2017 U-18 Baseball World Cup

The 2017 U-18 Baseball World Cup was held from September 1 to September 10, 2017 in Thunder Bay, ON. The USA went unbeaten to win their fourth straight title, while South Korea took Silver and Japan Bronze.

First Round

September 1

• Japan 10, Mexico 1. Suma Tokoyama (7 IP) and Shumpei Isomura (2 IP) combine on a 3-hitter; 3B Jose Manzanarez has two of the hits. SS Kaito Kozono, the #9 hitter for Japan, gets as many hits as the entire Mexican lineup, while 2B Taisei Inoue and RF Kyota Fujiwara both drive in 3.
• Italy 4, Nicaragua 2. Michele Vassalotti allows two run in six in a win while Tommaso Battioni gets a three-inning save. Noel Jarquin takes the loss. CF Riccardo Bertossi hits a two-run triple.
• South Korea 4, Australia 1. Jun-won Seo allows only two hits and an unearned run in 7 innings while fanning eight to beat Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis.
• USA 11, Netherlands 1. Ethan Hankins strikes out 13 in 6 innings and gives up one hit, while CF Mike Siani falls a homer shy of the cycle, driving in 3 and RF Jarred Kelenic is a triple shy of the cycle. Christopher Koeiman is the losing hurler.
• Taiwan 7, Canada 6. LF Tien-Hsin Kuo goes 3 for 5 in a 10-inning win for Taiwan; reliever Bo-Hao Chen gets the victory. C Archer Brookman homers among his three hits and drives in 3 for a losing cause, while Harley Gollert takes the loss.
• Cuba 15, South Africa 2. In a mercy rule romp, DH Loidel Chapellí Jr. goes 3 for 3 with 4 runs and 3 RBI and LF Victor Mesa Rios is 4 for 4 with 3 runs. Uber Mejias gets a win, Mohamed Alaoui a loss.

September 2

• South Korea 8, Taiwan 2. Korea scores five in the 9th to put it away; RF Hyun-jun Choi drives in 3 while starter Chang-seop Yang strikes out 8 and allows 3 hits in 7 shutout frames. Chih-Jung Liu is handed the defeat.
• Australia 15, Italy 1. In a reversal of fortune for both teams, Jacob Green goes the distance in a mercy rule win and SS Jess Williams, 2B Dermont Fritsch and LF Nicholas Anderson-Vine each score three runs. SS Gabriele Angoni is 2-for-3 in a losing effort, while Oscar Tucci takes the decision for Italy.
• Cuba 3, Netherlands 0. Osvaldo Cárdenas and Rafael Sánchez combine on a shutout win while CF Roidel Martínez is 3 for 3 with a double and two RBI. Luuk ter Beek, Aaron de Groot and Donny Breek hold the Cubans to only three runs, while 2B Delano Selassa has two hits and a double for the Europeans.
• USA 4, Japan 0. Kenta Kawabato, Fumimaru Taura and Shumpei Isomura strike out 23 but Japan still loses in a game with two 90-minute delays due to thunderstorms. Ryan Weathers strikes out 8 in 7 innings of relief, allowing one hit and one walk. 1B Triston Casas hits a two-run homer. RF Kyota Fujiwara and SS Kaito Kozono get Japan's two hits.
• Canada vs. Nicaragua - postponed by rain
• South Africa vs. Mexico - postponed by rain

September 3

• Taiwan 9, Italy 1. 3B/RF Hung-Yi Wang and 2B Han-Yu Tseng each score 3 while SS Chih-Jung Liu goes 4 for 4. Chih-Ting Wang gets the win over Giovanni Bortolamai. C Riccardo Bertossi doubles and homers for Italy.
• Australia 11, Nicaragua 6. C Alex Hall goes 3 for 4 with 3 runs and DH/1B Rixon Wingrove drives in 4, including a 3-run homer to back solid pitching from Jack O'Loughlin (1 ER, 9 K in 6 IP). Angel Obando is hit hard in a loss (4 H, 4 BB, 8 R in 1 1/3 IP).
• South Korea 11, Canada 7. C Dae-hyun Cho scores five runs to lead South Korea to victory. Been Gwak gets the win while fanning 9 in six innings. Landon Leach takes the loss.
• Netherlands 22, South Africa 3. The Netherlands pound Brandon Smith and two relievers for 22 runs in four innings in a mercy rule win. Jiorgeny Casimiri takes the win, but the offense does the big work - 3 runs and 4 RBI from RF Jeandro Tromp, 3 runs from CF Richgelon Juliana, 3B Shèrten Apostel and C Dylan Koster, 4 runs and 3 hits from 2B Delano Selassa and 5 RBI from 1B Tijmen Takke.
• Japan 7, Cuba 2. Japan hands Cuba its first loss, as Hikaru Yamashita strikes out 7 and SS Kaito Kozono raps 3 hits. Bryan Chi is the losing hurler.
• USA 6, Mexico 0. Matthew Liberatore allows only one hit (to DH Luis Gonzalez) in six innings, striking out 12 and walking 3 in a rain-shortened game. Cristian Mendoza walks 8 but allows only 2 hits in 5 2/3 IP for the loss.

September 4

• South Korea 12, Nicaragua 4. South Korea knocks out starter Andrew Hubier with 5 runs in 2/3 IP in an easy win. Young-jun Kim gets the decision for the Koreans while RF Jin-won Ye drives in 3 and LF In-hyok Yi drives in four.
• Australia 4, Taiwan 0. Ky Hampton walks none while scattering 11 hits in a complete game shutout, throwing 109 pitches. C Wei-Chih Su has 3 hits in a losing effort. Ruei-Yang Gu Lin takes the loss while LF Nicholas Anderson-Vine has 2 runs and a RBI for the Aussies.
• Japan 3, Netherlands 1. The Dutch again show strong pitching against a contender but lack the offense needed. CF Kazuya Murayama scores twice while Soma Tokuyama (3 H, 1 R, 5 K in 5 IP) and Fumimaru Taura (9 K, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 R in 4 IP) provide the pitching. 3B Shèrten Apostel doubles twice and drives in the only Dutch run. Donny Breek takes the loss despite a solid outing (2 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 7 K in 7 IP), leading 1-0 after 5.
• USA 5, South Africa 0. 2B/3B Carter Young has 3 hits and 2 RBI to lead the US offense in a win. Winning reliever Joseph Menefee combines with three other hurlers on the whitewash. Mohamed Alaoui goes the distance, doing a fairly good job containing a powerhouse team after South Africa had given up 37 runs in their prior two games.
• Canada 6, Italy 5. Like the Dutch team, the other European entry just avoids an upset win, leading 5-2 after 5 before fading in a one-run loss. Canada scores the winner in the 9th. CF/SS Jason Willow drives in 3 for Canada while RF Denzel Clarke goes 2 for 2 with 3 walks, 2 runs and a RBI. Wesley Moore throws 3 1/3 shutout relief innings for the win, while Oscar Tucci takes the loss. The heart of the order shines for Italy: C Riccardo Bertossi has 3 hits and 2 runs, 2B/RP Ricardo Paolini 2 doubles and 2 RBI and 1B Leonardo Seminati goes deep and walks twice.
• Cuba 5, Mexico 1. Mexican starter Jorge Sosa walks all four batters he faces and throws two wild pitches, allowing four runs, negating strong relief from Martin Rodriguez and Jesus Estrada. Yorlian Rodríguez gets the win and 2B César Prieto (2 for 3, BB, R, RBI) leads a balance offense.

September 5

• Japan 12, South Africa 0. Ginji Miura and two relievers hold South Africa to 3 hits while the Africans also commit 7 errors, not helping starter Logan Peach at all. SS Kaito Kozono has 3 hits and 2 RBI while DH Kotaro Kiyomiya doubles, homers and scores three.
• Netherlands 4, Mexico 0. The Dutch get their second win as Christopher Koeiman goes the distance with a five-hitter; CF Richgelon Juliana and DH Dylan Koster both rap 3 hits for the victors. Jaime Garza is tagged with the loss despite a solid effort.
• Taiwan 10, Nicaragua 5. 2B Han-Yu Tseng (3 H, 4 RBI) and CF Tan Chiu (3 H, 4 R) star, #9 hitter Chiu falling a homer shy of a cycle. Hin-Chieh Lin gets the win, Kevin Solis the loss. SS Jeyner Sanchez homers for Nicaragua.
• South Korea 10, Italy 1. Marco Pizzolini and Samuel Aldegheri hold South Korea in check and it is 1-1 after 5 before the Asian powerhouse pours it on. RF/CF Jin-won Ye has 3 hits and 2 walks while Italian 1B Leonardo Seminati is 4 for 4 with a homer. Dong-hyun Song, the 5th Korean hurler, gets the win.
• Canada 8, Australia 2. Jack Decooman gets the win and Cade Smith a 3-inning save, both allowing only one run. 2B Edouard Julien hits a 3-run shot for Canada. Jackson Boyd takes the loss, while 1B Rixon Wingrove doubles twice.
• USA 8, Cuba 1. Cole Wilcox allows two hits and one unearned run in 7 in an easy win, while LF Alek Thomas is 3 for 4 with a run and 2 RBI from the 9 slot. Marlon Pérez is the losing hurler and 1B Michel Triana has 2 of Cuba's 3 hits.

September 6

• Mexico 14, South Africa 1. LF Jose Roberto Castro has 4 runs and 3 hits, 2B Carlos Cordova and SS Ramon Mendoza each 3 runs and 1B Saul Favela 4 hits and 3 RBI in the romp. Jorge Romero fans ten in six innings for the win. Keagan Lazarus takes the loss.
• Canada 15, Nicaragua 3. Canada becomes the 6th and final team to move to the super round as they score ten in the 7th to make it a mercy rule win. C Victor Cerny is a double shy of a cycle and scores 3 while driving in 3; Harley Gollert takes the win and Noel Jarquin the loss.

Second Round

September 7

• Japan 4, Australia 3. Australia gives Japan a tough challenge before falling in the 11th to open the super round. Fumimaru Taura gets the win while 3B Hisanori Yasuda goes 3 for 5 with a double, run and two RBI. Jess Williams takes the loss while C Mitchell Edwards scores twice, 2B/3B Jordan Barnett drives in two and Jacob Green and Jett Wright combine for six shutout innings of relief.
• South Korea 17, Cuba 7. Numerous Korean hitters shine as the team uses a 9-run second to run away it. C Dae-hyun Cho has 3 runs and 3 RBI, DH Baek-ho Kang 3 hits, 3 runs and 3 RBI, LF/RF Jin-won Ye 3 hits, RF/2B Hyun-jun Choi 4 RBI and CF Jun-hwan Jang 3 hits and 3 RBI. Jun-won Seo is the winning hurler. For Cuba, 2B César Prieto (3 H, 2 R) and 1B Michel Triana (3 RBI) are the bright spots.
• USA 8, Canada 3. Canada outhits the US, 10-8, but the US draws 9 walks en route to a win. 1B Triston Casas drives in five while falling a triple shy of a cycle and Landon Marceaux gets the win. Eric Cerantola takes the loss while DH Victor Cerny doubles twice for the Canadians.
• Italy 9, South Africa 2. Giovanni Bortolamai goes the distance on 127 pitches SS Gabriele Angioi scores three runs and 2B Ricardo Paolini is 3 for 3 with two runs and three RBI for Italy. For South Africa, DH Taylor Bunn and SS Yahya Patel are both two for four with a double, while Mohamed Alaoui takes the loss.
• Taiwan 9, Mexico 1. Mexican pitchers issue 15 walks in a loss. RF Chih-Heng Chiu goes 2 for 3 with three of the walks, a run and a RBI. Chih-Jung Liu takes the win, Adrian Sanudo the loss. DH Martin Perez is 2 for 3 with a walk in a losing cause.
• Netherlands 8, Nicaragua 3. C Dylan Koster goes 3 for 5 with two runs and a RBI while Stefan Iannelli gets the win for the Netherlands. Angel Obando is handed a defeat.

September 8

• USA 2, South Korea 0. The two unbeaten teams square off and it is a scoreless battle through 7; Ethan Hankins fans 14 in 6 and Been Gwak contains the US. The US finally scores in the 8th and adds insurance in the 9th. Ryan Weathers gets the win, J.T. Ginn the save.
• Australia 3, Cuba 0. Jack O'Loughlin, Lochlan Southee and Jess Williams scatter 12 hits in a shutout, while C Alex Hall drives in two. 2B César Prieto is 4 for 5 in the loss, while Osvaldo Cárdenas is tagged with the defeat.
• Canada 6, Japan 4. The hosts got a huge win to qualify for the medal round. Down 4-3 in the 7th, 1B Archer Brookman singled and 3B Noah Naylor had a great slide to avoid a tag at the plate as the throw had beaten him. Brookman scored on a wild pitch and C Victor Cerny singled in LF Jason Willow for insurance. Griffin Hassall had the win, Harley Gollert a 3-inning save. Kento Kawabata took the loss even though Japan's pitchers fanned 16. 1B Kotaro Kiyomiya homered.
• Mexico 5, Italy 4. Mexico edges Italy as 1B Saul Favelo goes 4 for 5 with two runs and a RBI and Jose Palafox throws four shutout innings of relief to close it out for the win. DH Tommaso Giarola scored two, 1B Leonardo Seminati drives in 2 for the Italians while Tommaso Battioni takes the loss.
• Nicaragua 11, South Africa 1. Jeffi Silva fans 13 in 7 relief innings for the win while LF Wandley Ocon goes 3 for 4 with 3 steals, two runs and a RBI. Logan Peach takes the loss and DH Tanner Bunn has the lone African run.
• Taiwan 4, Netherlands 1. Shih-Hao Wu gets the win and Bo-Hao Chen the save (fanning the side in the 9th) while 1B Yi-Chuan Li goes 3 for 4 with a homer. Luuk ter Beek is handed the loss; C Enrique Hatma's homer gives the Dutch all their runs.

September 9

• USA 9, Australia 0. Having already clinched a spot in the Gold Medal game, the US posted another strong win. Brandon Dieter allows 3 hits in 8 and Joseph Menefee has a 1-2-3 9th. 7 US players score runs, 6 drive in runs and only one starter has neither in a balanced effort. Duane Johannsen takes the loss.
• South Korea 6, Japan 4. South Korea gets the other spot in the Gold Medal game. Min Kim gets the win, Young-jun Kim the save. CF Jun-hwan Jang goes 1 for 2 with two walks and two runs from the leadoff spot. For Japan, LF Shuto Sakurai is 3 for 4 while Fumimaru Taura takes the loss.
• Canada 4, Cuba 2. Canada moves on to the Bronze Medal game against Japan in front of 3,199 fans. Michael Stovman and Jack Decooman do the pitching work, getting the win and save respectively. Marlon Perez takes the loss. 2B Cesar Prieto again shines in a losing cause, going 3 for 4 with a triple.
• Nicaragua 10, Mexico 4. C Anthony Valdez is 3 for 4 with two walks, 2 runs and 2 RBI to lead a potent 19-hit attack for Nicaragua. Carlos Rayo is the winning pitcher, Jesus Estrada the losing pitcher.
• Taiwan 3, South Africa 0. Jui-Hsiang Lin, Hsin-Chieh Lin and Tien-Hsin Kuo combine to fan 13 in a two-hit shutout (1B Keagan Lazarus and 2B Joshua Wentzel get the lone South African hits) while Kuo also goes 1 for 2 with a triple, two walks and a RBI, having played right field before moving to the mound. Brandon Smith goes the distance in holding Taiwan fairly well in check.
• Netherlands 2, Italy 1. In a match-up of the European rivals, Donny Breek allows one run in 8 and Aaron de Groot closes it out. The only Italian run comes when C Lorenzo Morresi drives in 1B Leonardo Seminati. The Dutch manage only two hits but use five walks and two Italian errors to manufacture two runs. Oscar Tucci takes the loss.

September 10

• Japan 8, Canada 1. Having won four Silver Medals but no Golds or Bronze in the event before, Japan beats five-time Bronze Medalist Canada to break their Bronzeless history. Ginji Miura fans 12 in 7 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits, while leadoff hitter RF Kiyota Fujiwara is 2 for 5 with two runs and a RBI. Wesley Moore takes the loss. The hosts get their lone run when SS Jason Willow drives in CF Clayton Keyes.
• USA 8, South Korea 0. South Korea had taken 5 Golds and no Silvers before today, but got their first Silver when the US kept up their winning ways in dominant form. Matthew Liberatore, Cole Wilcox, Mason Denaburg and J.T. Ginn combine on a four-hitter despite only striking out four; DH Baek-ho Kang has half the Korean hits with two doubles. Young-jun Kim takes the loss. 1B Triston Casas doubles, homers, scores two, drives in three and collects 17 putouts. The US moves within two of Cuba for all-time titles, by winning their 9th.

Final Standings

1. USA
2. South Korea
3. Japan
4. Canada
5. Australia
6. Cuba
7. Taiwan
8. Netherlands
9. Italy
10. Nicaragua
11. Mexico
12. South Africa

Awards

• MVP: Triston Casas, USA 1B
• Outstanding Defensive Player: Denzel Clarke, Canada OF

All-Star Team

• SP: Ethan Hankins, USA
• RP: Fumimaru Taura, Japan
• C: Dae-hyun Cho, South Korea
• 1B: Leonardo Seminati, Italy
• 2B: César Prieto, Cuba
• SS: Brice Turang, USA
• 3B: Noah Naylor, Canada
• OF: Jin-woon Ye, South Korea
• OF: Alek Thomas, USA
• OF: Mike Siani, USA
• DH: Baek-ho Kang, South Korea