Mike Scioscia remains at helm of USA for WBSC Premier12
USA Baseball announced that Olympic silver medal winner Mike Scioscia will return as manager for Team USA at the WBSC Premier12 presented by RAXUS, which will be held from 9 to 24 November 2024.
The former World Series winner as a player with the Los Angeles Dodgers and as a manager with the Los Angeles Angels has been at the helm of the USA men's national baseball team since 2021 when he lead the world No. 3 to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games baseball final.
“I am honoured and proud to have the opportunity to put the Team USA uniform on again,” Scioscia said. “I am looking forward to being back in the dugout as we put all of our efforts into winning a gold medal at the Premier12 tournament.”
“It is an exciting day for USA Baseball as we welcome Mike Scioscia back to manage our Professional National Team in 2024,” said USA Baseball Executive Director Paul Seiler. “Mike has a proven track record as a big-league manager and in international competition, and his dedication and leadership will continue to make a significant impact on our players, coaches, and staff. His ability to connect with every member of our team will be a huge asset for us, and we look forward to having Mike in our dugout as we aim for a gold medal in November.”
The 65-year-old Scioscia has a tremendous career in baseball. Drafted in 1976 he played 12 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball between 1980 and 1992. After his active career he joined the coaching ranks. From 2000 to 2018 he managed the Los Angeles Angels in the MLB. His 1,620 wins during his tenure have been the 20th all-time. When he won the World Series with the Angels in 2002, he became only the 17th person to win a World Series title as both a player and a manager.
After taking over managing duties with USA in 2021, Scioscia led his team to a perfect 4-0 record during the WBSC Baseball Americas Olympic Qualifier to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. At Tokyo 2020, he led his team to the silver medal, its second in Olympic baseball history.
At the WBSC Premier12 presented by RAXUS, which will feature the top 12 nations in the WBSC/KONAMI Men’s Baseball World Ranking, USA will play Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico and Venezuela in Group A during the Opening Round. Group A will play its games in Guadalajara and Tepic in Mexico. Group B is featuring Australia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Japan, Korea and Chinese Taipei in Taipei City, Taiwan.
USA finished second in the inaugural edition of the Premier12 in 2015 when they lost to Korea 5-3 in the final. In 2019, USA ended up in fourth place behind Japan, Korea and Mexico.
USA Baseball will announce its entire coaching staff and the roster for the Premier12 later this year, leading up to the tournament.