Team USA 18U is off to a strong start at the COPABE Junior AA/18U Pan American Championships in Cartagena, Colombia, winning its first four games of the tournament in impressive fashion.
Team
USA was trailing Puerto Rico 2-0, however, when the game was postponed in the
fifth inning due to rain. The contest is set to resume at a time yet to be
determined.
Joey Gallo
File photo by Jann Hendry
USA began the tournament with a 15-0 win over Aruba on Thursday behind the pitching of Jesse Winker, who went all seven innings and gave up just three hits while striking out five. USA also bashed seven doubles in the game including two by Gavin Cecchini and one each by David Dahl, Albert Almora, Joey Gallo and Carson Kelly.
Mexico provided a tough test on Friday as it limited USA to just three runs on six hits in a 3-1 Team USA win. Walker Weickel went five and two-thirds innings for the win, giving up one run on four hits with two strikeouts. Almora went 2-for-4 to lead Team USA while Dahl, Gallo and Jeremy Martinez each had an RBI.
USA pounded 13 hits against Argentina in a 16-2 win on Saturday. Team USA blew the game open in the sixth with an eight-run rally. Almora and Mikey White each had triples while Almora, White, Cecchini, Alex Bregman, Addison Russell and Chris Okey all had one double apiece.
White finished with a 3-for-5 effort while Almora drove in four runs. Bregman, Russell and Dahl all had two hits each.
The Team USA roster includes: Albert Almora, Mater (Hialeah, Fla.); Alex Bregman, Albuquerque Academy (N.M.); Gavin Cecchini, Barbe (Lake Charles, La.); Troy Conyers, El Capitan (Lakeside, Calif.); David Dahl, Oak Mountain (Birmingham, Ala.); Chase DeJong, Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.); Carson Fulmer, All Saints Academy (Lakeland, Fla.); Joey Gallo, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas); Cole Irvin, Servite (Anaheim, Calif.); Carson Kelly, Westview (Portland, Ore.); Jeremy Martinez, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.); Chris Okey, Eustis (Mt. Dora, Fla.); Nelson Rodriguez, Washington (New York City); Addison Russell, Pace (Fla.); Clate Schmidt, Allatoona (Acworth, Ga.); Nick Travieso, Archibishop McCarthy (Pembroke Pines, Fla.); Hunter Virant, Camarillo (Calif.); Walker Weickel, Olympia (Orlando, Fla.); Mikey White, Spain Park (Hoover, Ala.); Jesse Winker, Olympia (Windermere, Fla.).
Former New York Yankee Scott Brosius is the manager of this year's 18U team. Team USA played Colombia on Monday, Bahamas on Wednesday and begins crossover round play Nov. 25-27.
