Puerto Rico debuts on Friday in the 2026 WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup against Panama at 4:30 PM (Puerto Rico time) at the Estadio Nacional Soberanía in Managua, Nicaragua. Left-handed pitcher Jorhan Laboy will start the national team’s first game of the tournament. The squad held its first practice in Nicaragua on Thursday, a roughly two-hour session focused on reviewing game details after the trip.
"It was a practice to loosen up the bodies, a light practice after the trip," said Puerto Rico’s manager Juan "Igor" González. Panama is a familiar opponent: the two teams met in the final of the 2025 U-23 Premundial, held in Panama. González called Panama "a great team, a dangerous team" and said Puerto Rico must take the field with the desire to win and play hard with pride.
He praised Laboy’s experience and quality, calling him "a trump card" and saying starting with a win is key in a tournament like this. Laboy has international experience with Puerto Rico in U-23 World Cups, Premundials and the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, where he won bronze. Puerto Rico is in Group A with Panama, Australia, Nicaragua, the Czech Republic and Chinese Taipei, and arrives after taking silver at the 2024 U-23 World Cup.