nicaragua Monday at Clover Park.
LHP Matthew Liberatore (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will draw the starting mound assignment for the U.S. as it begins its quest for one of two final berths in the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo. Team USA will also face the Dominican Republic on Tuesday, June 1, at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, and Puerto Rico on Wednesday, June 2, back at Clover Park. All three opening-round games will begin at 7 p.m. E.T and will be streamed on ESPN+.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Round, which will take place Friday, June 4, and Saturday, June 5.
Team USA has two more chances to qualify for Tokyo 2020, beginning with the Baseball Americas Qualifier. The U.S. has participated at the Olympic Games in 1988 (demonstration sport), 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2008, winning a gold medal in Seoul 1988 and Sydney 2000. In order to qualify for the Olympic Games from the Baseball Americas Qualifier, the U.S. will need to win the tournament. If the U.S. does not qualify for the Olympic Games out of the Baseball Americas Qualifier, but finishes second or third, they will participate in the Final Qualifier that will take place in Puebla, Mexico from June 22-27.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will mark the first time baseball has been featured in the Games since 2008 in Beijing, where Team USA won the bronze medal.
The U.S. Professional National Team owns a 7-3 all-time record against Nicaragua since 2001. Jake Thompson put together a historic outing in Team USA’s 6-0 win over Nicaragua on July 15, 2015 in the 2015 Pan American Games at Ajax Sportsplex in Ontario. Thompson struck out ten and allowed just one hit in seven innings, tying several U.S. Pan Am records. The U.S. scored two runs in both the second and third innings to pull away from Nicaragua. Tommy Murphy drove in a pair of runs with a triple and Tyler Pastornicky scored two runs to pace the offense. The U.S. pitching staff allowed just two hits and zero walks in the shutout win.
Stay tuned to USABaseball.com for all of the latest news, previews and recaps from the WBSC AOQ.
TEAM USA INFORMATION
-USA Baseball Game Notes
HOW TO FOLLOW/WATCH
All WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier contests will be streamed live on ESPN+. Fans can also follow along via live stats here.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on USA Baseball and the WBSC Baseball Olympic Qualifier, follow @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Followers are encouraged to use USA Baseball's official hashtag, #ForGlory, during the event.
ABOUT USA BASEBALL
USA Baseball is the national governing body for the sport of baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The organization selects and trains the World Baseball Classic, Olympic, Premier12 and Pan Am teams (and all other USA Baseball Professional Teams); the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team; the USA Baseball 18U, 15U and 12U National Teams; and the USA Baseball Women's National Team, all of which participate in various international competitions each year. The organization is responsible for the continued proliferation and health of the sport, and leads a number of amateur initiatives including PLAYBALL and Pitch Smart. USA Baseball also presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. For more information, please visit the organization's official websites: USABaseball.com, SportDev.org, PLAYBALL.org, PitchSmart.org, GoldenSpikesAward.com and USABaseballShop.com.
