U-23 Men’s Softball World Cup: Records to beat in Sincelejo

The WBSC U-23 Men’s Softball World Cup returns for its second edition in Sincelejo, Colombia from 25 April to 3 May with history already on the line. The inaugural tournament in Paraná 2023 not only crowned Australia as the first world champions, but also set the first benchmarks in competition history.

As the next generation takes the field in Sincelejo, those marks now stand as the records to beat.

Pitching excellence

Argentina’s Juan Pepe (pictured) delivered one of the most iconic performances in World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) history, striking out 19 batters in a single game against Czechia - a tournament record that may prove hard to surpass. In the same outing, Pepe also threw a no-hitter, setting the gold standard for dominance in the circle.

Individually (minimum 2.3 IP per game), Australia’s Jack Besgrove led the tournament with 82 strikeouts, 48 innings pitched, six wins and five complete games. Czechia’s Jonáš Hajný posted a 0.72 ERA, allowing only two earned runs, while limiting opponents to a .081 batting average. New Zealand’s Liam Potts issued just three walks across the tournament.

At the team level, Argentina powered through lineups with a tournament-best 110 strikeouts, while Japan set the benchmark for pitching efficiency, finishing with a remarkable 0.51 ERA, allowing just five runs and holding opponents to a .115 batting average

Offensive records

Offence in Paraná 2023 leaned more toward consistency than power, leaving several milestones within reach.

Single-game records include four hits by Guatemala’s Nery Del Cid against Japan, and four RBIs by Mexico’s Lui Rodríguez against Singapore. No player hit multiple home runs in a game, a record that could fall in Sincelejo.

Additionally, New Zealand’s Tane Mumu and Japan’s Koki Sato each scored three runs in a game, the highest total in a single contest.

Del Cid was the tournament’s top hitter with a .579 batting average, collecting 11 hits and posting a .600 on-base percentage. Meanwhile, Jakub Hajný led the tournament with three home runs and shared the RBI lead with New Zealand’s Brock Evans (eight). Argentina’s Luciano Biondi and Alan Peker led the event in stolen bases (six) and runs scored (eight), respectively. Australia's Riley James topped the tournament with three triples, while Mexico's Jorge Martinez hit four doubles. 

At the team level, Argentina set the pace offensively, leading the tournament in runs (42), RBIs (35) and team batting average (.251), while also matching Japan with 56 hits. New Zealand’s aggressive baserunning stood out, producing a tournament-best 20 stolen bases, and Czechia established the power benchmark with seven home runs.

Statistics include all games played, including medal games.

A new chapter begins

With the second edition set to unfold in Sincelejo, every game offers the opportunity to rewrite the record books. Will a pitcher reach 20 strikeouts in a game? Will a slugger deliver the first multi-home run game? Can a team surpass Japan’s pitching dominance?

The records are in place, and the chase for history is about to begin.