The United States, Mexico, Venezuela and Panama qualified for the VII WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup after reaching the semifinals of the WBSC Americas U-12 Baseball World Cup Qualifier in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
With one game in the opening round still to be completed - USA v Mexico was postponed to Friday, 26 May at 1pm with USA leading 5-0 - USA (6-0), Mexico (6-0), Venezuela (5-2) and Panama (4-3) are in the top four with Puerto Rico (2-5), Cuba (2-5), Dominican Republic (2-5) and Brazil (0-7) completing the standings.
The US have so far outslugged the opposition. Their line-up scored 112 runs, combining 33 home runs and a .494 batting average. Outfielder Tyler Early went 10-for-16 with a .625 batting average. The defending U-12 World Champions' pitching, meanwhile, allowed an 8.90 earned run average (ERA).
Mexico also allowed runs, 6.18 ERA, and showcased excellent hitting skills, a .430 batting average, but haven't been able to match the US power to date. The tricolores combined 13 home runs and a .741 OPS. Second baseman Esteban Gallardo went 10-for-16, a .625 batting average, with seven home runs.
Panama earned a key 9-8 win against Puerto Rico on Wednesday, 24 May. They scored the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the fifth against reliever Oscar Rodriguez thanks to a two-run homer by centre fielder Algis Palacio.
The WBSC Americas U-12 Baseball World Cup semifinals are scheduled on Sunday, 28 May. The winner between USA and Mexico will face Panama while the loser will play Venezuela.
The games will be streamed live on the WBSC Americas YouTube channel. Results, boxscore, stats and standings are also available on the WBSC Americas website.
The Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA) will host the VII WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup in Tainan from 28 July to 6 August.
