The Corsair Spring 2026 - Issue 2

Letter From The Editor March Madness

As we dove head first through the spring semester, we started off strong by attending the ACP National College Media Conference in San Francisco. During the awards, ACP recognized The Corsair as one of the top student media outlets, awarding us with an online Pacemaker Award. The photo pictured is of me holding one of the JACC awards we won. Yay! I feel beyond grateful to be at the head of this publication, watching as talent in the newsroom continues to grow.

I’d usually say I like March because the weather isn’t too hot nor too cold, but a lovely heatwave has graced Los Angeles — which is really convenient for someone who just adores the warmth! I’m lying. I hate summer for the exact reason of despising hot weather. Besides that, March is also Women’s History Month, something that is dear to me for many reasons; I’ve been surrounded by strong, beautiful women who have shaped my life in a multitude of ways.

Journalism is a competitive industry — even just for a student publication. I am proud to have so many women be part of The Corsair, whether that’s a staff writer, photographer or my editorial staff. I hope you enjoy reading through the second edition of the semester!

by Katie Easterson

Editor In Chief

Katie Easterson

Corsair Editors

Editor in Chief

Katie Easterson

Managing Editor

Sofia Kieser

Photo Editor

Elizabeth Bacher

Assistant Photo Editor

Tom Rosholt

News Editor

Kayjel J. Mairena

Arts & Entertainment

Editor

Kyla Downey

Culture Editor

Nastassia Melendez

Opinion Editor

Jaqueline Martin

Sports Editor

Ciara Burris

Copy Editors

Scarlett Mendez

Harley Morgan

Maria Lebedev

Design Editor

Scarlett Mendez

Multimedia Editors

Jenna Tibby

Tim Sim

Raphael Lopez

Social Media Editor

Jeffrey Berrios

Newsletter Editor

Harley Morgan

Front Cover

A pair of Los Angeles Marathon runners gain momentum at the 17 mile point of the 26.2 mile race as they approach the turn Santa Monica Blvd at the 41st annual LA Marathon on Wilshire Blvd in Beverly Hills, Calif., Sunday, March 8, 2026

Danny Sanchez I The Corsair

Inside Cover

Bassist Janek Gwizdala during his performances at the Friday Jazz Series with Bob Reynolds inside the Performing Arts Center at Santa Monica College, in Santa Monica Calif., Friday, March 6, 2026

Danny Sanchez| The Corsair

Back Cover

Santa Monica College Corsair Opposite Hitter Marlon Cabebe hyping up his teammates before facing off against Long Beach City College Vikings at Corsair Gym, Santa Monica, Calif., on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

Jordi Garcia Sosa | The Corsair

Staff Writers

Harley Morgan, Alexandra Gorgij, Kollin Zullo, Malaika Kamau, Christine Muñoz, Leo Williams, Izabel Enrique, Natalia Zabala, Addison Koepke, Kayvon Nili-Esfahani, Cam Brewster, Sean Mendoza, Caelen Perkins, Maria Isabel Carias, Victoria Cue, Vicki Mehdizadeh, Joanna Rivas, Paola Carrasco, Alejandro Contreras, Milca Lopez

Photographers

Andrew Starnes, Victoria White, Jinhao Tian, Guillermo De La Barreda, Silke Eichholz, Karina Custodio, Jordi Garcia Sosa, Michael Diebert, Tori Campbell, Juliana Frame, Maria Lebedev, Katelynne Dubeau, Gregory Hawthorne, Kantapong Wongjirasawad, Masie Najafi, Danny Sanchez, Ada Greatrix, Masanori Aguayo

Social Media Staff

Roxanne Solar, Clarissa Moreno, Cayman Carter, Donnisha Mukes, Gia Rush, Darlene Cabanillas, Seandrea Brady (nicole), Tiwana Floyd

Advisors

Gerard Burkhart || Photo Adviser

Sharyn Obsatz || Writing Adviser

Samantha Nuñez || Social Media Adviser

Santa Monica College faculty staged a walkout during a scheduled teachers-only training day in protest of the Board of Trustee’s decision to eliminate more than 70 jobs to address SMC’s budget crisis.

On March 17, as President and Superintendent Kathryn Jeffery approached the podium inside the Corsair Gym to deliver a speech for Departmental Flex Day, almost half of the room stood up and silently left.

“I’m here in support of all our classified staff who have been given notices that they’re being laid off,” said Hannah Nelson, a photography professor at SMC who participated in the protest. “We really cannot operate properly without them.”

“We’re talking about (eliminating) the staff groups that are some of the lowest paid employees at our school to try and fix a huge budget deficit, and these notices were sent out before considering administrative positions for layoffs and reductions,” Nelson said.

According to emails obtained by the Corsair, some SMC employees received notice of their possible release on Jan. 29. The trustees voted to send March 15 layoff notices to the equivalent of 57 classified — or non-academic — jobs on Feb. 3.

In addition to the classified employees, four administrative positions and 13 vacant jobs were listed for elimination. At the Feb. 3 meeting, board chair Dr. Sion Roy amended both items to include all classified managers and academic administrators to the list of people receiving layoff notices.

Roy said that he does not necessarily intend to eliminate all these positions but wants to allow the college to consider it while restructuring in the coming months.

In September 2025, SMC Faculty Association president Peter Morse posted a video with recommendations for addressing the budget crisis, which he said can be accomplished without cuts to student services and instructional hours. Morse suggested downsizing management expenditures by 10% over two years, reducing operating costs at the Malibu Campus by $1 million, and enrolling in a state-funded health plan for part-time faculty.

He also proposed that the district allow faculty to bank their pay for a later date and continue the practice of not replacing full-time employees who retire. These

SMC faculty walk out

SMC’s faculty sent a silent message to President and Superintendent Kathryn

five budgetary actions combined would save the college approximately $24,703,321 over a three-year period, Morse said.

“The Board of Trustees does have options that they can direct the administration to engage over… that do not directly affect students or faculty in providing the direct services to students that we know our students are here

for,” said in the video.

during the SMC Spring 2026 Professional Development Day with the theme “Rooted in Progress: Essential Tools 2026 at the SMC Pavillion (Corsair Gym) in Santa Monica, Calif.

out on college president

Kathryn Jeffery by walking out on her speech during Departmental Flex Day.

Mairena || News Editor

Cindy Ordaz, president of the California School Employees Association, which represents classified staff, said that she was unaware that the faculty organized a walkout, but that their actions are “reflections of the forms of communication.”

“People want honesty; they want truth, especially in difficult moments. That’s the time to talk,” Ordaz said.

She added that bulletins and emails are inadequate.

Multiple academic administrators and classified managers said they were notified that

faculty had organized a walkout in advance. Lea Hald, a psychology professor at SMC and organizer for the event, said some department heads called faculty they thought would participate in the protest on Monday to verify the claim.

The Corsair reached out to Jeffery for an interview, but she said to refer to her speech.

“Walking out is their right to do so; staying here is your right to do so. What I want to say to you is, I respect both positions,” Jeffery said.

“What I want you to know is that what we’re dealing with in this moment is getting each and every one of us in different ways. It’s getting each and every one of us in ways that we don’t fully comprehend. But nonetheless, we are here. We are here in this moment, and trying to navigate the space is what we have to try to figure out together.”

SPORTS

Corsairs say ‘Bye Bye Bye’ to the Long Beach, Vikings

Hitter

ica, Calif., on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. The Corsairs won against

devotional game of the season, giving a win streak of 4 to

Long Beach City College Vikings’ men’s volleyball team pushed the Corsairs into a five- set game on Wednesday, ending with the Corsairs saying “bye-bye” after their fourth conference win.

Ciara

Burris || Sports Editor

It was a hype city showdown between the Santa Monica College Corsairs and the Long Beach City College Vikings’ men’s volleyball team on Wednesday evening, March 11, 2026, at the Corsairs’ home gymnasium. SMC’s theme for the night was a “blackout,” and it was one of their most packed nights with fans in attendance.

With intense competition on the court and fans filling opposite sides of the bleachers, the Vikings pushed the game into five sets, ultimately ending in a 3-2 loss with set scores of 26-24 V, 25-21 C, 25-19 V, 25-20 C,15-7 C.

The sounds of big swings on service runs and

during rallies electrified the stands and both teams’ sidelines. During each set, the winner was never obvious, and the Vikings ended the first and third sets looking like they might be the team to possibly hand the Corsairs their second conference loss.

“This is a big game, because the winner of our pod of four teams gets the automatic playoff seat,” said Vikings head coach Joshua Nehls pre-game. “We feel like it’s going to be one of these two teams tonight, so these matchups are very important for that.”

Former Corsair Ethan Hammond was also in the Corsairs’ house now as an opposite for the

Vikings, finishing the game with 11 kills, four double blocks and one solo block.

“It’s good to be back, good to compete, excited for today,” said Hammond pre-game. “It’s just like any other game - any other game you know. Nothing personal, but gotta get the job done.”

The score stayed close throughout the majority of the sets — Corsairs leading, then a tie, Vikings leading, then a tie. The energy continued to rise on both sides of the court, almost as if they were having a competition on who could also have the most school spirit. The entire game consisted of big flexes, chest pumps,

big smiles, screaming and high fives after each big play.

In the end, Corsairs’ OPP Samanu Hannemann had a song for the Vikings and it was “Bye Bye Bye” by *NSYNC. “Cause bye!” said Hannemann.

“Bye Bye Bye”

- *NSYNC

Tight on the net, Hannemann made a perfect duo with MB Soorya Raman by completing numerous double blocks together. If it wasn’t this duo, Raman was putting it down with OH RJ Carroll and continued to show dominance on the court.

On top of Hannemann and Raman locking down blocks together, they both were powerhouses for the Corsairs, crushing the ball and bringing energy — each finished averaging around 5-6 kills. It’s their second year playing together, and they both highly enjoy pairing up.

“Samanu is one of the blockers that I trust the most,” said Raman post- game. “I’m most comfortable with him and I know what he’s going to do so that makes me only have to focus on myself and honestly once I get there and once I know that we’re closed I’m confident that it’s going to be a block most of the time.”

“Yes, I trust him all the time,” said Hannemann. “He’s like one of my closest friends on this team — I was brand new to playing volleyball period last year and he’s just been like a brother to me.”

Hannemann is a sophomore and a player who just has it — height, attention to detail and the ability to get up in the air for a smackdown kill.

Outside hitter Demian Anisimov made his presence known immediately, putting the first point on the board for the Corsairs in set one with a blast into the center of the Vikings’ court. This was an immediate follow-up after Vikings key middle blocker Noah Pannek started the set off hot.

SPORTS

Pannek assisted OH Ezekiel Sablan with two double blocks in a rally resulting in their first point and then followed up with his first kill, leading the Corsairs 2-0.

After Anisimov’s first attack, he continued to ignite the Corsairs, dominating in kills and tips during each set, targeting open areas on the court. He finished the game with nine kills on average and several effective tips.

For the Vikings, sophomore OH Alden Jacobs was a big standout player next to Pannek and Sablan. His hustle and passion for the game could not go unnoticed as he consistently hustled and dove for each and every ball that was out of reach.

The Vikings trio made it difficult for the Corsairs to get a big lead, as Jacobs also had heavy power to blast through 6-foot-5 blocks while standing at 5-foot-10.

Jacobs is a sophomore and won’t be returning to volleyball after the current season, with five weeks remaining. He was found extremely upset and emotional after the team’s post-game meeting.

“I think it’s the frustration of knowing what we can do,” said Jacobs’. “Having this situation happen, this is the third time we’ve gone win, loss, win, loss, loss. Losing in five is always tough but knowing that we can do it and not being able to pull it out — that’s even more frustrating.”

“I’ve been playing sports my whole life,” said Jacobs’ with tears forming in his eyes. “Um, and I got…I’m sorry…I got five more weeks left of competitive sports so I’m doing everything I can to get every point I can.”

Jacobs’ currently has 126.5 points this season with 113 being kills. After he graduates this semester he plans to attend the California State University of Long Beach and focus on becoming a teacher.

Corsair setter Ethan Lo started to build his momentum early, attempting tips and fake sets on the Vikings, but they were either hitting the net or the Vikings’ defense was prepared. After only a few unsuccessful runs, his rhythm returned, and his tricks successfully assisted the Corsairs to their three wins.

Ryder Tuaolo who takes care of the Vikings sets had trouble at the service line during

the matchup. He as well eventually found his rhythm in sets three and four but with his final service error in set five — he handed the Corsairs their fifteenth point to win the game.

Defensive honorable mentions go to sophomore liberos James Ban and Ryan Montero. Both stayed solid during the Vikings’ service runs, keeping their feet planted and arms strong for great digs and pancakes to keep rallies in play.

“I’m still shaking right now,” said Raman. “The adrenaline is just so high and we had a great crowd too, and like everything just went perfectly today I feel like.”

Hannemann’s aunts were also in the crowd along with the SMC women’s volleyball team and were ecstatic with how the game turned out. “Exciting, we’re very ecstatic about it,” said aunt Shelby Lynch. “Extremely exciting,” aunt Toi Arnold continued… “I almost lost my voice. I’m so elated about this and it’s nice to be able to cheer him on along with his teammates because sometimes there’s not a lot of people that come as fans.”

The Corsairs’ went on the road to face El Camino College on Friday, March 14, 2026 and secured another win putting them at a 5-1 conference record. Their next opponent will be the 3-2 Fullerton College Hornets taking a ride down to Corsair gym, facing off at 6 p.m on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.

“I’ve been playing sports my whole life... Um, and I got… I’m sorry…I got five more weeks left of competitive sports so I’m doing everything I can to get every point I can.”

JACOBS

L.A. Marathon 2026: A Celebration of Culture, Diversity, and Community

The 41st annual L.A. Marathon drew more than 27,000 registered participants along with volunteers, supporters and spectators.

Written and

photographed

by Danny Sanchez

PHOTO STORY

The 41st annual Los Angeles Marathon took place on Sunday, March 8, 2026. Named the “Stadium to the Sea” route from 2010 to 2020, the race previously began at Dodger Stadium and ended in the city of Santa Monica. Now called the “Stadium to the Stars,” the finish line is on Santa Monica Boulevard in Century City.

The 26.2-mile route took runners on a tour of Los Angeles as it passed through Downtown, China Town, Echo Park, Hollywood, Westwood and Brentwood.

Ages ranged from 12 to 87, with more than 27,000 registered participants from all 50 states and more than 63 countries. While the minimum age of entry was 16, younger runners participated through special programs such as Students Run LA, a nonprofit that provides free shoes, race fees and training for underserved students.

Volunteers provide water for runners.

This year’s winners were American runner Nathan Martin with a total time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, 18 seconds in the men’s division and Kenyan runner Pricah Cherono with a time of 2 hours, 18 minutes, 18 seconds in the women’s division. Martin — a 36-year-old high school cross-country coach from Jackson, Michigan became the first U.S.-born Black man to win the race.

PHOTO STORY

The Los Angeles Marathon isn’t just for pros and race enthusiasts. Volunteers, supporters and spectators numbered well into the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, many of whom hailed from all across Los Angeles and Southern California.

The race featured 126 designated “cheer zones,” which provided high energy motivational support, food, drinks, live music and entertainment. Heavily supported by the local community, the marathon has become a cultural event for Angelenos and an annual celebration of the city’s diversity.

PHOTO STORY

ARTS & CULTURE

Bob Reynolds takes Performing Arts Center Stage

Grammy-winning jazz saxophonist Bob Reynolds made a notable performance with his quartet at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center on March 6.

By Leo Williams | Staff Writer

Jazzmusician Bob Reynolds, best known for his work with the critically acclaimed jazz fusion group Snarky Puppy, performed an intimate set in the Music Hall at Santa Monica College on March 6, 2026, backed by his quartet featuring drummer Christian Euman, bassist Janek Gwizdala, and award-winning pianist Ruslan Sirota. Reynolds’ performance was the first concert in an ongoing three-part spring concert series presented by the SMC Music Department. Curated by Jazz Ensemble director F. Keith Fiddmont, the Friday Night Jazz Series is a concert program featuring three performances by internationally celebrated jazz musicians.

This marked the second time in Fiddmont’s tenure as curator that he has booked an artist he had never talked to, he revealed during his short pre-show speech and in talks after the show. “I was familiar with him, but I’ve never talked to him. So I just contacted him on Facebook,” Fiddmont said.

This year also marks the 20-year anniversary of Fiddmont serving as director of the Friday Night Jazz Series, after taking over the role from former jazz history director Alvin Lyles in 2006.

Reynolds’ set included the title track from his latest release, “Eddie Told Me So.” Other highlights from the set include “Crush,” which featured the use of reverb and delay effects, and a bonus composition originally written for his 2019 release with Snarky Puppy, “Chrysalis.”

Reynolds’ performance was well-received by audience members, who gave a standing ovation at the end of the

When we have a piano, that opens up a different kind of box of opportunities of stuff that we can get into—so that might inform the repertoire choices,” Reynolds said.

ARTS & CULTURE

“So, I just feel like it’s a privilege to be able to, then, be the one kind of passing that along, or sharing insights that I’ve been able to absorb over the years with younger generations,” Reynolds said.

The Friday Night Jazz Series will host two more concerts at the SMC Performing Arts Center throughout the spring season. The next concert features New York-based jazz drummer Carl Allen, followed by the international jazz pianist and composer Theo Saunders. The two performances will take place at 7 p.m. on April 3 and May 1 at the Music Hall.

show. One mother-daughter duo, Cheryl Rathner and Harmony Rousseau, said they had never heard a song from Reynolds prior to attending.

While talking about the setlist, Reynolds noted how the room in which the band performs in and its instrumentation may influence song choices.

“Like, for instance, having a grand piano...A lot of times, this band, we play at the Baked Potato…that club, they don’t have a piano there. They have a Fender Rhodes.” When we have a piano, that opens up a different kind of box of opportunities of stuff that we can get into—so that might inform the repertoire choices,” he said.

Reynolds joined Snarky Puppy in 2014 before recording their album “We Like it Here.” He has since won three Grammys alongside the band for their albums “Culcha Vulcha,” “Empire Central” and “Live at the Royal Albert Hall.”

A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Reynolds formed his quartet in 2000. Additionally, he played in John Mayer’s band for five years, and has worked with a multitude of prominent artists including Michael Bublé, Jonas Brothers, the 1975 and Usher.

Apart from his stint in Snarky Puppy as well as his solo endeavors, he is a faculty instructor at the Thornton School of Music. When asked about the importance of being a jazz educator, he said he owed it to the local jazz scene of Jacksonville, Fla. “I was excited by what was going on around me, and I was inspired and I was so fortunate to learn from people like peers, people older than me and college students and college professors.”

OPINION

A Pleading Petition to End Unruly Petitioners on Campus

Written By Maria Isabel Carias & Christian Martinez

While the presence of petitioners promotes civic participation, students shouldn’t have to feel solicited while walking on campus.

It’s an interaction that is inevitable for many Santa Monica College students — encountering a petitioner asking you for a signature to support a cause, whether you personally care for it or not. On campus, petitioners often display signs advocating for social justice on tables, have representatives speak with uninterested students who just want to go to class, and sometimes, they offer free snacks or drinks. As annoying and persistent as some petitioners may be, they are undoubtedly exercising their right to free speech.

The First Amendment guarantees us the freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly and petition. It also protects against censorship of content. Although petitioners are not explicitly permitted to petition on campuses, they have the right to be there under free speech protections, provided they follow campus policies and guidelines. Public college campuses are a common target due to their high populations, where foot traffic enables the circulation of petitions. So no, it’s not just SMC that experiences the influx of tables being set up. But if there are so many on our campus — presumably from the same organization that primarily asks for signatures rather than donations — then who funds them? Upon closer inspection, the majority of organizations that have set up tables on campus are nonpartisan, meaning they have neither endorsed a current political candidate nor focused on the issues of a specific political party, but rather on policy issues such as voting rights. As mentioned by the California Association of Nonprofits, nonpartisan organizations receive a mix of funds from government grants, donations and fundraisers so they can operate inside and outside of college campuses. Because California statewide initiatives require hundreds of thousands of signatures — often more than 1 million valid signatures — organizations will hire circulators to gather them.

Petitioner (right) helps

student fill out various petitions. Sign displayed below offers free snacks (gatorade pictured here) if registered to vote, and thus able to sign petitions.

As confirmed by John Paul, one of the petition circulators encountered on the main campus, petitioners are paid based on the number of signatures they collect — which is no surprise given how many go out of their way to solicit signatures from students.

“We get paid $40 a page,” Paul said.

Another observation worth noting is that a small number of tables set up by these organizations have offered students free snacks such as bags of chips and energy drinks while requesting signatures — which might initially appear like bribery. However, the explanation is more straightforward.

“Even though we come to campus to ask people to sign at the tables and give them snacks, the city doesn’t recommend us to bribe people for signatures in exchange for food,” Paul said.

OPINION

Under the California Elections Code Section 18603, any petitioner who offers or gives anything of value to another in exchange for signing an initiative petition is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in county jail and more than $1,000 in fines or probation.

So in reality most — if not all — boxes of snacks and refreshments at the tables are not contingent on signing a petition, but are free to take at any time. At some tables observed on campus, the snacks were complimentary as long as students were registered to vote.

However, not every organization operating on campus runs the same way. One student encountered on campus, first-year philosophy student Joshua Mahmoudiuni, interacted with a table raising awareness about malaria and donated some of his money to the organization so that they could fund a mosquito net.

The exchange between Mahmoudiuni and the circulator wasn’t as aggressive as previous student and petitioner interactions, but more relaxed.

“They just asked me if I could donate. I just got a random amount, and there were only ones and fives,” Mahmoundiuni said.

Although some students may oppose petitioners and prefer to be left alone, they have the right to petition just as student-led protests do. If petitioners were less aggressive in seeking signatures, more students might actually be willing to engage with political issues instead of avoiding them.

According to the nonpartisan civic-focused research organization CIRCLE, a 2025 study found that 76% of college students in the United States were registered to vote in the 2024 presidential election with a turnout of 70%.

This demonstrates that students genuinely care about fulfilling their civic duties. Still, in smaller scenarios such as petitioning, they prefer not to be pressured and instead use their autonomy when deciding whether to sign or donate. In the end, even though these organizations are expressing their right to petition, students shouldn’t feel obligated to interact with them.

To learn more about California’s 2026 statewide initiative process, visit the California Secretary of State’s guide here.

Petitioners (right) thank SMC student for signing petitions to “tax billionaires” in exchange for free Celsius. Some question the legality of bribes for students signatures on petitions.

OPINION

by Jenna Tibby

Team USA Escapes Embarrassment, Advances to Knockout Round of the World Baseball Classic

Manager Mark DeRosa’s blunder ultimately did not cost Team USA a chance at the WBC title and trophy.

Following Team USA’s 5-3 victory over Mexico — its first win against Mexico since 2006 — things almost went very badly for the so-called “superteam.” However, it was Italy, which pushed Team USA to the brink of elimination in the first place, that came through with an 8-1 victory over Mexico to push themselves and Team USA on to the next round.

The first sign of danger for the USA squad was when manager Mark DeRosa went on MLB Network the morning before their matchup with Italy and said, “It’s weird, we want to win this game even though our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals.” Shockingly, Team USA had not actually secured a spot in the quarterfinals at this point.

A loss to Italy would have put them in a tiebreaker scenario where their fate depended on the next day’s Mexico-Italy matchup. Fans were quick to point out that DeRosa has no managerial experience, only time as an MLB player. Ironically, his post-playing career has included work with the very same MLB Network as a TV analyst, calling his qualifications into question.

Still, at least he had said they wanted to win the game regardless. However, the reality of this came into question as DeRosa began to elaborate. He told MLB Network that he was “gonna get some guys off their feet,” and mentioned that he wanted to get some bench players into the game.

The cherry on top of this “sundae of managerial failure” came later that day during the pre-game interviews. DeRosa alluded to players celebrating late into the night after the win over Mexico and admitted that “There’s some guys dragging today.”

The game’s lineup did not feature Cal Raleigh, Alex Bregman or Bryce Harper. One starter was Paul Goldschmidt, 37, who only hit 10 home runs with a .731 OPS last year. They were shut out for 4.2 innings by Michael Lorenzen, who had a 4.64 ERA with the Kansas City Royals last season.

In the eighth inning, after Team USA had already sliced Italy’s 8-0 lead to 8-4, DeRosa instructed Clayton Kershaw to warm up in the bullpen. Ten, five or even two years ago, this would make perfect sense, but this is not the same Kershaw. He retired following the 2025 MLB season, when he already had a reduced role in the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation.

It was accepted that Kershaw was only on Team USA’s roster as the last option in the bullpen, not a high-leverage reliever. Preparing to pitch him here, after they finally started to claw back into the game, was yet another questionable decision from DeRosa.

It was at this point that DeRosa finally seemed to realize that elimination was still a possibility for Team USA. Kershaw was mysteriously pulled from his warmups and replaced with Mason Miller, who pitched a scoreless inning to keep hopes alive.

With all due respect to the future Hall of Famer, the gap in talent between Kershaw and Miller at this point is significant. Miller led MLB with 15 strikeouts per nine innings, garnered a huge trade package from the San Diego Padres at last year’s trade deadline, and is seen as one of the top relievers in baseball. Did someone tip DeRosa off about the stakes of this game?

Team USA continued to rally, cutting the lead to 8-6. Boston Red Sox pitcher

OPINION

Greg Weissert entered the game with one out to face the top of the lineup. Bobby Witt Jr. singled to bring the tying run to the plate, but Gunnar Henderson struck out.

With two outs, the game was now in the hands of the best hitter in the world, Aaron Judge. In a 1-2 count, Weissert threw a filthy sinker down and in on Judge. Judge swung, but could not make contact. Game over. Team USA no longer controlled its own fate, but it was not yet eliminated.

Convoluted tiebreakers are a longstanding tradition in sports, and the World Baseball Classic is no exception. If Italy beat Mexico in their next game, Team USA would simply advance, no questions asked.

However, if Mexico had won, the three teams would have been tied at 3-1. Mexico would’ve advanced, and the Italy-USA tie would have been broken by run differential. Therefore, if Italy had lost but allowed four or fewer runs, Italy and Mexico would have advanced, eliminating Team USA.

Fortunately for Team USA, and especially DeRosa, Italy used their dugout espresso shots as the fuel to power a 9-1 win over Mexico. Vinnie Pasquantino hit three home runs and delivered an incredible post-game interview with Fox Sports, starting off saying, “I’m caffeinated, I’m beaned up right now,” before dropping a “you’re welcome, USA,” deservedly taking the credit for saving Team USA from the embarrassment of being the most talented team to miss the knockout round in WBC history.

It was great news, but it was still alarming that it even got that close to disaster. This never should have happened to such an incredibly skilled squad, and it begs the question of why Team USA couldn’t find a manager with previous experience.

It also raises the question of whether Team USA shares the same pride in representing their country as players from Japan, the Dominican Republic, and South Korea. Dodgers utility player Enrique Hernández, of Team Puerto Rico, said in a pregame interview, “I’ve played in five World Series, and I don’t know if it’s because of what’s across my chest, but the Classic feels above that.”

Considering everything, it’s hard to imagine anyone on Team USA sharing that sentiment. Tarik Skubal, one of the top two pitchers in the world, pitched only three innings against Great Britain in his only appearance for Team USA. He then departed the team and headed to Detroit Tigers training camp, preparing for the 2026 MLB season, where he will play for the chance to earn a contract projected to be over $350 million. This significantly weakens the USA’s pitching for the knockout round.

If they do advance, Team Dominican Republic looms as the biggest threat, with an incredible lineup including Juan Soto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Dominican Republic’s round one opponent, South Korea, is a tough challenge as well.

On the opposite side of the bracket, Japan stands tall, led by Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

However, single-game elimination and baseball go together about as well as water and oil, so anything can happen in this tournament. Italy has already shown it can hang with the big names, while Venezuela and Puerto Rico both have plenty of MLB veterans and young talents that can make some noise as well. Before they can worry about any of that though, Team USA has another matchup with Team Canada on Friday.