In the first game of the World Baseball Classic qualifying round, The Netherlands toppled Cuba 4-2. The A-pool competition is being held in Taichung Taiwan where both The Kingdom of the Netherlands and Italy will compete for a chance to move on to Miami. This was a game where you didn’t leave your seat as the lineup cards scrolled south. The 7 and 9 hitters got Cuba on the board while, C Chadwick Tromp, hitting in the nine spot for The Kingdom, popped a two out two run single giving The Netherlands the lead 4-1 in the bottom of the 6th. Tromp, along with 1B Didi Gregorius, went 1-3 to hit .33 ..read more

The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) will begin on Tuesday, March 7th with four pools of competition playing around the globe. At every location Europe will be represented. The A-pool, which plays in Taichung, Taiwan between March 7 – 12th will host not one but two of Europe’s top teams. Both The Netherlands and Italy are competing for a spot in the quarter-finals. The Kingdom will start off the competition, taking on Cuba in the opening game of the 2023 WBC. They also close out the week when the European teams face off in the final game of the round robin competition. Cuba, Chinese Taipei a ..read more

CZE v FRA The Czech Republic and France each entered today’s game knowing one of them would be going home. Neither wanted to be the first team eliminated from the possibility of competing at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Despite the rain delay at the start the more than 900 fans in attendance stuck around to see just which team would remain standing. The Czech offense struck first and never let themselves slide out of the lead. Vojtech Mensik stepped into the box and hit the fourth pitch he saw for yard just right of center field. That got the bench fired up. Petr Zyma doubled and was sent ..read more

After a day of slow starts yesterday, and a rain delay today, the Czech Republic and Spain wasted not even a second giving the fans the action they craved. After the first pitch in the bottom of the 1st, the score was 3-1 in favor of Spain who merely had the advantage because they got first ups. In the top half of the inning Noelvi Marte and Justin Connell, who each reached on singles, were driving in by a long shot to left off the bat of Jesus Ustariz that slowly, but finally, left the park. That put Spain ahead by 3 before Vojtech Mensik answered on the first pitch of his at bat with a solo ..read more

France opened their first World Baseball Classic qualifier appearance strong. In the bottom of 2nd catcher Ivan Acuna put the first digits on the board with a solo shot deep to right. Mariner’s prospect, 19-year old Harry Ford answered back for Great Britain with a 2-run homer in the top of the 3rd to put GBR ahead 2-1 after teammate Anfernee Seymour reached on a throwing error by France’s corner man Ariel Soriano, a call upheld following a challenge from his coach. In the top of the fourth, after walking them full, France gave up a third run on a double-play ball. A pitching change did littl ..read more

In the opening game of the first World Baseball Classic qualifier for 2023 since pre-pandemic, Europe’s lineups did not disappoint. South Africa and Spain went scoreless through 3.5 innings before Barcelona-born Justin Connell stepped into the box for his 2nd at bat of the game. The right fielder looked at the first pitch before taking the second out of the park with an unquestionable solo shot deep to left, putting Spain ahead 1-0. Jonathan Phillips, the 38 year old captain for South Africa’s squad, singled up the middle to drive in Benjamin Smith and tie the game at 2 in the 7th. That send ..read more

The Brooklyn Cyclones, who hosted the 2017 WBC Qualifiers, are opening their doors for another important event this weekend. On Sunday, June 26, 2022, the High A affiliate of the New York Mets, will sponsor an Eastern European Experience Day. Eastern European baseball and softball national teams, including Ukraine, Moldova, Estonia and Georgia, have recorded greetings for the fans. These, along with photos and biographies honoring Cyclones front office staff with ties to Ukraine, will be shown on the jumbotron between innings. All the walk-up music will also be switched to popular Ukranian mu ..read more

On February 12, 2022, the newly formed WBSC Europe elected their first Executive Board during the General Congress held in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Krunoslav Karin becomes the first president in WBSC Europe history. Karin is a 60-year old Croatian who has previously served as secretary general of both the WBSC Europe and the Confederation of European Baseball. One of the only co-presidents to ever run the WBSC Europe, Gabriel Waage, former president of the European Softball Federation, will now represent the European softball community, as well as the Czech Republic, as the WBSC Europe Softball V ..read more

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