MONTERIA, Colombia — The U.S. Men’s National Team (MNT) closed out the 2026 Men’s Pan American Championship in dominant fashion, defeating the Dominican Republic, 7-0 (five innings), to secure a fifth-place finish. With the win, the Eagles clinched a spot in the 2028 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Men’s World Cup Group Stage.
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The U.S. offense delivered eight total hits in the win, highlighted by multi-hit performances from Blaine Milheim and Erick Ochoa, who both went 2-for-3. Milheim, Ochoa and Salgado each tallied a double, while Ochoa also launched a three-run homer in the opening frame. In the circle, Marco Diaz was steady, striking out five and allowing no runs across five innings of work.
Team USA struck early as Ochoa’s three-run blast in the bottom of the first gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead. Tyler Johnson added to it in the bottom of the third with a base hit up the middle, while Jeff Lewis pushed another run across on an RBI-groundout in the fourth. Back-to-back doubles from Milheim and Salgado plated the final two runs of the contest, putting the U.S. in run-rule territory, before Diaz and the U.S. defense sealed the deal in the top of the fifth to lock in the 7-0 shutout.
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The Eagles wrapped up the 2026 Men’s Pan Am Championship with a 6-4 record, including a 2-1 showing in Opening Round to advance to the Super Round. The U.S. finished with a .202 team batting average, led by Tyler Damon (.312) and Ochoa (.290). The squad launched three home runs during the tournament, with Ochoa accounting for two and Lewis adding one. In the circle, Javier Caballero, Diaz and Jon Gwizdala combined for 89 strikeouts over 63.2 innings, with Diaz recording 79 strikeouts in 53.2 innings, while Gwizdala added eight in seven innings of work.
To learn more about the U.S. Men’s National Team program, visit USASoftball.com.