Team USA Gears Up for Rivalry with Canada in World Baseball Classic
As Team USA prepares for its matchup against Team Canada, Jack Hughes decided to send some words of encouragement. This comes after the U.S. team advanced in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), thanks to Italy’s impressive win over Mexico in Pool B play in Houston, Texas, ending the pool undefeated.
After a moment of relief, the U.S. team’s focus shifted to familiar adversaries: Canada. The Canadian team recently triumphed with a 3-1 victory in Puerto Rico, setting the stage for a heated rivalry as they head into Friday night’s game at Daikin Park.
Mark DeRosa, Team USA’s manager, shared during a Thursday press conference that Hughes reached out to the baseball players. “Jack Hughes sent us a nice message to give the players a little bit of a boost, which we shared in their group chat,” he said.
When asked about Hughes’ memorable overtime goal against Canada that clinched the gold medal for the U.S. women’s ice hockey team just days before, DeRosa mentioned, “I think there’s talk about sending out hockey jerseys for the players to wear during batting practice and in the clubhouse.” He reminisced, “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I won a gold medal there.”
At 24, Hughes might be heading back to the New Jersey Devils, but his recent success still resonates with the U.S. team. Captain Aaron Judge noted that Hughes’ and Meghan Keller’s goals provided a surge of motivation for the baseball players. “The players were fired up,” Judge reflected on the excitement generated from Hughes’ golden goal.
Before the WBC kicked off, Judge, speaking on the “Pat McAfee Show,” emphasized the camaraderie fostered through shared group messages filled with excitement about Hughes’ success. “It’s kind of cool how this snowballed,” he said, highlighting how the U.S. baseball team aims to don their colors proudly and replicate the achievements of their compatriots.
Looking ahead, Team USA is eager for a strong performance against Team Canada, who have had a solid start in the tournament. While not hitting as many home runs as other teams in the quarterfinals, their outfielders like Owen Casey and third baseman Abram Toro are both above .460 at bat and have made significant contributions with five RBIs each. Moreover, brothers Josh and Beau Naylor have also stood out in the tournament.
The success of Canada can be attributed to their pitch, boasting a team ERA of 1.50, which is second in the tournament only to Puerto Rico. Tonight’s quarterfinal will see U.S. pitcher Logan Webb face off against Canada’s Mike Soroka, with the winner advancing to the semifinals in Miami.
