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Welcome to the homepage of Coastal Baseball Park.
Coastal Baseball Park serves as headquarters to 4 Academy Teams, 4 yearly adult baseball tournaments, a college summer league and the largest Sunday League in the State of Texas.
2026 will mark the 19th year of Coastal Baseball.
Coastal Baseball Parks are located on the Beltway 8 feeder in between Telephone and Mykawa.
Effective December 1, 2024 both fields have lights.
2023 Coastal Baseball Classic Review - Team USA Finishes the Job and Wins the Championship
The 2023 Coastal Baseball Classic became a redemption story for Team USA Houston. One year after reaching the championship game and falling short against the Dominican Republic, Team USA returned to Coastal Baseball Park determined to finish what it had started. Under championship manager Carlos Ramon, USA put together a perfect tournament, survived a competitive field that included Cuba, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Mexico, and ultimately defeated Cuba 8-6 in the championship game to capture the 2023 Coastal Baseball Classic title.
The championship represented an important step forward for Team USA. In 2022, USA Houston had reached the final but lost 6-3 to the Dominican Republic. That defeat left the American team one victory short of the championship and gave the returning players and coaches something very specific to chase when the Coastal Classic came back to Houston in January 2023. This time, Team USA did not leave the tournament unfinished. Ramon guided the club through an undefeated 4-0 run, and USA became the third champion of the modern Coastal Baseball Classic following Cuba in 2021 and the Dominican Republic in 2022.
Carlos Ramon Takes Team USA Back to the Classic
Carlos Ramon took charge of a Team USA roster that had the benefit of both experience and motivation. The previous year's trip to the championship game had demonstrated that USA could compete with the best teams in the tournament, but it had also shown how difficult the final step could be. The goal in 2023 was no longer simply reaching championship day. Team USA wanted to win the entire event.
That mentality showed in the final standings. USA Houston finished 4-0, the only undefeated team in the tournament. Mexico finished 2-1 in the same pool, while Mexico North and Puerto Rico each went 0-3. On the other side of the tournament, Cuba and Venezuela each finished 2-1, Cuba South went 1-2 and the defending champion Dominican Republic finished 1-1.
The results gave the 2023 Classic a much different feel from the previous year's rain-disrupted tournament. There were legitimate contenders on both sides of the bracket, but USA was the only team that kept winning every time it took the field.
A Strong International Field Returns to Houston
The 2023 field continued the international identity that had become the foundation of the modern Coastal Baseball Classic. Cuba returned after winning the inaugural modern tournament in 2021. The Dominican Republic returned as defending champion after its remarkable 2022 run. Venezuela was again competitive, Cuba South remained part of Houston's powerful Cuban baseball community, and Mexico, Mexico North and Puerto Rico provided additional depth.
Pool A proved particularly balanced. Cuba and Venezuela both finished 2-1, while Cuba South went 1-2 and the Dominican Republic finished 1-1. Cuba's ability to survive that side of the field eventually put the 2021 champions back in position to play for another Coastal Classic title.
Pool B belonged to Team USA. Ramon and USA navigated the tournament without losing, while Mexico emerged as its strongest challenger at 2-1. Mexico North and Puerto Rico each struggled to find victories, but both rosters contained players capable of producing strong individual performances.
The 2023 Classic Produces an Unusual Batting Leader
One of the most remarkable offensive performances of the tournament came from Mexico's Trey Armendariz. In only nine official at-bats, Armendariz collected nine hits, giving him a perfect 1.000 batting average for the tournament. He scored four runs, hit two doubles and a home run and drove in five runs. His performance produced the highest hitter score in the supplied 2023 statistics and made him the tournament's statistical offensive leader.
Armendariz was not alone among the tournament's top hitters. Venezuela's Luis Mejia went 6-for-9 for a .667 average and scored three runs. Mexico North's Jacob Banda collected four hits and scored four times, while Mexico's Alfonso Reyna went 3-for-3 and drove in three runs.
Cuba's Jon Hardy also had a strong tournament, going 4-for-10 with three doubles. The defending champion Dominican Republic received a .714 performance from Miguel Celestino, who collected five hits in seven at-bats, while several Team USA players provided important offensive production despite not having the extraordinary batting averages recorded by some players from shorter tournament runs.
Team USA's Offense Was Built on Depth
Team USA did not need one hitter to carry the entire lineup because Ramon had production spread throughout the roster. Todd LeCompte was one of USA's most consistent hitters, going 5-for-8 for a .625 batting average. He doubled and drove in two runs while giving the American lineup another dependable baserunner.
Pitcher Joseph Baltrip also contributed at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a triple and two RBIs. Tyler Starks hit .500 with three hits in six at-bats, while Cliff Reyes went 3-for-6 and drove in two runs. Mario Ortega collected three hits and drove in three, and Choice Johnson produced three hits, including two doubles.
USA's offense was unusual because several of its pitchers were capable hitters as well. That versatility gave Ramon options throughout the tournament and allowed Team USA to continue producing even when the top of the order was not carrying the club.
The lineup did not have to overwhelm every opponent. USA simply continued finding enough offense to win, which became particularly important when the tournament reached its final weekend and the margin for error became smaller.
Pitching Becomes the Foundation of Team USA's Championship
If USA's offense was balanced, its pitching staff became one of the biggest reasons the club finished undefeated. Tim Jones emerged as one of the outstanding pitchers of the tournament, going 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA. Jones worked nine innings, allowed eight hits and only two earned runs and struck out 12 hitters. His two victories accounted for half of Team USA's championship run.
Larry Romero was nearly unhittable out of the bullpen. Romero worked three scoreless innings without allowing a hit and recorded a save. Austin Coble also earned a victory with 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing only one hit, while Tyler Starks earned another win and did not allow an earned run in his two innings.
Keyshawn Reed gave Ramon eight important innings across two starts and finished with a 0.87 WHIP despite being charged with four earned runs. Joseph Baltrip worked seven innings and struck out 11. Together, the staff gave USA enough pitching depth to survive multiple games without depending entirely on one starter.
That depth separated the 2023 champions from many tournament teams. In a short event, one dominant pitcher can win one game. Winning the championship requires enough pitching to win several. Team USA had that.
Jusef Frias and Edinson Diaz Produce Dominant Performances
Some of the best individual pitching performances came from teams other than USA. Dominican Republic pitcher Jusef Frias threw a seven-inning complete-game shutout, allowing only three hits and one walk while striking out 10. Venezuela's Edinson Diaz was equally impressive, working 7 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run and striking out 17.
Cuba's Jose Rodriguez had the highest pitcher score in the supplied tournament rankings. Rodriguez went 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA over 12 2/3 innings, completed one of his two starts and struck out 16. His ability to work deep into games became particularly important as Cuba worked its way toward the championship matchup with Team USA.
The quality of those performances demonstrated the level of pitching USA had to overcome. Ramon was not guiding his team through a field without strong arms. Several teams possessed pitchers capable of dominating an entire game, which made Team USA's undefeated record even more meaningful.
USA Reaches Championship Weekend Undefeated
By the time the Coastal Classic reached January 14, Team USA had positioned itself exactly where it wanted to be. The 2022 runners-up were undefeated and one day away from having another opportunity to win the championship.
USA faced Mexico at 10:00 AM at Coastal Park. Mexico had played well throughout the tournament and entered the game as one of the strongest teams in Pool B, making the matchup a legitimate test for the Americans.
The game became one of USA's closest of the tournament. Mexico scored twice, but Team USA found enough offense and pitching to survive with a 3-2 victory. The result kept USA undefeated and put Carlos Ramon's team into the championship game. The tournament schedule records the January 14 matchup as a 3-2 Team USA victory over Mexico.
One year after losing in the championship game, Team USA was back in the final.
This time the opponent would be Cuba.
Cuba Returns to the Championship Stage
Cuba's appearance in the 2023 championship game added another layer to the tournament's early history. Cuba had won the 2021 Coastal Baseball Classic, becoming the first champion after the event was revived. The Cuban team remained one of the strongest programs in Houston and returned in 2023 with another opportunity to win the title.
Cuba finished 2-1 in Pool A and had enough pitching and offensive depth to advance into the final. Rodriguez had been outstanding on the mound, while hitters such as Hardy, Lenier Ulloa, Adriel Labrada and returning Coastal Classic standout Pablo Hernandez gave Cuba a lineup capable of scoring against anyone.
The matchup therefore placed the 2021 champion against the team that had finished second in 2022.
Something had to give.
Team USA Finally Wins the Championship
The 2023 Coastal Baseball Classic championship game was played at 1:00 PM on January 14 at Coastal Park. Unlike USA's 3-2 semifinal victory, the championship became an offensive battle. Cuba scored six runs and kept pressure on the Americans throughout the game, but Team USA answered with eight.
USA defeated Cuba 8-6 to complete an undefeated 4-0 tournament and capture the Coastal Baseball Classic championship. The official tournament page identifies Team USA as the 2023 champion, and the January 14 final records the 8-6 victory over Cuba.
For Carlos Ramon and his team, the final out completed a two-year journey. USA had been good enough to reach the championship game in 2022 but had left Coastal Baseball Park after a 6-3 loss to the Dominican Republic. One year later, the American team returned, won every game it played and finished the job against another former champion.
Four Games, Four Wins
The perfect 4-0 record became the defining statistic of Team USA's championship. Cuba and Venezuela each won twice. Mexico won twice. Several teams produced outstanding individual hitting and pitching performances. But USA was the only club that navigated the entire tournament without losing.
That consistency mattered more than any one batting average or pitching line. Team USA found different ways to win. Its offense received contributions throughout the roster. Jones provided two victories on the mound. Romero gave the team scoreless relief. Coble and Starks also earned wins, and the pitching staff gave Ramon enough flexibility to manage through the tournament.
When the semifinal against Mexico became a one-run game, USA won 3-2. When the championship against Cuba became a higher-scoring contest, USA won 8-6. The champions demonstrated that they could win more than one type of baseball game.
The Redemption of Team USA
That versatility made the 2023 title especially satisfying. Team USA did not arrive in Houston without tournament history. The club had already experienced the disappointment of reaching the championship game and losing. The players knew how quickly a strong tournament could be reduced to one final game and how little a runner-up finish mattered when the goal was to win the championship.
Carlos Ramon took that experience and turned it into an undefeated championship run. Team USA did not allow the 2022 result to become its defining Coastal Baseball Classic moment. Instead, the loss became the beginning of the story that ended one year later with a championship.
The 2023 tournament also demonstrated how quickly the modern Coastal Baseball Classic was developing its own history. Cuba had won in 2021. The Dominican Republic won in 2022. Team USA became champion in 2023. Three different teams had captured the first three titles after the tournament returned, and each championship had developed its own distinct story.
Cuba had been the powerful Houston team that established itself when the Classic returned. The Dominican Republic had survived the rain-disrupted 2022 event and won three games in one day on its way to the championship. Team USA's story was about coming back after losing the final and refusing to finish second again.
Carlos Ramon Becomes a Coastal Classic Championship Manager
For Ramon, the championship placed his name permanently into the tournament's history. Managing a short tournament requires a different approach than managing through a traditional season. Every pitching decision matters immediately, there is little time to recover from mistakes, and one loss can completely alter a team's championship path.
Ramon managed Team USA through four victories without a defeat. His pitching staff was deep enough to keep the team competitive in every game, and the lineup was versatile enough to win both low-scoring and high-scoring contests. When USA needed to beat Mexico 3-2, it did. When it needed eight runs to beat Cuba for the championship, it produced them.
By the end of January 14, Carlos Ramon was a Coastal Baseball Classic championship manager and Team USA had finally reached the destination it had missed one year earlier.
Team USA Completes the Journey
The lasting image of the 2023 Coastal Baseball Classic was Team USA celebrating at Coastal Baseball Park after beating Cuba 8-6. It was the culmination of a tournament in which the Americans had never lost and the completion of a championship chase that had begun with disappointment one year earlier.
The 2022 final had ended with the Dominican Republic celebrating. In 2023, the celebration belonged to Team USA.
Todd LeCompte had been one of the club's most productive hitters. Tim Jones had earned two victories and struck out 12. Larry Romero had provided scoreless relief. Austin Coble and Tyler Starks contributed important innings. The lineup received production from throughout the roster, and Ramon managed all of it through a perfect four-game run.
The 2023 Coastal Baseball Classic featured outstanding performances from players throughout the field, including the remarkable tournament at the plate by Trey Armendariz and dominant pitching performances from Jose Rodriguez, Jusef Frias and Edinson Diaz. But championships are determined by teams rather than statistical leaders, and no team was better throughout the tournament than USA Houston.
One year after coming within a victory of the title, Team USA came back to Houston, went undefeated and finally finished the job.
Team USA - 2023 Coastal Baseball Classic Champions.
