The Venezuelan U23 national baseball team begins its quest for a gold medal this Thursday in Managua, facing Australia in the opening game of the Super Round at the Estadio Soberanía.
Venezuela enters the tournament’s final stage as the undefeated leader of Group B, carrying a 2-0 record into the match against the Australian side, which finished as the top seed in Group A.
The team, managed by Néstor Corredor with support from coaches Víctor Martínez and Miguel Cabrera, dominated the opening round. Venezuela finished with a 5-0 record, outscoring opponents 44-1 throughout the five-game stretch. The squad’s only run allowed came during a 7-1 victory against Japan, courtesy of a home run by Natsuki Fujiwara.
The Super Round features the top six teams from the original 12-nation field, with Venezuela looking to maintain the momentum that saw them secure wins over Japan and South Korea to set their current 2-0 standing.
🇻🇪 Nasty pitch by Miguel Mejias! WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup presented by RAXUS#BaseballWorldCupU23 pic.twitter.com/jhwvvXqbiK
The Super Round schedule begins with three matches at the Estadio Soberanía. Puerto Rico faces Japan at 12:00 p.m., followed by the Venezuela-Australia matchup at 4:30 p.m. The day concludes with South Korea playing Chinese Taipei at 8:20 p.m.
Following Thursday’s contest, the Venezuelan schedule continues with a game against Puerto Rico on Friday at 12:30 p.m. and a final Super Round matchup against Chinese Taipei on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. The medal round is set for Sunday, with the bronze medal game starting at 2:00 p.m. and the gold medal game scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
Several Venezuela players are scoring frequently in this round. Diego González leads the core with a .500 average, while Johnfrank Salazar has contributed two home runs and a 1.588 OPS. Lewis Castillo has provided power with three home runs, and Juan Fuentes has maintained a .455 average with extra-base hits.
On the mound, Josbel García remains undefeated with a 2-0 record and no earned runs allowed. The staff also includes Andry Lara, who recorded a 1-0 record in five innings with seven strikeouts during the opening round. The team is preparing for Australia’s primary offensive threat, Juan Lemm, who enters the game batting .556 with two doubles, two triples, and two home runs.
The Super Round standings are determined by the results against other teams that also advanced to this stage. Because Venezuela defeated both Japan and South Korea during the opening round, they carry those two victories forward into the current standings. The tournament concludes on Sunday, October 15, to determine the final medalists.
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