28 July 2013: USA wins II WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup
The US National Team dominated the final against Chinese Taipei in front of a record crowd of 10,000. The win started a three-peat.
USA defeated hosts and defending champions Chinese Taipei, 8-1, in front of a sell-out crowd of 10,000 in Taipei City on 28 July 2013, to win the II WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup. It was USA Baseball's first world crown and first appearance in the age bracket, which was launched in 2011.
The Gold Medal Game was decided in the bottom of the second inning. Joseph Naranjo set the tone with a solo home run over the fence in left field. Six runs followed, three on an error by center fielder Ching-Chieh Chen after Anthony Volpe’s single. Jakob Hines capped the rally with a double to right field.
Starting pitcher Justin Campbell earned the win for USA. He allowed just six hits, a run and a walk in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four for the win. Chinese Taipei didn't score until the top of the fourth. After Campbell reached his pitch limit, Matthew Allan came in and got the last out of the game with a pop-out to first baseman Naranjo.
The 2013 U-12 Baseball World Cup was a 14-team tournament. Japan defeated Venezuela 8-2 in the Bronze Medal Game, Panama edged out Korea in the Game for 5th Place and Mexico shut out Brazil in the Game for 7th Place.
Volpe, today 19 years old, went on to represent the USA internationally at the U-15 and U-18 level. He was selected by the New York Yankees in the first round of 2019 Major League Baseball Draft 2019. He developed into a middle infielder.
In 1977 the world governing body for international baseball at the time AINBA, Asociación Internacional de Béisbol Amateur) launched a Mundial Infantil, for players aged 9, 10, 11 and 12. After three editions the tournament was discontinued.
In 2011 the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) launched a Baseball World Cup for players under the age of 12. A Commission led by Canada's Jim Baba wrote a new set of rules for the event.
All five editions of the event have been played in Taiwan. USA has claimed the U-12 World Title three times (2013, 2015, 2017), while Chinese Taipei has won it two times (2011, 2019) and taken home three silver medals. Cuba and Japan claimed the other two silvers. Cuba also earned a bronze medal. The other four went to Venezuela, Japan, Nicaragua and Mexico.
