Wilcox, Team USA win 18-U World Cup

The baseball resume for Cole Wilcox was already an impressive one, but now the Heritage High School senior can add “gold medal winner” and “world champion” to the list.

Wilcox and Team USA dominated the field to win gold at the XXVIII WBSC 18-U World Cup in Thunder Bay, Canada, topping South Korea in the gold medal game, 8-0.

A total of 12 teams representing five different continents converged in Ontario for the tournament. Team USA was placed in Group B and allowed just two runs in five preliminary games, collecting wins over the Netherlands (11-1), Japan (4-0), Mexico (6-0), South Africa (5-0) and Cuba (8-1).

In the Super Round, Team USA handled Canada, 8-3, before a 2-0 win over South Korea.

They went on to beat Australia, 9-0, in the semifinals before shutting out South Korea again for the championship. It was the fourth straight gold medal in the event for Team USA.

Wilcox appeared in three games for the Stars and Stripes. His best and longest outing

came against Cuba, as he got the start and the win, throwing seven innings. He gave up just one unearned run on two hits and three walks. He finished with five strikeouts.

For the tournament, he was 1-0 with three hits allowed and strikeouts in eight innings. Opponents batted just .111 against him and he had a 0.00 earned run average. He gave up one hit and fanned one batter in

one inning against the Netherlands and threw a perfect seventh inning with one strikeout in the gold medal game.

“It was amazing just being a part of such a talented team and playing for your country. It’s like no other feeling,” Wilcox said. “I was just ready to do my job whenever the team needed me and I feel like I did what I needed to do in order for us to get the gold.”