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With another clash between Team USA and Team Canada scheduled in major sports, Jack Hughes felt it was the perfect time to offer some encouragement.
Team USA stayed alive in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) thanks to Italy’s dominant victory over Mexico on Wednesday night to finish undefeated in Pool B in Houston, Texas.
After breathing a sigh of relief, the United States looked at the schedule and saw a familiar opponent in terms of domestic competition – Canada and its Pool A winning team that went 3-1 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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American Jack Hughes celebrates with his national flag after scoring his second goal in overtime to win gold on February 22, 2026. (Reuters/Alessandro Garofalo)
So, as they prepare for Friday night’s rivalry game at Daikin Park, Team USA manager Mark DeRosa revealed that Hughes has reached out to the baseball players.
“Jack Hughes sent the boys a nice little message of encouragement that I played in their group chat,” DeRosa said in a news conference Thursday before the game.
JUDGE AARON SAYS US BASEBALL TEAM ‘WAS ‘SENT’ AFTER HOCKEY GOLD AND WANTS ‘COPY’ WHAT OLYMPIC TEAMS DID
DeRosa was asked if he watched the men’s and women’s ice hockey games against Canada during the gold medal games in Milan, where Hughes delivered the game-winning goal in overtime just days after Megyn Keller did the same for the Americans.
“I know there’s talk about sending out hockey jerseys tomorrow so guys can wear them during BP or out and about in the clubhouse,” DeRosa added. “So yeah, I’m pretty aware of the gold medal there.”
Hughes, 24, may be back with the New Jersey Devils, but he’s still on track from his golden goal. And the captain of the American team, Aaron Judge, even said that the goals of Hughes and Keller were an engine of dynamism for his team.
Aaron Judge of the United States reacts after hitting a home run in the third inning during a World Baseball Classic Pool B game between Mexico and the United States at Daikin Park on March 9, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Images)
“The boys were excited,” he said on “The Pat McAfee Show” before the start of the WBC, when asked what he thought of Hughes’ goal in particular. “Hughes, man, we sent so many photos of Hughes in the group text. It was awesome.
“It’s pretty cool that it’s snowballing. Just the excitement we had when I was with the Yankees and then with the group text, the boys were pumped. Now it’s WBC, we have a chance to put on the red, white and blue and copy what they did.”
The judge added that it was a “special ride” that the men and women had experienced.
Now, the American team hopes to achieve the same result against the Canadian team, which has enjoyed early success in the WBC. Although they didn’t hit the long ball like the other teams in the quarterfinals, outfielder Owen Caissie and third baseman Abramam Toro are hitting at least .460, and they both scored five runs. The Naylor brothers, Josh and Bo, also had a good tournament.
Team USA hero Jack Hughes reached out to his fellow Americans ahead of their World Baseball Classic quarterfinal against Canada. (GETTY)
But it was the pitching that set the tone for Team Canada, which boasts a team ERA of 1.50 – the second-best mark in the tournament, behind Puerto Rico.
It will be Logan Webb for the United States and Mike Soroka for Canada on the mound to start Friday night’s quarterfinal at 8 p.m. ET. The winner of the match will travel to Miami and LoanDepot Park for the semifinals.
