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Boldt is golden

By JASON GONZALEZ, 09/08/12, 12:22PM CDT

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Red Wing outfielder helps lead 18U USA Baseball National Team to gold medal


Courtesy of Lance Shore - Red Wing's Ryan Boldt, far left, was the IBAF World Championships steals and runs scored leader.

Everything Ryan Boldt didn't expect to happen, continues to play out for the humble Red Wing outfielder. The relatively unknown prospect 90 days ago capped off his exceptional summer early Saturday morning with a gold medal.

The 18U USA Baseball National Team beat Canada 6-2 in the International Baseball Federation World Championship finale at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul, South Korea.

"World champions," Boldt Tweeted after the win. "Words can't describe the feeling." 

This has the been the reoccurring response from Boldt following each summer accomplishment. After winning MVP in the annual High School All-American Classic and being named to the All-Area Code Team, he said, "I thought I'd be playing ball somewhere, but I guess I didn't expect to go through all this."

The first Minnesotan to play on a USA National Team since Joe Mauer, played a significant role. The speedy outfielder was the team's leadoff hitter and a big part of the offensive production. Boldt collected two hits and two runs in the gold-medal game.

His speed, though, earned the most attention. He set a tournament record with his 12th stolen base in the semifinal game against Japan. He also scored the tournament's most runs.

There were plenty of opportunities to steal and score. Boldt compiled an on-base percentage of over .400 and a batting average of .250. 

The last time the 18U National Team won gold was in 1999. 

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