Team USA fashioned a 4-2 ledger at the 10-day event and rebounded from the consecutive setbacks-one to host Mexico, the other to six-time defending Pan Am champion Cuba-to defeat Canada 6-2 to capture the bronze medal in the tournament, which featured teams from 11 countries. The win against Canada marked the fourth bronze-medal finish for the USA in the Pan Ams since 1997. The USA also claimed the bronze in 1999 and 2000. Prior to this year, the Americans had brought home three straight silver medals in the event (2001, 2003, 2005), which serves as a qualifier for the ensuing year's World Junior Championships. With its top four finish, Team USA earned a berth in the 2008 Worlds, which will be held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

"Most importantly, our goal at the Pan Ams was to qualify for next year's Worlds and give the 2008 Junior National Team an opportunity to win the world title," Junior National Team Head Coach Victor Solis said following the JNT's victory against Canada. "We have several players on this year's Junior National Team who are age-eligible and could be a member of the 2008 squad."

The USA Baseball Junior National Team is a perennial power on the international baseball scene. Only once in the 22-year history of the IBAF World Junior Championships has the USA failed to capture a medal. During this time, the JNT program has earned five gold, 10 silver and six bronze medals in World Championship competition.

In gaining the bronze medal, the JNT certainly made its presence known at the Pan Ams. Besides the USA, Canada, Cuba and Mexico, other countries participating included Aruba, the Bahamas, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. The 11 squads were divided into two pools. Team USA opened its pool play with three lopsided, run-rule wins, scoring 13 runs each against Panama, Puerto Rico and Aruba. The Americans outscored these opponents 39-5, erupting for 35 hits and a .385 team batting average. Meanwhile, Team USA pitchers permitted just 11 hits, logged 32 strikeouts and posted a 1.64 earned run average in the contests. The 3-0 mark set up a showdown against Mexico, which was also undefeated through three games, for the top spot in the squads' six-team pool (a scheduled pool play matchup against El Salvador was cancelled due to rain).

Despite holding an early three-run lead against Mexico, the USA surrendered eight runs in the middle innings then saw a late rally fall short in an 8-7 loss to the host country in a four-hour, seven-minute marathon played in front of a raucous crowd of more than 1,000. The squad almost overcame a Pan Am single-game record 12 walks issued by JNT pitchers, rallying from an 8-4 deficit before a double play ended the game and the comeback in the ninth.

"For the first time in the tournament, we faced some adversity," Solis said after the loss. "Obviously, we were not the 'home' team. We had some rough innings and didn't get some pitches called that we would have liked. But we needed to do some things to make those innings shorter. On the plus side, we rallied after being behind. We ran out of at bats. We'll be back. This is a good team. We will be ready to go in the medal round."

The head coach's words proved to be more than true. By finishing second in its pool, Team USA took a 3-1 record into the medal round semifinals where the squad faced a familiar face-undefeated Cuba, the top team in its pool.

Behind a sterling pitching performance by Ryan Weber (RHP; St. Petersburg, FL), the USA was just two outs away from a victory and a berth in the gold-medal game only to see Cuba rally for three runs to claim a 3-2 win. It appeared the USA might advance to the Pan Am title game for the fourth consecutive time as the Americans held a 2-0 lead entering the bottom of the ninth. Through eight innings, Weber had stymied Cuba's powerful offense on just six hits while fanning six. But after retiring Cuba's leadoff hitter to start the final frame, he ran into trouble.

"Ryan pitched great," Solis said of Weber, who set down 11 consecutive Cuba batters at one stretch from the fifth through eighth innings. "Cuba was able to get a couple of cheap hits off him at the end. But his performance shouldn't be remembered for those late hits. Cuba had other opportunities to score earlier and Ryan was able to get out of those jams and keep us in the game. It is always fun to play a team as good as Cuba. I thought our players did a great job. With a play here or there, the game could easily have gone our way."

With the loss to Cuba, Team USA met Canada for the bronze on the final day. The USA proved to be opportunistic, taking advantage of six Canada errors enroute to its four-run, seven-inning victory. While the Americans managed just six hits, they took advantage of five walks and the fielding miscues. With the errors, four of their six runs were unearned. Riccio Torrez (INF; Phoenix, AZ) scored a pair of runs and drove in another to lead the offense.

"We wanted to go out with a bang and win this game," said Torrez, who hit .429 with four doubles, had a team-best seven runs scored and was named the event's top second baseman. "We knew this might be the last time many of us could be playing together. We capitalized on chances when we had them. When you play hard, good things will happen."

Two pitchers-Tim Melville (RHP; Wentzville, MO) and Nick Maronde (LHP; Lexington, KY)-combined to allow only five hits and strike out six. The pair teamed up to strand 15 Canada base runners. Maronde hurled the final four innings to get his second win. He stifled Canada's final scoring opportunity in the bottom of the seventh. Three walks loaded the bases with two outs and brought the tying run to the plate. But Maronde, who struck out 10 and did not permit an earned run in nine innings at the Pan Ams, got a called third strike for the game's final out.

"Tim and Nick did a great job competing on the mound for us," said Solis, who is head coach at Gateway Community College in Phoenix, Ariz. "Their minimizing of Canada's chances was the difference in the game."

Besides Torrez, three other USA players gained tournament honors, based on statistics through pool play. Weber, who compiled a 1.65 earned run average with 14 strikeouts in 16.1 innings in three games, was honored as the top righthander and for having the best earned run average. Kyle Skipworth (C; Riverside, CA), who had the team's lone home run, was recognized for his home-run total. Robbie Grossman (OF; Cypress, TX), who led the regulars with a .450 hitting mark and team-highs for hits (9) and RBI (8), was selected as one of the event's top outfielders.

Jeff Malm (INF-P; Las Vegas, NV) batted .400 while JP Ramirez (OF; New Braunfels, TX), who had a team-high 23 at bats, hit at a .348 clip. Both Harold Martinez (INF; Miami, FL) and LJ Hoes (OF; Bowie, MD) started all six of Team USA's contests. Kyle Buchanan (C; Auburn, WA), Mychal Givens (INF; Tampa, FL) and Jordan Swagerty (C; Sachse, TX) each saw action in five contests. The JNT hit .306 and outscored opponents 54-18. Meanwhile, JNT pitchers compiled a 2.94 ERA, allowing 15 earned runs and 34 hits in 46.1 innings while fanning 53. The staff limited opponents to a .194 batting mark. Melville notched a 1.12 ERA, fanning nine in eight innings.

The JNT roster for the Pan Ams was selected exclusively from the age-eligible players (those born 1989 or after) who competed in the 12th Annual Tournament of Stars held in June for the first time at USA Baseball's new training center in Cary, N.C. Following the week-long event, 36 invitees were selected for the JNT Trials. After returning to their respective hometowns, players reassembled for the Trials in August in Joplin, Mo., for practices and exhibition games, which served as part of the evaluation and selection process for the final 20-player roster.

Joining Solis on the 2007 JNT coaching staff were assistants Mark Elkins, Jack Hodges and Mike Power. Hodges is head coach at Saddleback (Calif.) Community College while Elkins and Power direct programs at Harrison (Ga.) and Roswell (Ga.) high schools, respectively.

COPABE "AAA" PAN AMERICAN JUNIOR BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
August 24-September 2, 2007 Ixtapa, Mexico

Tournament Results

August 31 Medal Round Semifinal Results
Cuba def. USA, 3-2
Mexico def. Canada, 5-4

September 2 Medal Round Results
Gold Medal Game: Cuba (6-0) def. Mexico (5-1), 7-0
Bronze Medal Game: USA (4-2) def. Canada (3-3), 6-2

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1. Cuba (6-0)
2. Mexico (5-1)
3. USA (4-2)
4. Canada (3-3)
5. (tie) Puerto Rico (3-2)
Venezuela (2-2)
7. (tie) Aruba (2-3)
Nicaragua (1-3)
9. (tie) Panama (1-3)
Bahamas (0-4)
El Salvador (0-4)

USA Junior National Team Results (4-2)
Opponent Result
Panama (Pool Play) W 13-1 (8 innings)
Puerto Rico (Pool Play) W 13-2 (7 innings)
Aruba (Pool Play) W 13-2 (7 innings)
Mexico (Pool Play) L 7-8
Cuba (Semifinals) L 2-3
Canada (Bronze Medal) W 6-2 (7 innings)