Nicaragua announce manager Anibal Vega and 24-man roster for WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup

Nicaragua's manager Anibal Vega announced his 24-man roster for the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2024.

Right-handed pitcher Carlos Rodriguez is the ace of the staff. He started 18 games for the Nashville Sounds, the Milwaukee Brewers Triple-A affiliate. He struck out 109 in 106.2 innings and had a 4.56 earned run average.

Catcher Enmanuel Aburto represented Nicaragua in last year's WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup.

Right-handed pitcher Samuel Guadamuz is a sophomore at Talladega College in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

Eleven players on the rosters have already debuted in the professional Nicaraguan Winter League: pitchers Axel Zapata, Angel Canales, Bryan Torres ( who pitched in the US minor leagues in 2018 and 2019), Carlos Gazo, Francisco Robleto, Jared Albir; first baseman Emanuel Trujillo; shortstop Cristhian Moreno; second baseman Odlanyer Matamoros and outfielders Godwin Bennett, Roger Leyton The rest of the roster is active in the German Pomares National Championship.

Vega, who turned 55 today (Wednesday, 28 August), is a former outfielder and was one of the all-time top hitters in the German Pomares Championship. His left-handed bat collected 1,183 hits, including 117 home runs and a career .342 batting average, the second in the league's history. He represented Nicaragua in the 1996 Athens Olympics, the Baseball World Cup Baseball 2004, the Intercontinental Cup 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1997 and the 1991 and 1995 Pan American Games. He later became a Cincinnati Reds scout.
He coached Nicaragua in the 2010 Intercontinental Cup and the 2017 Central American Games, leading them to gold.

Vega's coaching staff includes two pitching coaches, Lenin Picota, a former professional pitcher in the KBO, CPBL and LMB leagues, and Mario Peña. Dorian Garcia will serve as the first-base coach, while Eddy Talavera will be the third-base coach.

World No. 20 Nicaragua will compete in Group B and face No. 4 Korea, No. 5 Chinese Taipei, No. 6 Venezuela, No. 7 Netherlands and No. 34 South Africa.

Group A includes No. 1 Japan, No. 11 Australia, No. 12 Puerto Rico, No. 13 Colombia, No. 18 Great Britain, and No. 24 China.