Miami On Monday, Team Nicaragua’s World Baseball Classic pool play match ended in a loss against the Dominican Republic, but one of its pitchers emerged victorious.

The 5-foot-9 right-hander Duque Hebbert, 21, earned a contract with the Detroit Tigers by striking out Major League Baseball players Juan Soto, Julio Rodriguez, and Rafael Devers in the ninth inning of Nicaragua’s 6-1 loss.

Soon after the game, Hebbert received an offer from Luis Molina, a Detroit Tigers scout who currently coaches Nicaragua. It was essentially a minor league deal. Hebbert posed for a photo with Soto and Manny Machado on the bus, and then the squad as a whole heard an announcement.

There’s a chance Hebbert will sign his contract with the Tigers after the tournament, but he has to go through a physical first.

Hebbert has only been a pitcher for approximately 18 months. His career began as an athletic outfielder in Nicaragua’s semiprofessional baseball league, but he struggled offensively before making his full-time pitching debut. Pitching for Tren Del Norte, a team in the Nicaraguan winter league, he was later awarded the best rookie, which finally secured him a berth on the national team, which is playing in its inaugural World Baseball Classic.

Hebbert has already shown promise with his command of the slider and changeup; as he gets stronger, it is anticipated that he will continue to increase the velocity of his fastball. Prior to the beginning of this week, Molina had seen Hebbert pitch a few times. On March 9, he had turned in a strong two innings in an exhibition game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

However, Monday’s ninth inning proved to be his downfall. Hebbert, who gave up a double to the hard-hitting Machado in his lone inning of work, primarily struck out three of the world’s top hitters with low-90s sliders, mid-80s changeups, and low-90s sinkers. Sandor Guido, manager of Team Nicaragua, described it as “extraordinary.”

Hebbert will put the ball he took on his expedition on display at his Nicaraguan house.

“I was a little apprehensive in the bullpen,” he admitted in Spanish, “but I told myself that you can’t be terrified in baseball when you come out. It’s got to be enjoyable. I walked outside and thoroughly enjoyed myself.”