By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
The Federación Colombiana de Beisbol announced their official roster for the 2023 Pan American Games on Monday.
Colombia built its roster with players that are professional free agents, players in the lower levels of the U.S. minor leagues, players that have played in the independent leagues in the United States, and players playing in 2023-24 Liga Profesional de Béisbol Colombiano regular season.
The 2023-24 Liga Profesional de Béisbol Colombiano regular season will start on November 3.
Fabian Pertuz, Dilson Herrera, Jesus Marriaga, Santiago Florez, Ruben Galindo, Guillermo Zuñiga, Ezequiel Zabaleta, and Julio Vivas are all returning from the Colombia roster at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Jose Mosquera who helped Caimanes de Barranquilla win the 2022 Caribbean Series at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal will be the manager for Colombia in the 2023 Pan American Games. Mosquera was the bench coach for Colombia during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Colombia went 1-3 in the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Pool C at Chase Field in Phoenix and will have to qualify for the 2026 World Baseball Classic due to having the same record against Great Britain along with the Team Quality Balance runs for an runs against scenario and losing to Great Britain during the pool round.
Colombia is ranked No. 15 in the World from the latest rankings that were released on October 5.
Colombia has only won bronze at the Pan American Games during 1971 in Cali on home soil in the history of their nation.
Colombia has also medaled gold at the 1946 Central American and Caribbean Games and won bronze at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla.
Colombia has won silver at the 1945 Baseball World Cup, won gold at the 1947 Baseball World Cup and won gold at the 1965 Baseball World Cup on home soil, won silver at the 1971 Baseball World Cup, and won bronze at the 1974 Baseball World Cup.
Colombia qualified for the 2023 Pan American Games in December 2021 at the Junior Pan American Games in Barranquilla, Colombia, beating the Dominican Republic in the gold medal game 6-3.
The 2021 Junior Pan American Games was the first time that baseball was held at the event.
The Pan American Games will have a total of eight nations in the baseball event, including No. 3 Mexico, No. 6 Venezuela, No. 8 Cuba, No. 9 Dominican Republic, No. 15 Colombia, No. 24 Brazil, and host nation Chile, which is not ranked in the World Baseball Rankings. Chile has not been ranked in two consecutive World Baseball Ranking cycles, including the rankings released on December 31, 2022 and March 28, 2023, after the World Baseball Classic.
The Pan American Games baseball tournament will be held from October 18 to October 28 at the Baseball and Softball Center in Cerrillos, Chile.
Following the group stage will be the Super Round, which will be played October 25-27. The bronze medal game and gold medal game of the 2023 Pan American Games will be played on October 28.
Group A will have Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Panama, and host nation Chile. Group B will have Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, and Brazil.
Venezuela has the highest World Baseball Ranking in Group B after winning the bronze medal at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games.
Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Cuba all qualified for the 2023 Pan American Games by their performance at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games this past summer in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Brazil qualified in July 2022 for the 2023 Pan American Games, beating Argentina 2-0 in the 2022 South American Baseball Championship in Lima, Peru.
The last Pan American Games was held in 2019 in Lima, Peru when Puerto Rico beat Canada in the gold medal game 6-1.
The 2023 Pan American Games will be the last senior event of the international baseball calendar year from the WBSC Americas sector prior to the rankings being released on December 31, 2023.
All listed streaming updates of the 2023 Pan American Games will be provided on the WBSC Americas social media pages and website.
2023 Colombia Roster Pan American Games
Pitchers
Julio Vivas
Ruben Galindo
Santiago Florez
Ezequiel Zabaleta
Jorge Martinez
Kevin Escorcia
Victor Vargas
Carlos Diaz
Jhan Peluffo
Randy Consuegra
Jean Ruiz
Heraldo Mejia
Catchers
Carlos Martinez
Jorge Puerta
Infielders
Dilson Herrera
Francisco Acuna
Jose Ramos
Carlos Arroyo
Fabian Pertuz
Jaider Morelos
Outfielders
Jesus Marriaga
Leandro Emiliani
Derwin Pomare
2023 Colombia Pan American Games Coaching Staff
Jose Mosquera – Manager/First Base Coach
Ronald Ramirez De La Rosa – Hitting Coach/Third Base Coach
Rodrigo Escobar – Pitching Coach
2023 Pan American Games Pool Round Schedule
All times are listed Eastern Daylight Time
Friday October 20, 2023
8:30 a.m. EDT – Colombia vs. Cuba
Sunday October 22, 2023
8:30 a.m. EDT – Brazil vs. Colombia
Tuesday October 24, 2023
2 p.m. EDT – Colombia vs. Venezuela