High School

Coral Springs native Gio Rojas tosses complete-game shutout in Team USA’s Super Round win over Korea

Rojas, of Stoneman Douglas HS in Florida, helped USA move onto the WBSC U-18 World Cup title game

Kevin L. Smith

Coral Springs native Gio Rojas, a standout pitcher out of Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, tossed a complete-game shutout in Team USA's 1-0 win over Korea in U-18 Super Round play on Friday. The Auburn baseball commit struck out 10 batters through seven innings of work.
Coral Springs native Gio Rojas, a standout pitcher out of Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, tossed a complete-game shutout in Team USA's 1-0 win over Korea in U-18 Super Round play on Friday. The Auburn baseball commit struck out 10 batters through seven innings of work. / USA Baseball

Coral Springs native Gio Rojas of Stoneman Douglas High School (Florida) pitched a complete-game shutout to guide Team USA to a 1-0 win over Korea on Friday in the Super Round of the WBSC U-18 World Cup at Nishizaki Stadium.

The victory propelled USA into Sunday’s World Championship game against Japan. The Americans will look to redeem themselves following a loss to Japan in the opening Super Round contest on Thursday.

Rojas, a Miami baseball commit, allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out 10 batters. Jiho Park, who tripled with two outs in the third inning, was Korea’s only runner in scoring position.

The last USA pitcher to throw a seven-inning, complete-game shutout was Ben Hernandez when he blanked Canada in the 2019 WBSC U-18 World Cup.

Rojas has not allowed a run in two World Cup starts. He has compiled 11 scoreless innings and has allowed five hits and three walks with 13 strikeouts.

“We came out with the right energy, especially bouncing back from the previous night,” Rojas said after the game. “I think we had something to prove today. I came out and I did what I do best, and I tried to perform for my team. I had a lot of confidence on the mound, especially with my team behind me.”

USA’s starting pitchers have allowed one earned run in 34 innings of work, good for a 0.20 earned-run average. Overall, USA’s pitchers have a tournament-best 0.74 ERA.

Team USA’s lone run came in the third. Aiden Ruiz of The Stony Brook School (New York) led off the inning with a single. After a base hit by Coleman Borthwick of South Walton (Florida), CJ Sampson of Tomball High School (Texas) singled home Ruiz.

Borthwick was 3-for-3 at the plate in Friday’s victory. The Auburn baseball commit now has a .304 batting average in the tournament.

Team USA concludes Super Round play against Puerto Rico on Saturday afternoon. 

The U.S. will then compete in its 17th World Cup title game the following day. The Americans are in the hunt for their 11th championship crown, which would tie Cuba for the most overall titles in U-18 tournament history.

The first pitch for Sunday’s championship contest against Japan is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. JST/1:30 a.m. EST at Okinawa Cellular Stadium.

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Kevin L. Smith
KEVIN L. SMITH

Kevin L. Smith, a Rochester (NY) native and a graduate of St. Bonaventure University, has been covering high school sports for over a decade. He started out as a freelance sportswriter in 2013. Since then, he’s held sportswriter and editor positions for newspapers in Coudersport (PA), Sayre (PA) and Oswego (NY). Smith currently covers high school sports in the Greater Syracuse Area for syracuse.com | Post-Standard, a position he’s held since 2021. You can follow him on social media @KevLSmittie. Story ideas can be sent to KLSFreelancing@outlook.com.

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