Cuba Wins Caribbean Tournament and Secures U-15 Baseball World Cup Spot

With four consecutive victories —the last one today against Aruba by a score of 13-8— the Cuban U-15 baseball team clinched a spectacular triumph in the Caribbean Tournament, securing the only ticket available for next year’s World Cup in Italy.

Decisive Victory Under Pressure

Led by Pinar del Río manager Alexander Urquiola, the Cuban squad needed Thursday’s win to lock in first place in the round-robin competition, which was structured as a double round-robin among four teams.

The game remained fiercely contested through the seventh and final inning, tied at eight runs apiece, before hitters from the largest island of the Antilles broke through with seven runs to seal the score.

In that decisive frame, there were RBI hits from Cristian González, pinch-hitter Alexander Rodríguez, and Damián Díaz, along with a bases-loaded walk drawn by Ángelo Fleitas.

Path to the Title

Cuba’s golden chances grew after the surprising upset of the Dominican Republic by Aruba the previous day, which created a three-way tie with Puerto Rico and Cuba. The Cubans benefited most from the tie thanks to closing the schedule against the last-place team.

The team had a rough start, dropping its first two games to the Dominican Republic (8-9) and Puerto Rico (2-8). However, they bounced back with an impressive winning streak: first against Aruba, then avenging their earlier losses with victories over the Dominicans (10-5) and Puerto Ricans (13-2), before once again defeating Aruba in the final matchup of the second round.

Qualification Scenarios

The classification was settled before the last game between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. No matter who won, the best outcome would have been a tie with Cuba, which would still advance thanks to the Team Quality Balance (TQB) system.

The result of that contest, however, will determine the second-place finisher, which still holds an indirect opportunity to qualify for the World Cup.

The Road Ahead

Across the Americas, qualification for the U-15 Baseball World Cup has been organized in three regional tournaments. In the South, Venezuela claimed first place, followed by Colombia. In the North and Central American zone, Mexico, the United States, Nicaragua, Panama, and Costa Rica will compete in the coming days.

Two wild-card spots for the global event in Italy will be assigned among the second-place finishers from these regional tournaments.