TUCSON, Ariz. -- The last time Colombia had to play in a World Baseball Classic Qualifier was nine years ago, in 2016. At the time, the country had never played in the main tournament, falling short of the tournament in 2012 with a 7-1 loss to Brazil in the Qualifier semifinals.
It's a finish they wanted to avoid the next time around.
Playing in the 2016 qualifiers, Colombia started the tournament by defeating Spain, 9-2. They then beat Panama, 6-3, advancing to the finals where they had a rematch against Panama. The winner would go to the 2017 World Baseball Classic, the loser going home.
It would prove to be an all-time pitchers' duel classic, the two teams tied at 1 heading into the eighth inning. That's when Dilson Herrera -- then a young prospect in the Mets system -- stepped to the plate to face former big league reliever Manny Corpas.
"It was a big game, 1-1, bottom of the eighth inning," Herrera said before Colombia's first game in the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers in Tucson. The team finished last in its pool in 2023, forcing them back to the Qualifier where they hope they'll finish in one of the two spots to advance to the 2026 tournament. "I needed to get on first, however I could."
Herrera quickly got ahead in the count, 3-0. With the third and fourth batters due up next, he was still focused just on getting on base. A walk would be just as good, letting the big bats get going.
The next pitch was a called strike -- though Herrera still believes that wasn't the case.
"That fourth pitch was actually a ball," Herrera said. "The umpire called it a strike, but I thought it was a ball. So when I got to 3-1, I got a little bit more aggressive, got ready to really hit it if the ball came in the zone. I did and you saw the results."
The next pitch was not a ball, instead coming over the heart of the plate at 88 mph. Herrera swung. He knew it was gone the minute he connected.
"It was a big moment for the country, for everybody in the country who knows about baseball," Herrera said.
The solo home run gave Colombia a 2-1 lead they wouldn't surrender. His teammates in the dugout went crazy and Herrera lifted his hand and pointed to the stars as he rounded the bases. They had reached the World Baseball Classic for the first time.
"When a young kid signs, the biggest dream and the biggest accomplishment is to play in the Major Leagues, and that's a wonderful thing," an emotional Herrera said after watching the clip of his home run nearly a decade later. "But something like this is very significant for me because it shows a team getting to the Classic for the first time. Maybe a lot of players are not really supposed to be there, but for me to do that, and to get the country to its first World Baseball Classic, it's very significant."
Back in 2016, Herrera was one of the new faces. He was just 22 years old, coming off his second stint in the Major Leagues.
These days, Herrera is a veteran on the roster. Last year he played for Veracruz in the Mexican League before playing in both the Colombian and Mexican Winter Leagues ahead of the Qualifier. He's seen the Major Leagues, he's played in the World Baseball Classic -- hitting another home run in the 2023 tournament. He'll be a key part of the Colombian lineup, but is also here to help guide the new crop of youngsters, like top 100 prospect Michael Arroyo of the Mariners.
"I really like this tournament because we have a lot of good young players," Herrera said. "Michael had a good season last year and I hope he and the other young guys can really take advantage of this and get us there."
Herrera is taking the same approach he had when he first stepped into the box to face Manny Corpas. He won't be looking to go deep every time.
"We just want to do things the way we know how to do them," Herrera said. "Not trying to do too much, but just take advantage of the opportunities we have the best we can."
The game -- and the goal -- is simple.
"We're here now. The plan is to qualify," Herrera said.
Thank you to MLB.com's David Venn for translation assistance.