Dominican Republic Advances to World Baseball Classic Semifinals, Set to Face USA

The Dominican Republic secured a spot in the semifinals of the 2026 World Baseball Classic with a dominant 10-0 victory over Korea on Friday, March 13, 2026. The win, completed in seven innings due to the mercy rule, also guarantees the Dominican Republic a berth in the LA28 Olympic Games [1].

Dominican Republic’s Dominant Performance

Austin Wells’ three-run home run in the seventh inning sealed the victory for the Dominican Republic. The team has averaged 10.2 runs per game throughout the tournament [2]. Manager Albert Pujols highlighted the team’s ability to score in multiple ways, noting that the home run came after they had already established a seven-run lead [1].

Pujols also emphasized the aggressive baserunning of players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. And Juan Soto, stating, “They may not be the fastest runners, but they have been very aggressive on the bases. This team can do damage not only with the bat, but also by playing aggressively.”

Christopher Sánchez delivered a strong pitching performance, throwing five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts.

USA Advances to Semifinals

The Dominican Republic will face the United States in the semifinals, after Team USA defeated Canada 5-3 on Friday [1]. Paul Skenes is expected to start for the United States against the Dominican Republic lineup [1].

Looking Ahead

This marks the Dominican Republic’s return to the World Baseball Classic semifinals for the first time since 2013. Pujols acknowledged the team is close to their goal of winning the championship but stressed a game-by-game approach. “We are close to achieving what we want, which is to win the championship, but there are two games left and we are going to take it game by game, as we are doing.”

2026 World Baseball Classic Semifinal Schedule

The semifinals will be held on Sunday and Monday, with the championship game scheduled for Tuesday. The semifinals and championship game will take place at Marlins Park in Miami [1].