Jack Yamamura, catcher for Valencia High School, represented Team USA 18U in late July at the Latin America Baseball Classic in the Dominican Republic, where his team took home the championship.
Yamamura, who’s only just a senior in high school, has already accomplished representing Team USA, but before getting that opportunity he had to undergo a trial for the team just down the street.
To have a spot in any one of the teams for the USA-LABC championship, players first must compete for a roster spot undergoing trials that are hosted across the country and world. As for California, there were only three locations in the state, and Santa Clarita was one of those locations, specifically Castaic High School
“I heard about the tryout. I had to sign up,” Yamamura said. “It was kind of local, a bunch of kids, bunch of different age groups. It was like a pretty basic tryout. There’s a bunch of different ones all over the world, but we got lucky to have one just down the street.”
Prior to learning whether he made the team, Yamamura along with other players had to interview with USA-LABC National Director Jim Parque, who determines the final roster for the Dominican Republic tournament.
“He asked us questions to decide if we were ready for the Dominican. And then from there, after we found out who got selected, there was a couple months we had a Zoom meeting and told us all about what the experience is going to be like.”
Once Yamamura got the news that he solidified his spot to go play in the Dominican Republic, he was ecstatic, but grateful his hard work paid off.
“We found out a couple weeks after [the interview],” Yamamura said. “I was just super excited. I was a little nervous, but I was super excited, because this is like what I’ve been working for.”
When Yamamura finally made the trip to the Dominican Republic, he and the team hit the ground running preparing for the week of baseball they had ahead of them.
“The first day that we get there, we have practices with our coaches and with our teams, so that our coaches can figure out who we are as players, because they’ve never seen us before,” Yamamura said. “And we’ve never seen our teammates before, so we get to meet them, and display our skill and show them why we should play the next day.”
When it came to bonding with his teammates, Yamamura found it easy as all the players who were participating in the championship alongside him were all in the same boat he was, to play for their country.
“I didn’t know a single person on the team, but there was a common goal,” Yamamura said. “So, we all kind of bonded and we talked while we were stretching or during the game just about like our high school life, and we got to see how high school baseball is different across the country.”
Throughout the championship Yamamura and his team played multiple games in pool play and then through the playoffs.
Once those games concluded, with the team going 3-1, Team USA advanced to the championship, winnning the game and taking home gold.
“It was a crazy feeling. I still get chills,” Yamamura said. “I was sitting at first base when the final strikeout was thrown and then y’all got the dog piles. Just a lot of excitement.”
The biggest takeaway that Yamamura took from the whole experience was just having the chance to represent the country and accomplishments he achieved with his team.
“Playing with USA across your chest is just like a different kind of pride,” Yamamura said. “Nobody there and the Dominican wanted to see USA win, but we knew that we wanted to come in there and show them how it was done, and we got the opportunity to do that.”
Yamamura didn’t have to celebrate alone after the competition ended: Although he had his teammates, he had his dad with him who joined him along the way.
“I was definitely happy that he was there with me after the game,” Yamamura said. “He ended up finding me. We had a hug and shared a little moment, took a picture. It’s something that’ll live with me and him forever.”
Once the news broke that Yamamura’s team won, his phone began to blow up and he received congratulatory messages from his teammates and coaches back at Valencia.
“I posted on my Instagram, and then I got immediately just got a bunch of texts from my teammates and from my coaches, Yamamura said. “They were just saying how proud and how excited they were for me.”
Now, Yamamura is looking forward to building off the success he accomplished this summer, hoping to have a great senior year and achieve his next goal: playing college baseball.
“My next goal is for sure to try and get recruited,” Yamamura said. “That’s my next goal is to play college baseball.”
