By Jason Daniels.

During the World Baseball Classic, many players and coaches shared their wish to grow the game. This desire gained special attention for teams like Italy, where baseball exists in pockets yet its national team leans on American bloodlines to compete.

Italy’s most recognizable name in the WBC, Kansas City Royals’ first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, told reporters during pool play: “I think that’s the long-term goal for this team, to be full of purebred Italians. To open that door and show, hey, Italy has got some ball players and all you have to do is invest in them a little bit.”

In the wake of the WBC, many are asking: “What’s next?” Is growth realistic where baseball is a third-tier sport? What would growth look like? And how soon can we expect it?”

Pasquantino offered some thoughts on the topic during the tournament. “When we’re done, [Manager Francisco Cervelli] is going to go over to Italy, and he’s going to be engrained in the development over there. And he’ll be driving buses to no-name Italian cities trying to create a culture of baseball in Italy.

“We want in 20 years for the World Baseball Classic Italian team to be full of Italians, like Italian speakers from Italy. That’s the goal of this.”

Having played and coached for six seasons across Czechia, France, Germany, and Australia, I have noticed a few development patterns and parallels:

• Run-of-the-mill clinics that fail and after-school programs that land
• Coaches who carry out a task and leaders who get kids to care
• Federations that feed off a moment and governing bodies that harness a movement

At its core, baseball is a game that rewards the willing, the ones who endure, who want it, who sacrifice. Development is not a flip of the switch. And it certainly is not riding the light from a fleeting, one-off event. It is a slog and a process, owned by the people fortunate enough to enjoy it.

Historically, baseball development—loosely defined as building a base of players, governance, and resources—comes down to two drivers. Baseball developed in most places it currently exists because it either:

• helps to overcome hardship
• channels expression

Hardship
Sometimes, baseball needs conflict and grit to grow. Baseball took off on the Korean Peninsula in the early 20^th century under brutal Japanese oppression. Today, Dominican boys chase baseball for a ticket out of poverty. After the Velvet Revolution, Czechs, seeking closer ties with the West, gravitated toward baseball—and that fervor has only grown.

Expression
Mark Twain drew parallels between baseball and the American way, describing the game as the “outward and visible expression of the drive and push and rush and struggle of the raging, tearing, booming nineteenth century”. Baseball became the American pastime just as it rejected colonial by-products like cricket.

Baseball thrives in the north of Mexico where games create communal spaces for family and fun. In Australia, cricket’s popularity reflects the culture’s British ties. Yet, baseball has gained ground over the past few decades with younger Aussies, who are less drawn to tradition and more open to novelty. While many Aussies would be surprised to know that professional baseball exists in their country, Australia can—and does—call itself a baseball nation.

***

So, what does this mean for Italy and are these the only two paths?

To realize Pasquantino’s goal—a WBC team of purebred Italians 20 years from now—Italy needs a reason for their citizens to care. What did the 2026 WBC reveal? Is there a hardship baseball can solve? Can baseball provide an outlet that’s missing? Is there another reason it will succeed?

If not, it is unlikely baseball will sustainably grow.

I spent a season playing for Rouen in the French Division 1 and learned that French culture is pretty content with French culture. Baseball there is a niche novelty.

Italians also own a proud culture and do just fine expressing themselves. Would baseball satisfy something they’ve missed? Do they really want more American-ness?

The reality—for better or worse—is that people turn to baseball when they have to. Baseball fills an unmet need, a longing void.

That is the bar that justifies the thick rule book and high equipment costs—or broom sticks and bottle caps—where soccer or basketballs would work instead.

The game is too hard to grow—and play—for development to be a flash in the pan or an order from above. People have to require it, and they have to make development happen—organically, over time, and through difficulty. It’s not that Italy cannot tackle that. It’s that the why has to be strong and it has to be clear.

Italy can learn from Baseball United and its push to grow baseball in the Middle East behind big names, deep pockets, and sophisticated marketing (I witnessed and wrote about its inaugural season last year [link]). So far, Baseball United’s ‘growth’ has meant eyeballs from afar. Few Dubai locals are motivated to attend games and pick up baseball.

Baseball is not easy and baseball is not meant for everyone. So, when baseball builds and manifests, it’s truly remarkable.

A better question would be: would we even want half-hearted baseball? Countries dipping a toe into the game, investing intermittently, employing part-timers, producing something resembling what we know to be baseball?

Baseball can be brutal when it is sloppily played, but not all baseball has to be equal. The game can exist and create impact across different tiers:

• Baseball that alleviates conflict—for example, as a vehicle to assist in war-torn, poverty-stricken regions. For example, non-profit group Play Global [link] works with youth in developing and underserved areas across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East to foster respect and teamwork.

• Baseball that creates tribes—where baseball exists as a niche hobby, for example in France, Great Britan, and Italy. The game is propped up by passionate volunteers, grassroots fundraising, and tight-knit communities.
  
• Baseball that drives a nation—where baseball is the sport, a de-facto religion like in Japan, the Dominican Republic [link], or Curaçao [link]. Kids naturally grow up playing the game because that is what everyone around them does.

Baseball can comfortably live at each of these levels. Nations need to know where they stand and what it will take (and mean) to move up. Nevertheless, locals have to want it.

You can do all the clinics and have all the national team success you want, but once the coaches leave and cameras stop, the people on the ground need to keep the game going.

American or Azzurri?

After Italy beat Puerto Rico in the Miami quarterfinals, Pasquantino recapped the headlines. “There was baseball being played [on TVs] at bistros and cafes in Italy tonight,” he told the press.

“In the south of Italy they don’t play that much baseball,” Manager Francisco Cervelli added. “Yesterday everyone was watching the game.”

Can Italy replicate that sentiment beyond a whirlwind two-week tournament? In the wake of the WBC, what does Italian baseball even mean?

“The Italian brand of baseball is just take some espresso shots and get after it right now,” Pasquantino said. “That’s the brand that we’ve created, and we’re still trying to figure it out … It’s a good question. I just don’t really have a great answer for it.”

Cervelli had to persuade people in Italy that they could do something special with baseball. “I got to Italy a year ago and I felt like they’d forgotten baseball. The guys had no hope. It was pretty hard for me to convince them that this project was legitimate.”

“We’re trying to change the mentality in Italy…I want to change the culture. And we called it last year the ‘Italian Way.’ Create an identity, it’s not just to participate. Create an identity every time we show up.”

Beating the US was a monumental feat and step in the right direction. “They’re going to start believing more,” Cervelli said. “We need help. We cannot do it by ourselves.”

As Italy racked up wins in pool play, Italian fanfare had soared. “Probably this is the start of a new religion, baseball in Italy,” said Cervelli. “I don’t know how we can do it, but I think we’ll make it happen. It’s a good start. And I’m glad in Italy a lot of people are talking about baseball.”

***

For more tournament success, Italy needs better homegrown talent. To play in Premier12 or the Olympics, players must hold passports or citizenship. Claiming a grandparent won’t cut it.

If Italy—or any country—wants to move from one level of development to the next, it needs to harness one of two motives: tap into adversity or an unrealized outlet.

It is not about pushing baseball on a people, but enabling locals to naturally gravitate to the game and call it their own. A culture’s energy will show where baseball must grow.

Calling for growth is good for baseball. Putting in the work is great for baseball. But watching baseball organically blossom is even better for the game.

Photos by Gabriel Fidler.

By Ian Curtis. Photo by Gabriel Fidler.

Italy’s semifinal run shows the beauty of the World Baseball Classic
Team Italy captain Vinnie Pasquantino says that Italy’s Cinderella run to the World Baseball Classic semifinals is why the WBC should exist.

“Italy was able to watch our game today, and it was on television out there,” Pasquantino said “And we’ve been on the front page of the newspapers. And that is what this tournament is about.”

He says the tournament is about guys — like Team Italy — playing for the love of their country and for the love of baseball, and making an entire country fall in love with the sport.

“Yes, it is about winning the tournament and trying to be the best baseball team, but it’s about getting eyeballs and bringing people together on the sport, which is why I think so many teams are having a blast playing, because you’re playing for your country and you’re playing for that national attention of, hey, look, it’s the Dominican Republic or it’s Venezuela or Nicaragua, wherever the country is, they’re represented,” Pasquantino said. “And yeah, Italy doesn’t have the greatest development in baseball, and that’s what we’re trying to do right now. And if we continue to be successful with this — I mean, there was baseball being played at bistros and cafes in Italy tonight over there. That doesn’t happen.”

Despite the Puerto Rican crowd making the environment hostile for the Italians, Team Italy did not flinch after Willi Castro’s leadoff homer, forcing Puerto Rican starter Seth Lugo out after just 0.1 innings pitched after managing a trio of RBI-singles in the bottom of the first inning.

As the Puerto Ricans made a call to the bullpen and turned to Jovani Morán, Italy was able to add a fourth run on a sac fly by J.J. D’Orazio.

D’Orazio also contributed the second of back-to-back two-run ground-rule doubles in the fourth inning, as the Italians grew their lead to 8-2. 

His hit landed fair in deep right field and bounced into foul territory and over the wall, while Andrew Fischer’s hit was ruled fan interference after a fan sitting in the first row in the outfield seats reached down to catch a ball that was headed for the top of the wall.

That was enough for Italy to survive a Puerto Rican rally and advance to the WBC Semifinals — becoming just the second-ever European nation to do so — and give manager Francisco Cervelli one of the best days of his life.

“Imagine doing this for the first time and arrive to the semifinal,” Cervelli said. “It’s amazing. This is great. This is one of the best chapters of my life. It’s incredible. This group is phenomenal.”

Puerto Rico rides crowd to late-inning rally, but cannot seal the deal in 8-6 loss to Italy
Puerto Rico may have made the trip to Houston for its World Baseball Classic quarterfinal against Team Italy, but the crowd at Daikin Park sure made it feel like San Juan.

Puerto Rican fans brought energy — and in some cases, entire bands of instruments — and more flags than the United Nations building to give their squad as much of a home-crowd feel as possible.

And their impact was felt immediately, as leadoff man Willi Castro launched a bomb 381 feet into left center field to give Puerto Rico a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

“I just want to say that we appreciate our Puerto Rican fans,” Puerto Rico manager Yadier Molina said. “They’ve always supported us. When we were in Puerto Rico, at that beautiful ballpark, it was amazing. I know that. There’s also a lot of Puerto Ricans in this city. We knew we had that factor in our favor to see the ballpark full of Puerto Ricans. So many flags out there. We would have loved to have win this game, not just for us, but for them as well.”

Team Puerto Rico was able to bounce back quickly in the second inning after going down 4-1, thanks to Italy’s misfortunes on the mound.

After starter Sam Aldegheri loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch, reliever Alek Jacob gifted Puerto Rico another run on another HBP. Jacob was able to escape the bases-loaded jam without giving up anything else, though.

Not so for Italy in the eighth inning, when, down 8-2, Puerto Rico was able to piece together four runs to cut the gap down to 8-6.

As the runs poured in — first on an Eddie Rosario’s fielder’s choice, then a wild pitch that allowed Emmanuel Riveria to scramble home, and finally a Christian Vázquez two-run single — the Puerto Rican fans went wild.

And although Puerto Rico was not able to seal the deal and make it back to the semifinals, the team still received an ovation after the fact when they exited the clubhouse to acknowledge the Puerto Rican supporters.

Molina says the run is still something to be proud of — and those fans who stayed behind certainly agree.

“But I do want to say that I’m very proud of our team, very proud of what we’ve done,” Molina said “It’s a young team. It’s a team that represented our island without any reproach, and they fought to the end. We all fought to the end. We were able to unify a country once more.”

By Ian Curtis.

Clutch relievers carry Team USA to 5-3 win over rival Canada in Quarterfinals
Far from the trademark explosiveness that it showed in pool play, Team USA grabbed an early 3-0 lead over Canada, but it did so relatively quietly.

Sure, Aaron Judge — this World Baseball Classic’s “Captain America,” as he has been dubbed — did have a double in the first inning that got the crowd in Houston riled up. But the only run of the first inning came off of a groundout by Kyle Schwarber, and hometown hero Alex Bregman added two runs in the third inning thanks to an infield single that was aided by a throwing error.

No sign of the homers with which the Americans had made a statement in their earlier games — despite a few foul shots being just feet away from dingers.

In fact, Team USA was held homerless against their northern rivals. But Judge said that the Americans’ ability to find other ways to score was a testament to their offense.

“Yeah, if we’re going to win this tournament, like we all believe we’re going to, it’s going to take more than home runs,” Judge said. “If there’s times where we’re not getting home runs, we’ve gotta play small ball, we’ve gotta move runners, we gotta do different things just to create some offense. … I think it’s just trusting each other, and if we’re not hitting homers then we gotta figure out ways to get runs like we did in the first.”

That lack of offensive firepower nearly came back to bite the Americans in the seventh inning, when Team Canada was able to advance the tying run to second thanks to a pair of singles and a wild pitch, all with no outs.

But Team USA reliever David Bednar was able to hold on, recording a pair of strikeouts and escaping the jam to roaring chants of “U-S-A!” and a standing ovation from the Daikin Park crowd.

That scare seemed to wake up both the crowd and Team USA itself, which quickly posted three outs in the eighth inning before reliever Mason Miller struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to seal the USA’s spot in the WBC Semifinals in Miami.

“It’s nice to call down to the bullpen and know you’ve got closers coming in in all three innings,” Team USA Manager Mark DeRosa said. “Bed was here in 2023 with me. So I know what’s inside his heart. He’s a gamer. And Garrett Whitlock is unbelievable, righty and lefty. And Mason Miller, we were talking about it on the walk down, that’s the best fastball you’re ever going to see. So, yeah, it’s nice to get in the bullpen and call David Ross and know exactly where you’re going.”

With hockey on its mind, Canada’s rally falls just short
It’s impossible to approach the matchup between Team USA and Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals at Daikin Park in Houston without acknowledging the elephant in the room.

Even if that elephant resides a month and an ocean away.

Signs of USA Hockey’s gold medal victory — in overtime, no less — at the Winter Olympics in Milan were everywhere before the matchup on the diamond. USA Hockey jerseys — both Jack Hughes jerseys from these Olympics and more classic “Miracle on Ice” era outfits – dotted the stands amidst a sea of red, white and blue baseball jerseys.

But perhaps most prominently it was present in the form of Canadian hockey jerseys — a gift from Canada Hockey — that the Canadians wore during warmups, and in the minds of the Canadian players and coaches themselves after receiving messages from Canada Hockey before the game.

“I think not only myself, but I think the entire country of Canada would be extremely happy,” Canada manager Ernie Whitt said when asked about how a win on the diamond would avenge the gold medal loss. “I think we’ve got a pretty good following.”

And while at first it looked like the diamond edition of the North American rivalry might go the way of the day’s other quarterfinal — where the Dominican Republic run-ruled Team Korea in Miami — the Canadians showed a bit of hockey-inspired fight in the middle innings.

After back-to-back RBI hits from Brice Turang and Pete Crow-Armstrong put the USA up 5-0 in the sixth inning, Canada quickly took advantage of American relievers Brad Keller and Gabe Speier, who combined for 1.1 innings pitched while giving up two hits and three runs. They came in after starter Logan Webb pitched 4.2 scoreless innings.

Canada got on the board with a Tyler Black RBI-single in the bottom of the sixth, before Bo Naylor’s two-run shot 404 feet to right center field had some USA fans in the crowd stressing.

But after the rest of Team USA’s relievers were able to hold the Canadians at bay, the thoughts of Whitt and the other representatives of Team Canada turned to how to evaluate a historic run — Canada won its pool and advanced to the WBC quarterfinals for the first time — with an oh-so-close ending.

“Well, we were hoping that there was going to be another game,” Whitt said. “But again, I’ll be reflecting on this for probably a couple of months. Looking back and having your time, when you’re with yourself, you gather your thoughts and what if and what if and what if, but if you continue to do that, you’ll drive yourself crazy. I thought we represented the country well, and I don’t think we have anything to hang our head on. I told the boys to walk proudly.”

Text and photos by Gabriel Fidler.

HOUSTON, U.S. – Italy established itself as a 2026 World Baseball Classic title contender with a dominant performance against the fourth-ranked team in the world, Mexico, in a Pool B finale that had plenty on the line. A win of more than five runs for Mexico would have sent Italy home, but instead, it is the USA who will join Gli Azzurri in advancing to the next step. Vinnie Pasquantino became the first-ever player to hit three home runs in a WBC game, driving Italy to its first group title in Classic history, extending its European-leading consecutive win total to four.

Through the first four innings, Italy maintained a 2-0 advantage over Mexico, with Javier Assad permitting solo shots to Pasquantino and Jon Berti. The crowd of 39,864—most of whom were in the park—were almost uniformly supporting Mexico, though the Italians had a noisy and supportive contingent behind their third base dugout.

Still, the game felt like it could turn any moment until the fifth, when Italy strung three runs together for its biggest inning, despite only two singles. An outfield assist at first from an impressive Jarren Duran ended the frame, and the momentum seemingly shifted in Mexico’s favor.

Instead, Aaron Nola finished off his day with a three-up, three-down inning, leaving the score 5-0. The Phillies’ right-hander continued a run of superb starting pitching by Italy, tossing five shutout frames and scattering four hits and walk while striking out a handful. Manager Francisco Cervelli’s starters have a 1.00 ERA in 18 innings, with 20 strikeouts and only nine hits and five walks surrendered.

Italy then scored in the next four innings, with the final two runs occurring in the eighth, when Pasquantino launched his third round-tripper and Andrew Fischer later added an RBI-double. The former fist-pumped his way around the bases, while the young Brewers’ prospect celebrated at the hot corner with a big kick that had “K-O” written all over it.

No European country has ever won more than two consecutive games in the World Baseball Classic. Only Israel has ever won a pool (2017), and Italy has already equalled the high-water mark for wins in a tournament by a country from Europe. It returns to the quarterfinals for the third time, following 2013 and 2023, and will aim to follow the Netherlands (2013, 2017) as the only team from the continent to win a game in the quarters.

Text and photos by Gabriel Fidler.

HOUSTON, U.S. – Nine years ago, almost to the hour, Italy opened its 2017 World Baseball Classic schedule by coming from behind to defeat Mexico, 10-9. Tonight, it started out hot against the USA and held on for an historic victory, 8-6. In doing so, the Italians put themselves in the position to advance to the WBC quarterfinals in place of the Americans. At this point, Gli Azzurri are representing not only Italy, but the entire continent of Europe, as all other teams from the continent have been eliminated from this WBC.

‘Probably this is one of the best days of my life,’ enthused Manager Francisco Cervelli after the game. ‘I’m proud of my guys…, they’re young, but they play like they’ve been in the big leagues for 10 years. Their focus was there. And, you know, everybody in Italy should see this. We’re doing it for them, for the kids. It can happen. It’s possible.’

For all the offensive firepower of the vaunted U.S. lineup, Kyle Teel smashed a homer and a double, Sam Antonacci crushed a 403-foot homer at 103.4 mph, and Jac Caglianone [pictured above] hit a big fly that equalled that distance, but travelled at a head-turning 110.4 mph. When one considers that the hardest-hit homer in the Statcast era travelled at 122.9 mph, it is clear that these were no flukes.

As Jeff Passan pointed out in the post-game press conference, the top five hitters in the lineup went 0-for-22—and did so with 10 strikeouts and only two walks—yet the contributions of its young stars put enough runs on the board to pull out a win.

The other crucial element was Michael Lorenzen, who pitched arguably the second-best start of his career after his 2023 no-hitter for the Phillies. Working on a pitch count, he went 4.2 shutout innings, permitted only two hits and a walk, and whiffed two.

‘It’s incredible. Anytime you can make history is, it’s incredible,’ noted Lorenzen. ‘I would say right

behind the no-hitter, for sure. It’s up there.’

Team USA was done 8-0 before breaking up the shutout, which Gunnar Henderson did with a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth. However, it was Pete Crow-Armstrong who made things interested, blasting a three-run rocket in the seventh and a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth.

Despite an 0-for-3, Dante Nori is now Italy’s best-ever hitter with a minimum of 10 at bats, as he is 5-for-10. Matt Festa moved into second place in Italy’s all-time WBC pitching leaders in games (5) and strikeouts (8, tied with young ace Sam Aldegheri). Lorenzen was one out away from becoming the only Italian starter to throw five shutout innings in a WBC.

Italy is the only undefeated team in the group, and one of four teams which have won every game: Japan (4-0), Dominican Republic (3-0), and Venezuela (3-0). Later today, it will face off against Mexico in a game that will decide both teams to advance from Pool B.

By Ian Curtis.

Great Britain clinches spot in next World Baseball Classic
From Watford to the Olympics, Great Britain performance director Gary Anderson has seen just about everything there is to see in the world of British sports. But, he said, few things compare to seeing Team GB play in — and clinch their spot in the next edition of — the World Baseball Classic.

“This tournament is fantastic,” Anderson said. “It’s on a par for me for the UEFA Championships, the World Cup in football, it’s on the par with that. In terms of how this group is, fantastic. These guys, professional players. They apply themselves. They’re so compliant. They do as they’re told. It’s brilliant working with them. I have more trouble with [Great Britain manager] Brad [Marcelino] and his staff than I do the players!”

Automatically qualifying for the next edition of the WBC is crucial for the momentum of the program — both on the field and financially.

“This game today was absolutely huge for our program,” Anderson said. “It means that I don’t have to go begging to our government organization anymore, that they see that we’ve repeated the feat. And to repeat what we achieved last time, it was a huge achievement. Brad and I had a conversation about how other teams are taking us that much more seriously now. So that one win was a huge achievement this time around. … But what this means now for our Olympic program, that we can push ahead with confidence and continue that trajectory. We’ve got to be the best in Europe. That’s our aim now for the Olympic Games.”

Team Great Britain responded quickly to going down 1-0 in the fifth inning, immediately taking advantage of Brazil’s pivot to reliever Tiago da Silva as leadoff man Ian Lewis Jr. launched a solo shot 382 feet into right field to tie things up.

The Brits were not done, though, as Nate Eaton and Harry Ford each tallied singles, with Ford’s RBI hit growing the gap to 2-1 and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Eaton and put the Brits up 3-1.

Lewis also drove in another run in the sixth inning, after Ivan Johnson reached first on a fielding error and made his way around the basepath thanks to a couple of groundouts.

In the seventh, Matt Koperniak — who notched his first hit of the WBC earlier in the game — drove in another two runs with a single to center to widen the gap to 6-1.

Chisholm put the cherry on top by making things 8-1 in the eighth inning with a two-run RBI single.

For Ford, the opportunity to play in — and win a game in — his second WBC was something special.

“This World Baseball Classic was really amazing,” Ford said. “We made so many strides from last time to this time. We added so many key players and coaches, and everyone was working together.”

With the luxury of not having to go through the qualification process for the next WBC, Team GB settles in for several years of recruiting, maintaining and growing the game, starting with the Premier12 Qualifiers.

Brazil’s bullpen sends nation back to drawing board
After four innings of 0-0 deadlock against Great Britain, Brazil struck first with a double to the left field wall that just stayed fair by Gabriel do Carmo after Gabriel Maciel reached base after being hit by a pitch by Gary Gill Hill.

Unfortunately for the Brazilians, that was one of the few bits of success they could muster. Team Brazil was outhit 8-1, and its bullpen woes continued.

After starter Enzo Sawayama — making his second start in this WBC — pitched a stellar four innings, giving up just two hits, Brazil’s relievers could not keep up the momentum.

All four Brazilian pitchers to enter the game after Sawayama’s exit gave up at least one run, and the quartet combined to issue eight walks.

Even Joseph Contreras, the 17-year-old wonder kid and son of José Contreras, who forced Aaron Judge to ground into a double play earlier in the tournament gave up a pair of hits and a pair of runs in 1.1 innings of work.

With the Brazilians forced to rebuild as they attempt to qualify for the next WBC, Brazil manager Daniel Yuichi Matsumoto said that he hopes that Team Brazil can develop the talent it has and prepare itself for the level of play they faced in this WBC.

“But I just hope that Brazil, in general, the level of our players grows up and improves, because even if we qualify, once we get here, the level of play, the baseball here is so much higher than what we are used to,” Matsumoto said. “So we don’t know exactly what’s going to be next for the Brazilian Federation, as in planning. But I just wish them the best. And I’m hoping that Brazilian baseball gets better from this point on.”

USA rides Skenes, homers from Judge and Anthony to massive rivalry win
Despite hosting Pool B games on home soil, Team USA faced a hostile crowd, with tens of thousands of proud Mexican fans — of a sellout crowd of 41,628 — booing the Americans as they were introduced.

Then, the Americans did the absolute best thing they could do to retain momentum and take the crowd out of things: Rely on Paul Skenes to pitch four scoreless innings, get out to a 5-0 lead early thanks to home runs from Aaron Judge and Roman Anthony, and take the Mexican crowd out of things.

Skenes looked like the star he has been since his time at LSU, holding Mexico to just a single hit in four innings on the mound. Of course, in classic Skenes style, he was nonchalant about it.

“It was awesome,” Skenes said. “Great atmosphere. Nice to feel like I’m doing something rather than just taking up a hotel room and eating all the free meals. Good to go out there and do my job.”

That five-run, two-homer third inning was all the Americans were able to muster, but taking the momentum away from Mexico and the Daikin Park crowd proved to be enough for them to secure the USA’s first WBC win over Mexico in 20 years.

“It was an unbelievable environment,” Anthony said. “I think, for me at least, it’s the loudest game I’ve been a part of. Just amazing to get baseball like that this early in the year. And always great when you win. So the vibes are great.”

Next, Team USA looks toward its matchup against Italy as it sits in the driver’s seat toward a first-place finish in Pool B.

Mexico falls just short, but hopes to face USA again
If just one swing goes differently, we would all be talking about Mexico pulling off a historic rivalry win.

Mexico had all the pieces to pull off an upset. They held the USA scoreless in seven innings. They had the tying run at the plate late in the game. They had the crowd’s momentum on their side after Jarren Duran’s sixth-inning homer to left center, and they had it again when Duran went yard again in the eighth inning.

“I have to say that I was very inspired, the way that the team ended or finished the game, knowing that they were facing one of the best pitchers in the world,” Mexico manager Benji Gil said. “It was a tremendous lineup, and no one gave up. And everyone kept fighting. And we were just down a swing. That was the only difference from tying the game.”

It is a game Gil desperately wants back. He says if Mexico faces the USA again in the tournament, it will not go the same way.

“I hope we play the U.S. again,” Gil said. “That would be awesome. I would be ecstatic to face them again. For one, it’s probably the championship. There’s the championship in Miami. In fact, you know what I want to face them more than I want anything else in the world, how is that? … I desire that more than anything in the world, face them again in Miami. I think that we’ll end up 1-1 against the U.S. this tournament. And Mexico won’t lose again until three years from now.”

Of course, to do that, the Mexicans will have to get past Team Italy in the final game of the group stage for a chance to advance out of Pool B and into the quarterfinals.

By Ian Curtis.

Italy prepares to pass the torch in 7-4 win over Great Britain
Perhaps it was poetic that four of Italy’s seven runs were scored by Andrew Fischer and Miles Mastrobuoni.

On one hand, Fischer — the former Ole Miss Rebel and Tennessee Volunteer and current Milwaukee Brewers prospect — got things started off with a dash of youth.

After Great Britain got out to an early 2-0 lead, the Italians returned fire with back-to-back solo home runs in the third innings by Fischer and J.J. D’Orazio, both to right field. Both earned espresso shots from the Italian’s signature home run celebration machine.

“Super excited to be out there,” Fischer said. “ [I] didn’t get an at-bat in the first game. So, you can imagine, the buildup to playing in this has been pretty emotional. You’re representing your family, friends, the country.”

Then, Italy piled on three runs in the fourth inning and two in the fifth as part of a run that began with Zach Dezenzo’s double and continued with an RBI single from Fischer and a fielding error that seemed to send Great Britain reliever Nick Wells into a tizzy.

As part of that run, Mastrobuoni scored Fischer on an RBI double that provided a bit of veteran wisdom to the box score.

Fischer says the leadership from Mastrobuoni and other veterans helps him and other younger players use the WBC as a launch pad.

“Very new to being a pro baseball player, I’m trying to put my name on the map,” Fischer said. “I think an opportunity like this gets you the chance to do that. Not even just with myself, like having an opportunity to play with these guys, I was saying these experiences are priceless. The plane ride over, the bus rides, being at the hotel, even how to dress.”

And it starts at 6 a.m. every day, when the Italians leave their hotel rooms wearing Armani suits.

“We’ve been wearing a suit every single day,” Fischer said. “You walk out of your room wearing a suit at 6:00 in the morning to show up at the park. And it’s business; we’re here to win; we’re here to compete. These experiences are priceless.”

For Mastrobuoni, who is playing his 11th year of professional baseball and his second WBC, the opportunity to play with players like Fischer, Sam Antonacci — who had a “Little League” home run in the win — at the WBC is important to the future of Team Italy.

“It’s passing the baton,” Mastrobuoni said. “It’s showing these young guys how to go about their business and everything like that. But you don’t overstep. These guys know what they’re doing. They’re here for a reason. And you’ve got to remember that. So if they’ve got questions, I’m always here for them. I’ll give them everything I’ve got to help them further their careers.”

Eaton, Chisholm get hot, but rest of Great Britain’s bats go cold
Just like its matchup against the USA yesterday, Great Britain had no problem getting an early start to things.

Nate Eaton continued his streak of success at the plate, following up last night’s first-pitch home run with a leadoff double that had the British fans in attendance at Daikin Park on the edge of their seats.

“He’s one of my favorites,” Great Britain manager Brad Marcelino said after being asked about Eaton’s performance. “He is the type of player that you love to coach. And the tools are all there, mentality, toughness, the grittiness. You can see it on display. I’m really excited that he’s part of the program. It’s going to be special to watch him in his career in the future for sure.”

And after quiet plate outings in Team GB’s first two showings in Houston, Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed that up with a single to immediately put the Brits in scoring position — which they were able to do thanks to a pair of wild pitches from Italian starter Dylan DeLucia.

The same combination of an Eaton double and Chisolm single led off the eighth inning, with Eaton scoring and giving Britons hopes of a rally with the score at 7-3. And, in another stretch of deja vu, Chisholm advanced to third and scored again on a pair of wild pitches.

But at 7-4, and with the go-ahead run at the plate in the ninth inning, the momentum of a rally just ran out.

“I just felt like we ran out of the finish line there if we had a little bit longer,” Marcelino said. “I thought Spraker did a great job coming in, giving us some length. But the middle innings is where we had some mistakes as well.”

Even still, the momentum boost of a tight game is welcome for the Brits as they face Brazil with a spot in the next WBC on the line.

Mexico parties its way to a 16-0 run-rule drubbing of Brazil

With a rivalry match up against the USA on Monday night looming on the horizon, one might have expected at least some level of looking too far forward out of Mexico against Brazil.

But there was no lethargy to be found. The Mexicans got things started quickly with a 4-0 first inning kicked off by an RBI single by Jonathan Aranda and sustained three other RBI hits.

Jarren Duran was the first Mexican to go yard with a 387-foot homer to right center field that sent what might as well have been a home nation crowd at Daikin Park into a frenzy in the second inning.

And after Duran reached second again on a fourth-inning double, it was Alejandro Kirk who put all doubt to rest with a 416-foot three-run homer to extend the lead to 10-0 and put things in run-rule territory.

In short, it felt like a party. And boy do Mexican fans party, especially when Julian Ornelas sealed the deal with a two-run, run-rule, walk-off home run.

“I think it was one of the most beautiful moments in my career,” Ornelas said. “I am thankful to be here. I’ve said this before, and it’s something that I was going to cherish. And it was just that in the moment seeing our Mexican fans supporting us. As I was running through the bases, I was simply just staring at the stadium and looking for my mom. And thanks to God it was a beautiful moment.”

From sing-a-longs to the iconic “Mexican wave” to the sheer amount of joy each red-and-green-clad fan showed every time a Mexican crossed home plate, it was a reminder of what makes international baseball worth watching: cultural pride.

That pride will be on display tomorrow when Mexico faces the USA in front of a sold-out crowd.

“I think tomorrow is probably going to be similar to tonight, but like times two or times three,” Alek Thomas said. “The crowd, the Mexican crowd, always shows out. And this seems like the place that Mexico fans like to go crazy. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, and it’s going to be lit.”

Brazil searches for silver linings in 16-0 defeat to Mexico
It wasn’t necessarily surprising to see Brazil — the team in Pool B that had to win its way in via the WBC Qualifiers — lose to a heavy-hitter like Mexico. What was perhaps surprising — and surely disappointing to the canary-clad specks of yellow and blue sprinkled throughout Daikin Park — was just how bad the loss was.

Against the USA and Italy earlier in the tournament, Brazil managed to keep things competitive through the middle innings until its bullpen ran out of steam late. But that was not the case against Mexico.

Brazil was outhit 16-3 and had every pitcher give up at least two runs.

“Looking back to these three games, we can see clearly that there are two groups of pitchers in our pitching team, ones that can throw in the strike zone and be aggressive and the other ones that are struggling to throw strikes,” Brazil manager Daniel Yuichi Matsumoto said. “So I think this tells us something about changes that we have to make in our training and practice, raising new talents and new pitchers to our country.”

There’s only one thing the Brazilians can do at this point, and that’s just prepare themselves for one of the biggest games in Brazilian baseball history tomorrow against Great Britain. Because the best possible thing that can happen for the growth of baseball in Brazil is locking themselves into the next edition of the WBC.

By Ian Curtis.

Lack of arm depth dooms Brazil again
Pitching depth doomed the Brazilians against Team USA in their opening game Friday evening, as they issued 17 walks en route to a 15-5 loss to the host nation.

Brazil manager Daniel Yuichi Matsumoto said before the game that his focus was on correcting that issue against Italy.

“The most important thing we learned from last night’s game is that we cannot give away bases on balls and we need 27 outs in a game. And when we give base on balls, we don’t get the out,” Matsumoto said. “So today I spoke to my pitchers and I told them to be very aggressive and compete within the strike zone. So I don’t want to see that situation anymore where players keep getting bases on balls over and over. So hopefully that was it for us.”

Despite being out-hit by the Italians in 12-3 in Saturday’s opening game, Brazil found itself tied 0-0 until the sixth inning thanks to the work of starter Enzo Sawayama, who gave up just two hits in four innings of work.

Italy manager Francisco Cervelli credited his team’s slow start to Sawayama’s pitching.

“Well, I think it was slow because the pitcher was throwing well,” Cervelli explained. “We’ve got to give credit to the starting pitcher. But the guys, you know, the game 27 outs. You’ve got to make the adjustment. The guys did it. They let the other guys throw a little more, to see more pitches.”

Brazil fans can look at things with the view of a glass half empty, or a glass half full in the wake of its 8-0 loss to Italy. On one hand, as a whole Brazil did manage to limit their pitching woes by giving up just seven walks and found a reliable starter in Sawayama.

On the other, it was a pair of walks issued by Brazil pitcher Hector Villarroel that set the stage for Italy’s 2-0 lead off of hits by and eventual 8-0 victory.

Of course, the third option is to rage at the WBC pitch count cap that limits pitchers to no more than 65 pitches per game. A necessary evil to attract big-league talent and appease owners, but something that makes the job of teams like Brazil much more difficult.

The Brazilians’ lack of bullpen depth continued to prove a problem late in the game, as reliever Murilo Gouvea was pulled after giving up a solo home run to Dante Nori and issuing a pair of walks in the seventh inning. And his relief, Brazil pitcher Oscar Nakaoshi, gave up a 3-run home run on his first at-bat to Dominic Canzone, effectively putting the game out of reach at 6-0.

Another reliever, Caio de Araujo, gave up a home run to Nori in the eighth inning as well to put the cherry on top of a poor day on the mound for Brazil. One positive, however, was the two assists from the right arm of Lucas Ramírez a day after he delivered two longballs against USA.

With a goal of clinching an appearance in the next World Baseball Classic — with their most likely opportunity coming against Great Britain on Monday — Brazil needs to figure out a solution to its bullpen woes, and fast.

Sam Aldegheri, Dante Nori lead Italy to campaign-opening win
Dante Nori does not like the taste of coffee.

That became a small issue, considering Italy’s iconic espresso machine home run celebration, when Nori hit two solo home runs in an 8-0 victory over Brazil

“The first one, especially, I was like, ‘Ugh,’” Nori said. “But the second one, kind of liked that one a little bit more.”

For five-and-a-half innings, Italy found itself stuck in a scoreless slugfest against Brazil, despite outhitting the South Americans 4-1 headed into the bottom of the sixth inning.

Then — after Villarroel issued a pair of walks, as a solid Brazilian defense began to crack — the Italians broke things open with an RBI single up the right side, and soon after Jac Caglianone hit his own RBI single to the same area to make things a 2-0 ballgame.

Once Dezenzo broke through, things became a home run derby. Dominic Canzone’s three-run shot in the sixth effectively closed the game with the Italians up 6-0.

But Dante and the Italian offense was only one half of the victory. Starting pitcher Sam Aldegheri more than impressed in his WBC debut, tallying eight strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work.

For Aldegheri, the first Italian-born pitcher to play in the Major Leagues, the opportunity to make his WBC debut for his home country was one he’ll never forget, especially the moment he heard the Italian national anthem before the first pitch.

“I had goosebumps all over my body,” Aldegheri recalled. “It was chilling. … I was just feeling deep inside, I was just trying to think about the game. Those moments are hard. You have all these feelings back home, everything goes by your mind. So it was really cool.”

And for Nori, who represents his Italian heritage that traces back to his grandparents on both sides of his family, he said simply wearing the Italian jersey gives him pride.

“I got the call, and it was one of those things that’s really special to you,” remarked Nori. “You get emotional even talking about it. In fact, when I got to tell [my grandfathers], they all cried. Yeah, something really special to me.”

GB Baseball’s Approach
Great Britain manager Brad Marcelino has said from the beginning of Team GB’s WBC campaign that the Brits are not just here to play — they are here to win.

“I don’t know if “hang” for us is the right word, because we expected to go in and win,” Marcelino said after Great Britain’s opening loss to Mexico. “…But overall, we battled. So, proud of how those guys did that.”

Facing Goliath in its second game, Great Britain’s Nate Eaton fired a shot across the bow — and 390 feet to left center field — that gave the visitors a 1-0 run on the first pitch of the ballgame.

“Obviously his plan was dialed in,” Marcelino said after the USA game. “He kind of said what he was going to do, executed it well. Sometimes it doesn’t always work. But I thought he did a good job, obviously, executing his plan. You go through that and you’re up 1-0 going through the middle of the game and you have those little swing moments. … I think there’s some positives we can definitely take away from what we did today.”

The Brits held on until the fifth inning, long enough that some British fans were dreaming of an all-time World Baseball Classic upset in the making. But regardless of the USA’s eventual 9-1 win, Great Britain put the baseball on notice with performances like that of Najer Victor, the former UCF Knight who last played in the Arizona Fall League last season.

In just over an inning of action, Victor struck out Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Gunnar Henderson, and Roman Anthony, recording four strikeouts and giving up no hits in 1.1 frames. It was enough to get Victor’s name trending on X.

“Yeah, we knew he had that in him,” Marcelino told Mister-Baseball.com’s Gabriel Fidler. “Electric stuff. He’s energetic on the mound, obviously, and the stuff is plus. Yeah, awesome debut. I thought he commanded the slider, kind of got better as the outing went on. Exciting to see that.”

Fifth-inning fireworks lead USA past Great Britain
For much of Team USA’s game against Great Britain, it looked like an all-time WBC upset might be brewing as Team GB held a 1-0 lead until the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to Nate Eaton’s first-pitch home run.

But, in true American fashion, the hosts took over the game in loud and impressive style, with a streak of three consecutive extra-base hits on just six pitches that eventually led to a 9-1 win.

Ernie Clement reached first on a fielding error, and stole home after advancing to third on a Pete Crow-Armstrong double. Then, Kyle Schwarber broke things open with a home run that sent the Daikin Park crowd roaring to its feet.

In the span of just two innings, the USA put up 8 runs and effectively turned what could have been the biggest win in British baseball history into a somewhat-routine pool stage blowout.

The heavy favorites to advance out of Pool B — and with by far the most stacked roster in the field — the Americans did not suffer from the same bullpen woes that other times, like Great Britain, faced.

And although it did let both Brazil and Great Britain hang around early, the USA has put its depth advantage on full display with blowout wins over both teams. American manager Mark DeRosa credited Great Britain’s pitching with keeping things close early on, though.

“I think they had some good arms,” DeRosa said. “The hitters up here could probably attest to that. After their starter came out, he gave them a little bit of length, had a guy throwing 97 miles an hour. Then [they] brought in Scrubb, and Kyle was able to pop one, a big three-run homer. And then they brought in a little side-arm guy – not little – side-arm guy throwing about 94 to 96. So they were running some arms out there, no question.”

By Ian Curtis.

On my first day covering the 2026 World Baseball Classic in Houston, I learned two very important lessons.

The first came courtesy of Brazil outfielder Lucas Ramírez, son of the legendary Manny Ramírez, who said something very interesting when I asked him about the vibe of playing on a Brazil team filled with young players and the sons of major leaguers — like himself.

“Everyone plays with so much passion,” Ramírez said. “…You just gotta come out here and have fun. Baseball is temporary, just come out here and have fun.”

The second lesson was much less philosophical, but equally as important: Do not wear light-colored shoes when you’ll be spending quite a bit of time on infield dirt.

But, footwear woes aside, Ramírez’ point is what immediately struck me about the World Baseball Classic, and why I’m loving covering it. Where else can a 17-year-old pitcher who did high school homework the night before the game force USA Captain — and all-round baseball superhero — Aaron Judge into a bases-loaded double play? Where else can Judge receive a standing ovation in Houston of all places, a city with a tenuous-at-best relationship with his New York Yankees, other than an event like the WBC that turns teammates into rivals and rivals into teammates? (To say nothing of multiple chants of his name even while Brazil was batting!)

And where else can you find British and American fans both dressed as opposing figures in the American Revolution, Mexican fans dressed in luchador costumes and Brazil fans supporting their team with pride despite being vastly outnumbered by the Americans’ home crowd?

Only an event where fun and pride for one’s country are the principal focus, like the WBC. It’s an event where Ramirez can hold his head high after hitting two home runs in a 15-5 loss to the USA, because the accomplishment was representing Brazilian baseball and his heritage all at once, on a global stage.

That’s what the WBC is all about, and it’s why I’m putting in more than 12 hours a day at Daikin Park in Houston — despite my inadequate footwear.

You can follow Ian on X/Twitter @texiancurtis [link]. Header photo ©Gabriel Fidler.

Fidler first appeared as a guest writer for Mister-Baseball.com in 2012, providing coverage of that year’s World Baseball Classic qualifiers and the following year’s WBC. The veteran journalist has covered every WBC live since the 2016 Brooklyn Qualifier. He took over as Managing Editor in Dec. 2020.

Daniels pitched at Muhlenberg College (Pa.), then played for seven seasons in Australia, Europe, and independent ball in the U.S. He’s currently writing Into the Outfield: What Baseball Tells Us About the World, a baseball-themed travelogue which explores his playing experiences and journeys to ten of the top baseball cultures around the world. The book is set to come out in 2027. After appearing on Mister Baseball’s European baseball transactions [link] and [link], he has more recently contributed several features for the site, including a recent excerpt from Into the Outfield [link].

“I’m thrilled to be in San Juan and Miami,” remarked Daniels on covering the Classic for Mister Baseball. “I think my Spanish is ready. I’m definitely ready for some baseball, and the atmosphere should be absolutely electric.”

Making his debut at the big dance is Ian Curtis, a native of Texas and a journalism student at Texas A&M University in College Station. He has served as editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Battalion, where has reported on a large variety of events, including multiple SEC and NCAA Tournaments. His work has appeared in The Battalion, The Bryan-College Station Eagle and The Navasota Examiner.

“Few things are more fun to cover than international sports,” Curtis said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to cover the World Baseball Classic, and I can’t wait to tell the stories of one of the most interesting sporting events in the world.”

“I’m looking forward to covering my fourth World Baseball Classic event live,” said Fidler. “Watching Shohei Ohtani battle against Mike Trout for the world title in 2023 and being on the field after the final in Los Angeles in 2023 as the confetti rained down on Team USA are two of my favourite baseball memories. This year I have the added excitement of watching Great Britain play, with the squad assembled even stronger than the one that gave the U.S.A. and Mexico a scare in 2023. There is nothing better than high-level international baseball, and I look forward to what should be a thrilling fortnight of baseball.”

Daily notes will be available on the site, while you should check Facebook @MisterBaseball.Europe [link] for updates as well. Keep up with Gabriel on X (Twitter)[link] and Instagram @ExtraInningsUK [link] and Ian on X @Texiancurtis [link]. Finally, you can now follow Mister-Baseball.com on Instagram @ MisterBaseball.Europe [link].

The following is an excerpt from an upcoming book that explores ten of the top baseball nations around the world. The accounts are told through a collection of vignettes, chance encounters, and a mosaic of travel, culture, and people speaking to baseball’s varied roles, vast impact, and global future. In early 2025, we published a series on the State of Dutch Baseball – specifically focused on the Netherlands. Here, we preview the other side – the baseball-mad Caribbean – and what baseball means for this part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Melissa, my driver from Curaçao’s lone international airport, notices me gazing at Willemstad’s turquoise coast. Tourists file off cruise ships near the docks.

“Mambo Beach is nice,” she offers.

Central Willemstad reveals the influences of Dutch colonialism—rows of gabled, pastel houses align a lit waterfront. Curaçao is home to just over 150,000 people—over 90 percent reside here in the capital.

Melissa asks what I’ll do on the island.

“I’ve come for baseball.”

“Ah, baseball,” she says, grinning in the rearview mirror. “You know Kenley Jansen? He’s the uncle of my children.”

I can’t say I’m surprised. No nation in recent years has produced more MLB players—per-capita—than Curaçao.

That night, I walk to Vrutaal Stadium across the bay. Murals of Curaçaoans who made the MLB adorn the 10-foot stadium walls, leading off with Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens, the island’s MLB pioneer. A few portraits down, I find the fresh-minted Hall-of-Famer Andruw Jones, widely considered one of baseball’s greatest defensive centerfielders. From Jones extends the line of Curaçaoan big leaguers he’d inspire—Jansen, Didi Gregorius, Andrelton Simmons, Ozzie Albies, and more.

“He’s on his way to sign with the Tigers,” Melissa says, referring to Jansen. The burly reliever now sits fourth all-time with 476 career MLB saves. Following Andruw Jones’ 2026 induction, Jansen might become Curaçao’s second player inducted into the Hall of Fame.

At the end of the wall, scaffolding rests against Cedanne Rafaela’s finished portrait. Brushes and a dozen cans of paint still sit on the platform. A white wall waits to the side of Rafaela’s picture, ready for the next Curaçao star.

At Mambo Beach, in Willemstad’s east, I meet Lenny Pietersz. He works at the popular beach, enclosed by breakwater and dotted with palm trees and tanning chairs. It’s his first time home after two years playing in Japan and Italy. The supple utility man has just returned from his debut with the national team where Curaçao won the Caribbean Series, a tournament among islands in the Bahamas. Once he’s welcomed one last round of cruise guests, we set off for a snack. Lenny finagles a friendly discount from the Spanish-speaking cashier.

“She says you’re tall,” he tells me. While the Netherlands has the tallest average height on earth, I tower over most in Curaçao.

Lenny jumps from one language to the next. Whether signing with MLB or elsewhere, Curaçaoans have a built-in advantage as they move across the world and adapt to new teams and cultures. Though Dutch is Curaçao’s official language, the most common is Papiamento—an Afro-creole mix of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and English. Like many locals, Lenny also speaks Spanish and English.

(A Dodgers assistant who had coached Curaçaoans once told me each language has its use: Papiamento for country; Spanish for love; English for the world; and Dutch for money.)

Before Lenny returns to Italy, he’ll compete in Curaçao’s professional league in January. He’ll be joined by many local pros, some already on the island. Just the other day, he ran into Aruban two-time World Series champion Xander Bogaerts.

“You see athletes everywhere here,” he says.

Like Bogaerts, Lenny grew up watching infielders forge a path to the majors. According to Lenny, too many young players follow that path. “We need pitchers!” he says. But few kids on the island like pitching—they want to hit, like the local stars they see on TV.

“Why is baseball here so good?” I ask.

“It’s really all we got to do,” he says, dipping into his ice cream. “As kids, the neighbors hated us hitting and throwing balls against the concrete. We’d skip school just so we could play. Behind the school, we’d take ground balls until practice would start at 5 p.m.”

Later that afternoon, I find a practice at Heintje Kool Ball Park in northwest Willemstad. Atenshon! read street signs leading up to the field. I cross four lanes of highway, scurry past a warehouse of rabid dogs, and approach the overgrown weeds by the gates of Heintje Kool.

Blue-and-yellow concrete steps overlook a fence that’s riddled with rips, as if someone pulled the chain-links apart. A rusted scoreboard, sponsored by Amstel and Coca Cola, rests in right. There’s knee-high grass in center. The infield wears green patches at the corners like a balding man clinging to scraps. Just then, a batted ball bounces to shortstop and skims beneath the fielder’s glove. The fielding actions were smooth—the field of action is not.

The players, in their mid-teens, form Curaçao’s prospect league—the next generation of pros on the island. Two groups scrimmage on the field, while another stretches behind four lanes of batting nets. Down the right-field corner, pitchers execute plyometrics, sprints, and weight training. Along the left-field line, a lanky teen drives a sledgehammer into a tire. MLB gear—Braves, Yankees, Red Sox—flashes across the field.

I’m here to meet their coach, former big leaguer Yurendell De Caster. Between innings, De Caster launches fungos in a cut-off White Sox hoodie. His raspy Papiamento echoes into the stands. I catch De Caster after training in the parking lot. We shake hands then he washes up under a dugout spit.

“Come back tomorrow at 7 a.m.,” De Caster says, still packing up. “The pro guys are gonna be here. At 1 [p.m.], you can catch [Jurickson] Profar and [Jonathan] Schoop,” a current and former big leaguer, putting in offseason work. The prospects will be back at 4 p.m.

“All the matches were last weekend,” one coach lamented before I’d arrived in Curaçao. Another told me little baseball would be transpiring this offseason.

The next morning, Melissa takes me back to Heintje Kool.

“How are your baseball visits?” she asks. “You know, you should go to Curaçao Baseball Week in January.”

Founded by Hensley Meulens, the event has one goal: “To bring kids in Curaçao closer to their baseball legends.” Albies, Gregorius, Jansen, Profar, Simmons—they’ll all come home to give back.

I’d rather chat baseball on island time, but I recently learned the US was seizing oil tankers and striking vessels in its push to oust Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro.

“On a clear day, you can see Venezuela,” Melissa tells me.

After the Dutch abolished slavery in 1863, they shifted their Caribbean focus to Venezuelan oil. In 1918, they built a refinery in Curaçao where crude revenues boosted the local economy. Several decades ago, Venezuelan and Dominican workers arrived with baseball and the game took off. Once refinery operations ceased in 2019, baseball claimed its place as Curaçao’s top export.

At shortstop, De Caster is refining four teens. He wears a Curaçao national shirt and Texas Rangers bucket cap. He’s joined by a short assistant holding a fungo and another in a cut-off who looks like a defensive end. One by one, the boys flash their reflexes, scoop, and fire to a net at first.

“Transfer high,” the head coach reminds them with a jerk of the hands.

De Caster looks to the stands and waves me onto the field. I point to myself, seeing no one else around. He waves harder.

“These are the young ones,” he tells me as I meet him in the infield.

“How do they look?”

“Good. We need to make more shortstops.”

He points to several guys in the batting nets. “Those are the pros. You can watch from the dugout.”

The infielders move to second base then shift behind the mound to take cut-off throws to third. As more fungos spit out, De Caster harps on technique in gravelly tones. With fluid hips and hands, the fielders manage the unruly bounces. When the boys come in for water, each bumps my fist and says, “Good morning.”

As they jog back out, I poke through a back room holding an arsenal of bases, balls, tees—and every coach’s favorite—buckets. I settle on a bench next to a vending machine. Not all Curaçao fields are well-stocked, but there’s promise at Heintje Kool.

De Caster ends training and walks my way.

“You see the Little League World Series?” he asks, gesturing down the line. “He played there, and he played there.” These boys are too young to be big leaguers, but MLB teams are already laying claim. “He’s signed to the Twins; he’s signed to the Rangers; he’s signed to the Marlins.” Each kid wears a hat of his to-be team. Two are members of the 2027 signing class. The last one is class of 2030.

“They just train here with me,” he says. “We need more shortstops.”

“What’s the secret to making them?”

 “Train.”

De Caster waves me into his van and says he’s taking me to the gym. He nods to a quiet boy in the back: “My son,” he says.

“Did you play ball?” he asks.

I tell him about pitching in Australia and Europe.

“I played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Dutch national team in the WBC,” De Caster says. Over 17 pro seasons, he manned every defensive position except catcher. At 46, he carries trim muscle—only the slight hitch in his gait suggests his playing days are done.

At the gym, I meet De Caster’s fungo man, Bárbaro. “Acere,” De Caster calls him— “buddy” in Bárbaro’s native Cuba. Speaking Spanish, Bárbaro tells me about his academy in Cienfuegos that helped guys like Yoan Moncada reach the MLB.

“I’m here on contract for now,” he says with a big smile. I remark how great it is to have pros with the kids. He pats his mouth: “Sííí!”

He reaches for my shoulder. “Curaçaons will play here or there in the US and still come back to train with the kids.”

Meanwhile, the young infielders do pullups, spotted by their coaches. On the back turf, minor leaguers find more plyometrics: high knees, ladder jumps, short sprints. Before long, the young kids join.

In the afternoon, I walk back to Heintje Kool. A ride from Melissa would have been handy as I pass a canine carcass and a lunging dog that nearly jolts me into highway traffic. I arrive to find the young shortstops unleashing wood in the cages. Between swings, they wait for their turn, composed. On the back turf, pitchers undergo balance drills with med balls and PVC pipes.

On the mainland, the Dutch have tidy facilities, solar panels, and motor learning. Here, I see none of that. The Netherlands has more than 100 times the population of Curaçao and nearly 400 times its GDP. And yet Curaçao’s baseball is far more advanced. In all my travels, I’ve yet to see a better collection of coaching, drive, and technique.

“So, this is your job? To travel around the world?” De Caster asks. “Or hobby?”

I tell him a hobby, and he smiles. “So, you follow Curaçao?”

De Caster has also kept pace with world baseball.

“I see the Japanese players,” he says. “They’re doing good.”

“We need to get that way.”

…

Note from Editor: Jason will be on the ground in San Juan for the World Baseball Classic before joining me in Miami, with updates on the website. You can find his previous work here [link]. Also check out our WBC preview for the Netherlands [link].

The WBSC has announced the process of qualification for the Los Angeles Olympic Games, with significant effects for European countries. As a reminder, the tournament is a six-team event, two fewer than when baseball was an official Olympic sport, and the U.S.A. will take one of these places. The remaining teams will qualify in one of three ways, two of which apply to European nations.

The first method applies only to nations from the Americas, for which the top two finishers (other than the U.S.) at the World Baseball Classic will earn a spot in the Olympics. This is the only method by which a team from North or South America can qualify for L.A.

Next is qualification through the Premier12, scheduled for 2027 at a location and dates to be determined. At this event, which will now feature 16 teams, the best-placed team from Asia and the top finisher from either Europe or Oceania will secure a place at the 2028 Olympics.

Finally, the ‘Final Qualifier’ will produce one further Olympic country. The tournament will consist of the top two finishers at the most recent Asian Baseball Championship, the top two from the 2027 European 2027 Baseball Championship, and the winners of the most recent Oceania and African Baseball Championships, neither of which are currently scheduled.

National Team roster sizes for Olympic baseball will be 24 athletes, and the athletes must be at least 18 years old (in the year in which the competition takes place) to participate in any of the three qualification events as well as the LA28 Olympic Games tournament.

For Europe, this means that the two paths, the 2027 Premier 12 and 2027 Baseball Euros, could produce a total of two European nations in Los Angeles.

Rosters were announced for the 2026 World Baseball Classic in the early hours of Friday morning, and the ninth-ranked Netherlands features a veteran roster, including a typically strong infield. In total, six players who saw action in MLB in 2025 will suit up for manager Andruw Jones, who was recently elected to the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame. The Kingdom Team, ranked No. 9 in the world, will compete in Miami as part of Group D, which features the Dominican Republic, Israel, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

As with previous Dutch roster, Jones will have big names from the Major Leagues at his disposal during the sixth edition of the World Baseball Classic: Xander Bogaerts, Kenley Jansen, and Jurickson Profar all return. Ozzie Albies and Ceddanne Rafaela both make their first appearance in the Kingdom Team. Albies, second baseman of the Atlanta Braves, is a three-time All-Star and has won two Silver Slugger Awards, but missed the last WBC due to an injury. Rafaela is a converted middle infielder who is now the center fielder for the Boston Red Sox, for whom he won a Gold Glove Award in 2025.

Besides these active big leaguers, Didi Gregorius, Chadwick Tromp, Sharlon Schoop, and Shairon Martis all return. Martis, who turns 39 a few days after the tournament, made his international debut at the 2006 World Baseball Classic and has worn the Orange for every WBC since 2016, making this his fifth appearance.

Pitchers Jamdrick Cornelia, Shawndrick Oduber, Ryjeteri Merite, Jaitoine Kelly, and Dylan Wilson all make their debut for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Each saw time in the minor leagues last summer. There is one field player who is in the selection for the first time: Druw Jones. The son of the national team coach and recently minted Hall-of-Famer Andruw Jones, he was selected second overall in the 2022 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks and was a consensus Top 100 prospect before the 2024 season. This year, he won a Gold Glove as the best defensive center fielder in the minors.

Only one of the seven Dutch prospects who saw time in the minors in 2025 made the roster (Arij Fransen, who is now a free agent), indicative of the depth of players available to KNBSB. (For more on Dutch minor leaguers, see our End of Season Update: [link]). Noteable absences from the 2023 World Baseball Classic include Wladimir Balentien, Roger Bernadina, Tom de Blok, Mike Bolsenbroek, Ray-Patrick Didder, Jair Jurrjens (who is one of the team’s pitching coaches), Sicnarf Loopstok, Josh Palacios, Richie Palacios, Dashenko Ricardo (now one of the team’s bullpen catchers), Jonathan Schoop, Andrelton Simmons, and Pedro Strop.

The Netherlands squad travels to the U.S. on Feb. 19 to prepare for the Classic in Fort Myers. From Mar. 1, the professional players will join the selection in Sarasota. On Mar. 3 and 4, the team Jones will play games against the Baltimore Orioles (in Sarasota) and the Tampa Bay Rays (in Port Charlotte).

On Mar. 6, the Dutch open with a game against Venezuela. The Kingdom Team also will face Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Israel in Group D. All group games will be played at loanDepot Park in Miami, the home of the Miami Marlins.

In 2009, the Netherlands memorably defeated the D.R. twice before losing to Venezuela—its only matchup against the South American country in the WBC—but have not played the Dominicans in the Classic since a 4-1 loss in 2013. In 2017, the Dutch avenged a 4-2 opening round loss to Israel with a 12-2 victory over their fellow WBSC Europe members. The team has never played Nicaragua in the World Baseball Classic, but lost 5-0 to the Central Americans in the 1996 Olympics, 13-2 in the 1998 World Cup, and and 8-4 in the 2009 World Cup, hosted by the Netherlands.

The Netherlands has competed in all five previous World Baseball Classics, reaching the semifinals in 2013 and 2017, but losing the bronze medal game each time. In 2023, the Oranje finished third in Pool A in Taichung, where each team compiled an even 2-2 record. Overall, the Dutch are 13-15 with a -10 run differential in WBC history, though since 2013, the country is 10-9 with +7 scoring margin.

The full roster is below, courtesy of Baseball Reference [link]. Columns to the right can be seen by clicking and dragging

Young British athletes will soon benefit from the Emerging Players Programme (EPP), an initiative designed to identify, develop, and increase the number of youth able to meet the standards for national team selection. The EPP is a joint initiative between the British Baseball Federation, Great Britain Baseball, and BaseballSoftballUK, with funding being made available through Sport England.

The programme will commence in early 2026 and will focus on 11 to 15 year olds in two regions: London & the South East and the West & East Midlands. Each area will be led by a team of experienced coaches, with long-time GB player and coach Will Lintern leading the London & South East region and coordinating the EPP as a whole. The Midlands pilot will be led by Birmingham Baseball Club’s Bob Rowe, who will be joined by GB Under-18 head coach Matt Moran.

During January, February, March and April, there will be a total of six weekend training sessions across both programmes three at each site. Later in the year, a EPP Series of games is planned for the participants as well as a three day Summer Camp.

Expansion of the EPP into more regions is planned for 2027 and beyond, along with the reintroduction of a National Academy.

“Increasing youth participation and developing young talent to enable a pipeline into the Great Britain Baseball age groups is a key priority for the Federation and I am delighted that we have been able to work closely with coaches involved in the GB programme, the performance team at BSUK and Sport England to bring this initiative to fruition,” said Richard Evans, BBF President.

The EPP is also designed to improve the development of coaches across the country and strengthen the links between clubs and the national programme.

“Being able to develop young players and coaches is vital if we are to compete on the international stage in the long term,” noted EPP Director Will Lintern. “The EPP is designed for young players who have shown interest and ability to play above the grass roots level and is a vital bridge between club and national team. It will also provide an opportunity for coaches who have shown competency and have a desire to grow and develop.”

Alan Dean, BSUK’s Performance Programme Manager, concluded, “This is an excellent opportunity for younger players to come together regionally and experience great coaching, whilst developing their skills and exhibiting a desire to learn. This is a hugely important stage of the Player pathway developed jointly by the BBF and BSUK.”

Tijn Fredrikze has made his previously reported pact with the New York Yankees official, while KNBSB reports that Celwin Hurkmans has signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. Like Fredrikze a year prior, Hurkmans will remain in the Netherlands this season and continue training for a year.

A surprise ace for Kinheim at only 18 this season, Fredrikze led the Honkbal Hoofdklasse in strikeouts per nine innings (12.27, 110 in 80.2 innings). The young left-hander finished with a 3.79 ERA and 1.56 WHIP, permitting a .259 average with only two home runs surrendered. He struck out a whopping 34.2 percent of batters, walking 13.1 percent. Fredrikze tied for third in games started (16) and was eighth in innings, impressive for a teenager in the tough Hoofdklasse. The lefty also earned a win against Austria in this past summer’s Under-23 European Baseball Championship, striking out seven in five shutout frames.

In 2024, Fredrikze made his debut at the top level of Dutch baseball with Curaçao Neptunus, for whom he pitched in 16 games, all in relief. Over 18.1 frames, he punched out 22 and walked 19, permitting a .268 average by his opponents.

“There were certainly other clubs that showed interest,” Fredrikze told KNBSB’s Emma Dijkstra [link]. “But what was truly decisive for me was the plan they had for me. They had been following me for a long time and really saw the progress I’ve made. They saw that I can still get better.”

“You often see clubs immediately approaching the player,” continued the New York signee. “But the Yankees first politely approached my parents. That felt very professional. It really gave me the feeling that they are investing in me, not only as a player but also as a person. [Additionally, former Yankee] Robert Eenhoorn is a great example for me. I attended his academy, so it feels like the circle has come full circle.”

Over the past few years, Fredrikze trained at the national development program at the Talent TeamNL Center in Amsterdam alongside Hurkmans. The latter lefty graduated from youth baseball in 2025, suiting up for DSS, with whom he won the Erste Klasse (First Division) title. What makes the leap—and his professional contract—more impressive is that Hurkmans only switched from playing first base to pitching before the 2024 season. The difference-maker was Hurkmans’ two years at the national training center, working with pitching coach Robin van Doornspeek.

This year with DSS, the team was 17-1-6 in the regular season, finishing second on run differential, then placed third in the ‘Continuation League’ for the top six teams. However, after a winning the pivotal game in a three-game playoff series with Neptunus Tridents, DSS won the Erste Klass championship with a two-game sweep of Sparks Haarlem. Overall, the team was 26-1-12. No statistics are available for the First Division.

The success of DSS and Hurkmans’ role at only 17 led to interest from scouts. “The first time a club showed interest in me, I realized that turning pro was truly possible,” recalled the southpaw in an interview with Dijkstra [link]. “Van Doornspeek also told me then that I could really make it if I kept making progress like this. [In the end,] two clubs were very interested, so I had a lot of conversations and had to process a lot with my parents.”

“They [the Blue Jays] were very interested in me, both personally and professionally,” explained Hurkmans. “[They] said that in 2027, instead of going directly to the Dominican Republic, I’ll go straight to Florida. So, I can play for the Kingdom U18 team next year and finish school.”

Hurkmans joins Kiegan Pieternella in the Blue Jays’ organisation. Only a year older than Hurkmans, Pieternella played in the Dominican Summer League last year, setting up a potential pairing of the two Dutch players in Dunedin in 2027. Looking elsewhere around the continent, Slovakian-born Adam Macko, who also played in Ireland and Canada, is in Triple-A for Toronto, with Italy’s Giacomo Taschin just beginning his professional career. Diegomar Markwell is the only former Kingdom of the Netherlands player to pitch in the bigs for Toronto, while Jiorgeny Casimiri and Sem Robberse have previously played on the Blue Jays’ farm.

At the major league level, Eenhoorn, Hensley Meulens, Sidney Ponson, and Didi Gregorius have all worn both the Yankee pinstripes and the orange and black Dutch jersey. Fredrikze will become the only active European in the New York Americans’ system.

Photos ©KNBSB. All quotes were translated from Dutch by Google Translate.

***

By Jason Daniels, Guest Writer.

With the camel collapsed to its knees, Konsta Kurikka swung his legs over the saddle. The dromedary jerked up, carrying the Finn, his blonde mane, and baby-blue uniform out from the left field bullpen. Holding onto his seat, Kurikka waved to the crowd as photographers and drummers paved the way for Sunday night’s starting pitcher. Professional baseball had come to the Middle East, with Europe playing a central role.

***

“I have the easy job,” Barry Larkin says of his role with Baseball United. The Hall of Fame shortstop and Baseball United’s brainchild leads a daring venture in Dubai – a place virtually devoid of baseball infrastructure and talent. In the baseball desert, there is no easy job.

Larkin anchors League ownership and doubles as the honorary GM for the Mumbai Cobras, one of four teams in the inaugural month-long season. Mid-way through Sunday’s game, during the opening weekend series, I find Larkin chumming behind the backstop, greeting fans and investors in his favorite Cobras jersey. The easy stuff.

For the past few decades, Larkin has been intimately involved in the game’s global growth. He has served as ambassador with MLB International and managed Brazil’s national team at the 2013 World Baseball Classic. At home, he is pushing to bring an MLB team to Orlando. With Baseball United, he is trying to tap into a market of two billion people on the Indian sub-continent.

So, how did we get here? How did players and coaches from around the world start coming to Dubai? Larkin takes me back to India. A decade ago, he visited as part of a baseball envoy for the U.S. State Department. He found cricketers, javelin throwers, and athletes with great potential. Why not, he thought, bring baseball here?

Penetration into India, however — with its cricket-mad culture — seemed a difficult task. So, Larkin turned to the UAE. He teamed up with fellow Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera and Adrián Beltré and former MLB stars like Albert Pujols, Elvis Andrus, and Robinson Canó.

Max Shaukat, a businessman who spearheaded professional cricket’s entrance into the North American baseball market, also joined — this time to achieve the reverse. In November of 2022, CEO Kash Shaikh pieced Larkin’s vision together and created Baseball United.

Shaikh, says Larkin, has the difficult job. The CEO features prominently in League media, in one video instructing his staff on execution: “Every detail matters. If somebody tells you differently, they never [deleted] built anything.” Before the season, he crowned his team as entrepreneurs. “You’re a different [deleted] animal now.”

If you did not know that Baseball United was about baseball, you would be forgiven for thinking Shaikh was opening a Michelin restaurant in Manhattan. During games, Shaikh is seen sneaking across the field, cutting through dugouts, greeting guests, and reorienting staff, all the while jawing into his walkie-talkie. Restaurant or not, the League requires critical ingredients to succeed: grit, a can-do attitude, and an international helping hand. Europeans, for one, have been happy to help.

***

Not long ago, Konsta Kurikka, too, saw baseball opportunity. Growing up in Finland, he was first drawn to pesäpallo, the national sport that shares similarities with baseball. After five years competing in Finland’s professional league, however, he felt ready for a new challenge. “I threw hard,” he says, “so baseball was an opportunity. I’m happy that I did that because I’ve been traveling a lot.”

He ventured across Europe to play in the German and Spanish leagues. This past winter, he pitched for the Adelaide Giants in the Australian Baseball League, becoming the first Finnish-born professional baseball player.

Kurikka credits his Baseball United discovery to Mid-East Falcons manager, Dennis Cook, former manager of Sweden’s national team and current pitching coach. Baseball United reached out to Kurikka, emphasizing that they wanted a global roster — and that they wanted him here.

Sunday marked Kurikka’s third time playing with Baseball United. In 2023, he played in the League’s first showcase games and earlier this year he participated in the UAE exhibition series between the Mid-East Falcons and Arabia Wolves. For the inaugural season, Kurikka joined the Karachi Monarchs. His Sunday start against Mumbai began ominously by giving up a first-pitch homerun. A few more elevated fastballs found Cobra barrels. Fellow European Lou Helmig singled off Kurikka in the first to drive in another run.

Kurikka then settled in, showing promise with his firm fastball and biting breaking ball. In the second inning, he faced Helmig again, freezing the German first baseman on a 3-2 curve.

The 24-year-old Kurikka represents a nation coming to grips with its baseball potential. “There is no baseball culture in Finland,” he says. “That needs to change before we can get to a higher level.”

“They are working hard to get kids involved, and I hope my journey [encourages] people to start playing baseball and see the opportunity to travel the world. It’s going to take a bit of time, but I hope I can help with that.”

“I have a pretty good fan base in Finland,” he says, citing his pesäpallo connections. “They are excited about my journey. I think they will follow.”

***

Baseball United ballpark rests a 30-minute drive outside downtown Dubai. Away from the smoggy air, dagger-like Burj Khalifa, and ubiquitous construction in the centre of the city, baseball is laying its own foundation.

Shaikh and his team have anchored their baseball hopes in a local sporting hub. In just 38 days, they constructed a baseball-specific facility at the tail end of a massive sports complex – home to Sevens Stadium rugby, football fields, and a slew of cricket pitches just beyond the ballpark gates.

I take the highway exit toward the ballpark and the first road-side banner I see is of Vinny Ahrens. The seasoned German catcher is, like Kurikka, also a Baseball United veteran. “Being around Hall of Famers and some of the most talented and experienced players and coaches in the world is an incredible honor, especially for a guy from Cologne, Germany,” he says.

A diverse crowd attended Opening Day on Friday night, including youth dance teams and expats eager to take in a familiar game. A couple thousand fans enjoyed a full baseball experience — if one with a Baseball United twist — camel entrances, ceaseless music, cheerleaders, brass bands in the bleachers, and pizza box races for fans around bases. Behind the field, fans were treated to a picnic-tabled beer garden, live batting cages, and face paint, with pies from Pizza Hut and Shake Shack hot dogs.

“Baseball United has done an incredible job marketing the league,” says Ahrens. “The field they built is amazing.”

The only worry Friday night is that one of the two camels – still sitting unprotected by the outfield bullpens – might get thumped by a foul ball.

Batters, after all, are swinging big. In an effort to bring more excitement and fan engagement to the ballpark, Baseball United introduced multiple quirks to its rules. Gold ‘moneyballs’ double the runs scored when a home run is hit, while red-dotted ‘fireballs’ can be used in defense, which immediately end an inning if the batter strikes out. An eight-run home run or 30-second inning — the latter of which occurred during the first week of play — grab headlines. Even when results are unspectacular, the new rules add tension and intensity to gameplay that make fans lean in.

“Seeing what the Baseball United team has pulled off here just makes you want to be a part of this,” says Ahrens.

“It’s just getting started,” he says, comparing Baseball United to other leagues he has played in, such as in Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. “You’re not being drafted by a team that has a rich history of baseball — yet. It’s our job to put on a show and get the people in the region excited for this amazing sport.”

Ahrens, Kurikka, and Helmig are just a few in a deep group of European talent in Dubai. Other European countries represented include the Netherlands (Karim Ayubi, Franklin van Gurp, Calvin Maduro [coach], Gedionne Marlin, Juremi Profar, and Gillian Wernet), Poland (Dennis Cook [former manager], Dominik Grzecicha, John McLaren [former coach], Joe Pence, and Hubert Zgórzyński), Great Britain (Aaron Singh and Raul Shah), Sweden (Cook and Victor Vahlberg), Hungary (Sean Fekete), Israel (Alex Katz), Italy (Federico Celli), and Switzerland (Max Jung-Goldberg). [For more on the history-making Polish players and Fekete, see here.]

Shutaro Usui, while Japanese, has played in Austria and Germany. Africa, too, is featured across the rosters, with South Africa’s Christiaan Beyers, who also played in European leagues. Beyers has a regional connection, too, suiting up for Dhahran (Saudi Arabia) in the 2008 Little League World Series [link].

The European contingent is central to Baseball United’s push to transform fandom on the Indian sub-continent. “One billion of them are cricket fans,” Kash Shaikh points out. “If we can inspire just a small fraction of them to become baseball fans, then we can make a pretty significant community and commercial impact.”

“The challenge,” says Shaikh, “is we’ve got to teach them the game. They love it. They’ve seen it in Hollywood. They wear Yankees hats, but they don’t really know the game. And now they’re slowly starting to get it.”

Shaikh says there have been discussions both with local authorities and internationally to increase investment. “Not only UAE, but Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and back home in the States,” he says. The 20 MLB veterans who underwrite Baseball United give the League a strong foundation. “But we definitely want the local investment soon,” says Shaikh.

It takes just one sheikh (not to be confused with Shaikh), Barry Larkin suggests, for Baseball United to succeed. Leaders on the Arabian peninsula — from Saudi Arabia to Qatar to Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE — have spent big on sport in recent years (e.g., LIV golf, F1, NBA, football) to attract visitors and diversify economies. If Baseball United can demonstrate results – sustained attendance, viewership, and sponsorship – Larkin and Shaikh believe baseball is poised to be next.

The human capital, meanwhile, that Europe has invested in Baseball United is substantial and must be recognized. As Shaukat, the man who brought cricket stateside, says, the League needs to first deliver a quality product, then fans will come.  To that end, Baseball United requires a talented international cast to achieve its global vision. Players and coaches across five continents — including several from Pakistan and India — fill out team rosters.

Baseball United stands out for its collection of characters. That is a differentiator and source of engagement as the League taps into international audiences. And that rich variety applies from animated ownership to Hall of Fame investors to assorted players and coaches — all the way down to camels carrying pitchers to the mound so they can make their big entrance. In the baseball desert, any lift is welcome.

Other related articles:
Two Europeans on Baseball United’s Mid East Falcons’ Roster [link].
Baseball United’s Arabia Wolves Publicise Player List [link].

The British Baseball Federation (BBF) has announced several new staff for the 2026 season, including British Baseball Hall-of-Famer Craig Savage as Director of Operations, Matt Moran as Under-18 Head Coach, amd Lee Manning as Under-12 Head Coach. Pietro Sollecito returns as Women’s National Team skipper, while Ian Griebenow retains his position as Under-15 manager.

All four positions were advertised on Oct. 1 [link] as part of regular cycles of recruitment. As part of the recruitment process, a panel conducted interviews with all shortlisted candidates and presented the board with an overview of their observations and recommendations. The final decisions on all appointments were taken solely by the BBF board.

Savage arrives with a distinguished track record and a reputation as one of the most accomplished figures in the domestic game. A 2023 inductee into the British Baseball Hall of Fame (BBHOF), Savage has left a long-lasting mark on the sport. During his time with Brighton Baseball Club, he guided the Buccaneers to multiple National League finals and titles, along with notable European achievements. In 2003, he worked at San Diego State University with legendary coaches Jim Dietz and Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, during Gwynn’s transition into collegiate coaching. The following year, he joined the Aztecs for Spring Training in Yuma (Ariz.), and was invited onto Gwynn’s staff for the historic Aztec Invitational, the event that staged the first baseball game ever played at PETCO Park, setting the all-time college baseball attendance record of over 40,000, a feat that still stands today.

For more on Savage, see the BBF’s original release [link].

Sollecito returns as the GB Women’s Baseball manager after winning the 2025 European Women’s Baseball Championship and qualifying for the WBSC Women’s World Cup. He has held roles on other GB Baseball squads as well. Similarly, Griebenow returns after posting a winning record at the 2025 U15 European Baseball Championship, a tremendous accomplishment, as it was the first time that Great Britain had competed at the top level of the age group.

Matt Moran takes over from Erick Henson, for whom he served as Assistant Coach, after starting with the U18 squad as First Base Coach. Meanwhile, Lee Manning will take the helm of the U12s, succeeding Chris Ward. The British baseball veteran has held a variety of roles, including BBF Development Official, Manager of the Herts Falcons and Director of Youth Baseball for Herts, and a player in the GB system.

The latest update to the WBSC men’s baseball world rankings has been published, with a whopping 15 countries in WBSC Europe changing positions. None of the top 16 nations changed places, including the three highest-rated teams from Europe. The current European Top Five are the Netherlands (No. 10 overall), Italy (No. 14), Czech Republic (No. 15), Germany (No. 18), and Great Britain (No. 19). The biggest European baseball risers are Lithuania (up 13 places to No. 41), Croatia (up four places to No. 33), and Switzerland (up two to No. 34).

The top 12 programmes in the WBSC Men’s Baseball World Ranking at the end of 2025 will earn a direct ticket to the Premier12 2027, while programmes ranked 13th to 18th, along with two Wild Cards, will contest the Premier12 Qualifiers for the final four spots. Crucially, Germany’s defeat of Great Britain in the fifth-place game at the recently concluded European Baseball Championship had enormous ramifications, as the two nations traded places on the margins of automatic qualification to the Premier12.

The ranking points earned by any national team remain in the World Ranking for exactly four years, which means that the points taken into account are the ones related to events that took place in the current plus the past three years. In principle, one edition of any event must always be present in the World Rankings of the respective discipline within this four-year cycle. However, if an event is staged within four calendar years of the previous edition, the points from the immediately previous edition will be removed from the ranking as soon as the next edition is played. This does not apply to the World Baseball Classic, Premier12, or World Cups, but does apply to contintal and lower international tournaments.

By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor.

It was quite the banner year for Jonathon Cramman. In August, the native Londoner led GB to the 2025 Under-23 European Championship, the first-ever title for Great Britain in a top continental championship in any age category. In September, he was once again named to the staff of the GB senior national team at the European Baseball Championship. And now, ‘Cram’ has been named Coach of the Year by the European Baseball Coaches Association (EBCA), the first-ever British national team coach to receive the honor in the award’s 18-year history.

After being named manager for Great Britain’s U23 squad at the start of 2024, Cramman led the team to its first appearance at the Under-23 Baseball World Cup. Building off the experience in China, he led the GB U23 team to the title, beating host Czech Republic in a tight 9–7 affair to claim gold. GB took care of Israel (7-0), lost to the Czechs in the group stage (3-0) and beat France 4-3 to advance to the knockout stage. In the semi-final, GB got the best of the Netherlands and, for the title, revenged the loss against Baseball Czech from their first matchup. In doing so, Great Britain scored in only two innings, putting up a five-spot in the thirrd and four more in the bottom of the sixth, which the Czech were unable to answer.

Cramman has been involved with GB Baseball for many years. After representing Great Britain at each of the different age categories, he has been part of the coaching staff since 2019. He has served in multiple roles, coaching and managing. He has managed the Under-15 squad, was the third base coach for the Under-18 team, and third base coach–hitting coach for Under-23s.

The GB-lifer has been on staff for two European Baseball Championships as well, serving as bench coach for the Seniors in the 2023 Baseball Euros, when GB surprised many baseball fans by winning the Silver Medal. This year, he once more served on the coaching staff for the British senior national team at the 2025 European Baseball Championship.

Cramman beat out two other finalists, Italy’s Alessandro Maestri, and Czech Republic’s Marian Krasny. Maestri served as pitching coach for Italy in this summer´s European Championship, in which the Azzurri bounced back from a disappointing ninth place showing in 2023 to silver medalists this year. Maestri led his pitching staff to a 6-1 record, a 2.72 team ERA (third in the tournament), and a .180 AVG by opposing batters.

In 2025, Krasny led the Czech U12 National Team into the European Championships to the title on home soil. Czec Republic dominated every opponent, including its fiercest competitors and household names like the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy, mercy-ruling every single one of them. Just a few weeks later, Krasny´s team competed on the global level. While this type of dominance was understandably not in the cards at the World Cup, Czech again beat up on Germany and South Africa to finish in tenth place. 

The EBCA has named a Coach of the Year since 2008, and Cramman joins such legends as Steve Janssen (2009, 2014), Greg Frady (2010), Brian Farley (2011), Mauro Mazzotti (2012), Evert-Jan ‘t Hoen (2013), David Winkler (2015), former Great Britain national teamer Bradley Roper-Hubbert (2018), and Pavel Chadim (2022).

By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor.

By Gabriel Fidler.

France showed why it is the undisputed powerhouse of European baseball5 with a dominant final day at the 2025 Baseball5 European Championship, defeating offensive juggernaut Türkiye in two sets in the semifinal and dispatching Spain impressively in the final. France did not drop a single set the entire tourney, and permitted only just more than one run on average per set. Meanwhile, Lithuania, which took Spain to three close sets in the semifinal, then matched up against Türkiye, with the goal of a third-consecutive Baseball5 Euros medal, but the upstart rookies survived three sets to win bronze in its first attempt. France and Spain advance to the 2026 Baseball5 World Cup.

In the placement round for the fifth through eighth ranking, Italy defeated Denmark to set up a matchup with Romania for fifth, and survived three of the tournament’s most competitive sets to defeat their Eastern European opponents. Italy moved up one place from 2023, while sixth set a programme-best mark for Romania. The Cinderella team of the event, Denmark, had Italy on the ropes in its first set of the day, but its eventual loss pitted it against Belgium, who had lost a two-set game to Romania. The Scandinavians won a pair of shutouts to claim seventh in their first Baseball5 Euros, while Belgium settled for eighth.

Türkiye scored the most total runs in the tournament at 163, averaging 10.9 runs per set, while France was second in runs (149) and runs per set (10.6), allowing the fewest runs (16, only 1.14 per set) with the best differential (+133). Only six of the 16 teams finished with a positive run differential, with the Netherlands joining the top five in that regard.

Seyran Nisa Özdemir (Türkiye) picked up awards for the MVP (Female) and Best Hitter Player (Female), while France’s Omar Diodene earned a clean sweep of the individual awards (Male), taking home MVP,
Best Offensive Player, and Best Hitter Player. Pacheco led the tournament in average (.899), hits (71), and RBI (44). Özdemir was second in RBI (37) and fourth in hits (50). The Best Offensive Player (Female) was Ayla Engels of the Netherlands, who finished fifth in RBI (25).

Other statistics and awards can be found at the tournament website [link].

Overall Standings

Placement
Nov. 8
5–8: Denmark 7 – Italy 8
5–8: Denmark 0 – Italy 11
5–8: Romania 5 – Belgium 2
5–8: Romania 2 – Belgium 0
Place No. 5: Italy 4 – Romania 3
Place No. 5: Italy 2 – Romania 3
Place No. 5: Italy 8 – Romania 6
Place No. 7: Denmark 4 – Belgium 0
Place No. 7: Denmark 4 – Belgium 0

Final Four
Nov. 8
Semifinal: France 9 – Türkiye 2
Semifinal: France 3 – Türkiye 2
Semifinal: Lithuania 3 – Spain 8
Semifinal: Lithuania 4 – Spain 3
Semifinal: Lithuania 1 – Spain 2
Third: Lithuania 9 – Türkiye 5
Third: Lithuania 1 – Türkiye 4
Third: Lithuania 4 – Türkiye 8
First: France 9 – Spain 1
First: France 7 – Spain 0

More on the Baseball5 European Championships
2020 Baseball5 European Championship Results [link].
2020 Baseball5 European Championship Statistics [link].
2025 Baseball5 European Championship Preview [link].
2025 Baseball5 European Championship Day 1 [link].
2025 Baseball5 European Championship Day 2 [link].
2025 Baseball5 European Championship Day 3 [link].
2025 Baseball5 European Championship Day 4 [link].

All four undefeated teams at the 2025 Baseball5 European Championship won their quarterfinal matchups, creating semifinal pairings of France vs. Türkiye and Lithuania vs. Spain. These four teams finished at the top of the standings at the 2024 Youth Baseball5 European Championship. Were the first team in each pairing to win, it would set up a rematch of the past two senior Baseball5 Euros, while neither Türkiye advances to the final four in its first attempt. Spain, meanwhile, were bronze medalists at the 2023 Baseball5 Euros.

It was the end of a fairy tale run for Denmark in its first international baseball5 event, while Italy, Belgium, and Romania were also eliminated from medal contention. The bottom eight spots were also set, with the Netherlands finishing just ahead of Estonia and Bulgaria, all of which finished with winning records. Estonia equalled its best-ever finish (No. 10), as did Moldova (No. 12), while Poland, Ukraine, and Croatia finished their first-ever Baseball5 Euros in places 13–15.

Current Overall Standings

Placement
Nov. 7
13–16: Croatia 0 – Ukraine 5
13–16: Croatia 0 – Ukraine 9
13–16: Israel – Poland WF (5-0)
13–16: Israel – Poland WF (5-0)
9–12: Bulgaria 5 – Netherlands 7
9–12: Bulgaria 6 – Netherlands 7
9–12: Estonia 0 – Moldova 7
9–12: Estonia 6 – Moldova 0
9–12: Estonia 13 – Moldova 4
Place No. 15: Israel – Croatia WF (5-0)
Place No. 15: Israel – Croatia WF (5-0)
Place No. 13: Poland 4 – Ukraine 4
Place No. 13: Poland 1 – Ukraine 10
Place No. 11: Bulgaria 6 – Moldova 0
Place No. 11: Bulgaria 2 – Moldova 1
Place No. 9: Netherlands 14 – Estonia 0
Place No. 9: Netherlands 8 – Estonia 4

Quarterfinals
Nov. 8
Italy 4 – Türkiye 6
Italy 0 – Türkiye 12
Denmark 3 – France 13
Denmark 0 – France 16
Romania 0 – Lithuania 3
Romania 4 – Lithuania 10
Belgium 0 – Spain 8
Belgium 0 – Spain 8

More on the Baseball5 European Championships
2020 Baseball5 European Championship Results [link].
2020 Baseball5 European Championship Statistics [link].
2025 Baseball5 European Championship Preview [link].
2025 Baseball5 European Championship Day 1 [link].
2025 Baseball5 European Championship Day 2 [link].
2025 Baseball5 European Championship Day 3 [link].

One major upset and a couple of surprises made the 2025 Baseball5 European Championship Round of 16 especially interesting, while the quarterfinals are now set, with only eight teams now in the running for the 2025 Baseball5 Euros title. Türkiye, Spain, France, and Lithuania all maintained their perfect records, and they will be joined in the final eight by Italy, Belgium, Denmark, and Romania. Denmark executed the tournament’s biggest giant killing, knocking of the Netherlands in only sets in the Round of 16, while Romania unseated Estonia, which had finished second in Group C.

The Placement Round began play in the latter portion of the day, with Bulgaria and Moldova scoring two-set victories, while Estonia squeaked by a competitive Ukraine in three contests. The Netherlands earned a forfeit victory over the absent Israel squad. The battle for places nine to sixteen will recommence at the start of Day 4, while the semifinals follow later in the day.

Current Overall Standings

Round of 16
Nov. 6
Poland 0 – France 28
Poland 1 – France 11
Moldova 0 – Italy 15
Moldova 1 – Italy 11
Croatia 0 – Lithuania 15
Croatia 0 – Lithuania 23
Belgium 3 – Bulgaria 2
Belgium 2 – Bulgaria 4
Belgium 7 – Bulgaria 1
Ukraine 4 – Türkiye 17
Ukraine 0 – Türkiye 13
Denmark 8 – Netherlands 6
Denmark 6 – Netherlands 5
Israel – Spain WF (5-0)
Israel – Spain WF (5-0)
Romania 13 – Estonia 0
Romania 3 – Estonia 1

Placement
Nov. 6
Poland 1 – Bulgaria 2
Poland 0 – Bulgaria 7
Croatia 4 – Moldova 5
Croatia 2 – Moldova 10
Ukraine 10 – Estonia 2
Ukraine 1 – Estonia 6
Ukraine 2 – Estonia 3
Israel – Netherlands WF (5-0)
Israel – Netherlands WF (5-0)

More on the Baseball5 European Championships
2020 Baseball5 European Championship Results [link].
2020 Baseball5 European Championship Statistics [link].
2025 Baseball5 European Championship Preview [link].
2025 Baseball5 European Championship Day 1 [link].
2025 Baseball5 European Championship Day 2 [link].

Four teams finished group play with perfect records at the Baseball5 European Championship on Day Two, as France, Lithuania, Spain, and Türkiye have all won three consecutive games to start the tournament. With seeding now determined, a crossover round will occur, with Groups A and D and Groups B and C matching up in reverse order (for example, the No. 1 seed of Group A, or A1, facing D4).

Group A Standings

Results
Nov. 5
Denmark 1 – France 5
Denmark 1 – France 9
Italy 0 – France 10
Italy 2 – France 5
Ukraine 0 – Denmark 6
Ukraine 1 – Denmark 4

Group B Standings

Results
Nov. 5
Bulgaria 0 – Lithuania 10
Bulgaria 0 – Lithuania 15
Israel – Lithuania WF (5-0)
Israel – Lithuania WF (5-0)
Israel – Bulgaria WF (5-0)
Israel – Bulgaria WF (5-0)

Group C Standings

Results
Nov. 5
Croatia 0 – Spain 10
Croatia 0 – Spain 18
Belgium 0 – Spain 7
Belgium 4 – Spain 5
Estonia 14 – Croatia 4
Estonia 5 – Croatia 0

Group D Standings

Results
Nov. 5
Poland 2 – Türkiye 19
Poland 3 – Türkiye 23
Netherlands 3 – Türkiye 4
Netherlands 2 – Türkiye 13
Moldova 6 – Poland 3
Moldova 8 – Poland 7

More on the Baseball5 European Championships
2020 Baseball5 European Championship Results [link].
2020 Baseball5 European Championship Statistics [link].
2025 Baseball5 European Championship Preview [link].
2025 Baseball5 European Championship Day 1 [link].

The first day of play the 2025 Baseball5 European Championship is in the books, with Italy and the Netherlands both grabbing a pair of wins, while France, Lithuania, Spain, and Türkiye looked impressive in single victories. Round Robin play concludes today, when eight of the 16 nations competing will progress to the Super Round. For more on the third Baseball5 Euros, read our preview [link].

Group A Standings

Results
Nov. 4
Denmark 0 – Italy 8
Denmark 4 – Italy 9
France 10 – Ukraine 0
France 14 – Ukraine 0
Ukraine 1 – Italy 5
Ukraine 1 – Italy 11

Nov. 5
Denmark – France
Italy – France
Ukraine – Denmark

Group B Standings

Results
Nov. 4
Bulgaria 5 – Romania 3
Bulgaria 9 – Romania 8
Romania 1 – Lithuania 6
Romania 0 – Lithuania 10
Israel 0 – Romania 5
Israel 0 – Romania 5

Nov. 5
Bulgaria – Lithuania
Lithuania – Israel
Israel – Bulgaria

Group C Standings

Results
Nov. 4
Croatia 2 – Belgium 12
Croatia 0 – Belgium 12
Spain 12 – Estonia 0
Spain 13 – Estonia 0
Estonia 4 – Belgium 2
Estonia 3 – Belgium 2

Nov. 5
Croatia – Spain
Belgium – Spain
Estonia – Croatia

Group D Standings

Results
Nov. 4
Poland 0 – Netherlands 11
Poland 8 – Netherlands 19
Türkiye 27 – Moldova 0
Türkiye 8 – Moldova 0
Moldova 3 – Netherlands 14
Moldova 3 – Netherlands 10

Nov. 5
Poland – Türkiye
Netherlands – Türkiye
Moldova – Poland

More on the Baseball5 European Championships
2020 Baseball5 European Championship Results [link].
2020 Baseball5 European Championship Statistics [link].
2025 Baseball5 European Championship Preview [link].

This article first appeared on www.extrainnings.co.uk [link] and has been used here with permission.

South Africa romped to the African Under-23 Championship in a three-team tournament this past weekend, allowing only nine runs over five games while averaging. Despite the lop-sided nature of its games, the other two nations, Zimbabwe and Benin, both had moments of solid play, and there was only one shutout across the four days. With the victory, South Africa will represent its continent at the 2026 Under-23 Baseball World Cup from Nov. 6–15, where it will face Cuba, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Japan, Nicaragua, Panamá, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Taiwan, Venezuela, and the winners of the Oceania Qualifier (Australia vs. Guam, Nov. 6–9, 2025 in Sydney).

Overall Standings

Results
Oct. 30
Zimbabwe 12 – Benin 4 (7?)
South Africa 24 – Benin 0 (5)

Oct. 31
Zimbabwe 1 – South Africa 15 (?)
Benin 1 – South Africa 23 (5?)

Nov. 1
Benin 5 – Zimbabwe 12 (7?)
South Africa 19 – Zimbabwe 4 (?)

Nov. 2
Friendly: South Africa U18/U15 15 – Benin 10 (7?)
Championship: Zimbabwe 2 – South Africa 21 (5)

The city of Panevėžys, Lithuania, is hosting the 2025 Baseball5 European Championship from Nov. 3-8. The competition will take place in the Kalnapilis Arena, which has a seating capacity of around 5,600, with two courts in use. This year’s championship will feature national teams from Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Italy, Lithuania, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Türkiye, and Ukraine. Each squad will be vying not only for continental glory but also for qualification to the next WBSC Baseball5 World Cup, adding an extra layer of intensity to the competition.

This is the third edition of the Baseball5 Euros, all hosted by different Lithuanian cities. In 2020, France defeated Lithuania in the final, with Russia dispatching Italy for the bronze. The second championship allowed Lithuania to take revenge over the French, while Spain survived a three-set battle with the Netherlands for third.

The numbers of teams have grown slightly for the 2025 Baseball5 Euros, expanding from 13 in 2023. The initial tournament was supposed to include 16, but two nations withdrew just before the event began. Five countries make their debuts this year: Croatia, Denmark, Poland, Türkiye, and Ukraine. Meanwhile, eight states have played in all three editions: Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Lithuania, Moldova, the Netherlands, and Romania. Noteable absences are the Czech Republic and Latvia, each of which competed in the last two championships, with the former active in other competitions as well. When the tournament was first announced in May [link], Estonia was not listed among the nations, but have evidently been added since.

For more on the 2020 Baseball5 European Championship, our sister site, Extra Innings: Baseball Around the World has an extensive breakdown of the results [link] and statistics [link].

All the games were streamed live through Baseballeurope.tv, while the live play by play is always available through the WBSC Europe website. The full tournament pass for the live streaming is €19.99, while single game access is €5.99.

Press Release — Project COBB and the British Baseball Hall of Fame.

What an historic year that 2025 has already been, with the Great Britain Women’s and Under-23 National Teams each winning a European title and qualifying for their World Cups! As we look forward to the finals of various British Baseball leagues and the Men’s European Championship, we also turn to the nomination process for the British Baseball Hall of Fame (BBHOF).

In 2024, we saw four people elected, with two of the inductees—Rob Alger and Nick Clark—co-nominated by members of the British baseball community. We have never had anyone nominated that represents Northern Ireland, the North East, the City of Manchester, East Anglia, or the South West, and we would love to see that change.

There are three categories for induction: Baseball players; Coaches, managers, umpires, and other officials; and Game builders. More information on these categories and the criteria by which candidates are considered can be found by clicking on ‘Induction categories and criteria’ at https://bbhof.org.uk.

Anyone who puts in tireless work to organise your club, keeps your field in your great shape, teaches youth how to play, or demonstrates long-term excellence on the field could make a great candidate. All it takes to nominate the person you have in mind is a short bio outlining their accomplishments, including as many details, statistics, or quotes as you can. Project COBB has information on numerous people, statistics for many seasons, and much more to help you with the specifics at: http://projectcobb.org.uk/top-tier_stats.html.

If you are not sure where to start or have some questions, please do get at contact to info@bbhof.org.uk. In addition, if you know of printed materials or physical objects that might be of interest to the British Baseball Hall of Fame, whether yourself, a club, or someone formerly involved in the sport, we are actively gathering and preserving these important materials, and cannot do so effectively without your help! No items are too small or insignificant, large or unusual, or too voluminous to be of interest.

Please email nominations—preferably by in Word Document or Google Doc—by 3 Nov. (extended from 13 Oct.).

Voting for the European Baseball Coaches Association (EBCA) Coach of the Year for 2025 is now open — and both members and the public have a chance to cast a ballot. Three coaches are on the ballot: Jonathan Cramman, Marian Krásný, and Alex Maestri. These three coaches represent, respectively, Great Britain, Czech Republic, and Italy, and each helped a national team win a medal in a European championship.

Information on each candidates is provided in the ballot, and you can cast your vote here [link]. The voting period runs from Oct. 9–18.

“Let’s recognize the dedication, passion, and impact of the coaches who drive our game forward,” noted the EBCA press release. ‘Thank you for being part of the EBCA community and for helping us honor excellence in coaching.’

Voting for the award is made up of three parts, with public votes factored into the final decision, which also includes ballots cast by EBCA Members, whose vote carries more weight than public votes, and the decision of the EBCA Board.

Do not miss your chance to shape this important award — and join the EBCA in Antwerp to celebrate the winner. The Coach of the Year Award will be presented at the EBCA Convention 2025, taking place in Antwerp, Belgium, Nov. 7–9, 2025.

Five current minor leaguers were born and developed in Africa – MLB journeyman reliever Tayler Scott, who pitched in the majors for his eighth team in his fifth big league season; David Matoma, three years into his pro career, advancing one level per season to date; and three players who learned the game in Uganda (in three different regions) competing in the Dominican Summer League. All five have now finished with their 2025 seasons.

Key
Name (age*), organization, country, team.
*Age is as of Sept 1, 2025 (playing age this season).
Team Prospect Rankings: BA (Baseball America): #; FG (Fangraphs): #; MLB (MLB.com): #.
“NR” denotes not ranked (only included for players listed in other rankings).

Triple-A (1)
Tayler Scott (33), Houston Astros. South Africa. Sugar Land Skeeters.
Scott’s odyssey continues, as he became a free agent at season’s end. He finished 2025 with a 7.90 ERA in MLB and a 3.97 ERA in Triple-A. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs out of an Arizona high school (moving there from Johannesburg as a teenager), and proceeded to appear in the major leagues for eight teams, including Arizona and Houston this season. He has logged 343 career minor league games (with a 3.78 ERA and 1.41 WHIP) and another 135 big league appearances (5.51, 1.63), which excludes the two seasons he played in Japan’s NPB (4.02, 1.26).

Low-A (1)
David Matoma (19), Pittsburgh Pirates. Uganda. Bradenton Marauders. BA: NR; FG: 20; MLB: NR.
Matoma finished his first season in A-ball with a 4.25 ERA in 32 games and 42.1 innings. He struck out 37, walked 24, and allowed 42 hits for a 1.56 WHIP (after recording WHIP of 1.14 and 1.09 his first two seasons in rookie ball). He had eight holds.  

Rookie League, Dominican Complex Leagues (3)
Allen Ajoti (20), Los Angeles Dodgers. Uganda. DSL LAD Bautista.
Ajoti played 32 games with a slash line of .192/.283/.414. He hit six home runs while striking out 31 times, walking nine times, and stealing four bases without being caught. The young Ugandan posted numbers that suggest his batting average was much lower than expected, as he had a .206 BABIP (batting average on balls in play [explanation]), 17^th-lowest among the 567 hitters with at least 100 plate appearances in the DSL. He split his time between catcher, left field, and DH with a couple of appearances at 1B as well.

Joseph Deng Thon (18), Los Angeles Dodgers. South Sudan/Uganda. DSL LAD Mega.
The first South Sudanese player to sign a professional contract, Deng struggled in his debut season, with 22 walks in 3.2 innings pitched. He struck out five and allowed only a single hit. Deng grew up in Uganda and learned the game at the same field as previous Dodgers’ signings Ben Serunkuma and Umar Male and David Matoma of the Pirates.

Armstrong Muhoozi (18), Pittsburgh Pirates. Uganda. DSL Pirates Gold.
Muhoozi finished his streaky season with 36 games played, missing a little more than two weeks with a minor groin injury. He stole 24 bases in 28 attempts—in the top three percent of all hitters in the DSL—while hitting .246/.350/.339. He had eight extra base hits, 28 strikeouts, and 15 walks, scoring 26 runs and knocking in 16. Muhoozi played mostly center field, with some time in left field. Reports from instructional league note that the fleet-footed Jinja native is getting some work in the infield.

Previous Articles in This Year’s Series:
May [link].
June [link].
July [link].
August [link].

All advanced statistics from Fangraphs [link].

Minus Max Kepler’s ongoing playoff run with the Philadelphia Phillies, European contributions to Major League Baseball’s season have concluded. Italy’s Samuel Aldegheri finished the season in the big leagues, Slovakia and Ireland’s Adam Macko was added to the Blue Jays 40-man roster (and thus is eligible as a playoff injury replacement), San Marino’s Alessandro Ercolani was named Double-A Altoona’s Pitcher of the Year, and the Netherlands’ Tyriq Kemp debuted after being drafted from a U.S. university. Four of the players on this list then joined their national teams, each playing regularly during the European Baseball Championship, two of whom were among the standout performers in the tournament.

Key
Name (age*), organization, country, team.
*Age is as of Sept 1, 2025 (playing age this season).
Team Prospect Rankings: BA (Baseball America): #; FG (Fangraphs): #; MLB (MLB.com): #.
“NR” denotes not ranked (only included for players listed in other rankings).

MLB (2)
Sam Aldegheri (23), Los Angeles Angels. Italy. Rocket City Trash Pandas.BA: 7; FG: 5; MLB: 13.
Aldegheri had a pair of 2025 stints in the major leagues, including his final two starts of the season. He debuted with the Angels last year shortly after being traded by the Phillies. Signed out of Italy in 2019, the southpaw registered a 7.90 ERA in 13.2 major league innings over four appearances this year. He totaled 10 walks and 12 strikeouts, hitting four.

Aldegheri, who only turned 24 after the season, posted numbers in 23 Double-A starts and his first appearance in Triple-A that offer plenty of hope for a meaningful major league future, with a 3.72 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over 133.1 innings. He punched out 113 and walked 60, while continuing his trend of keeping the ball in the yard and inducing weak contact. He surrendered only 13 home runs (0.9 per nine innings) and induced infield fly balls on a whopping 31.2 percent of plays, tops among all minor league pitchers who saw time in Triple-A, seventh among those in full-season leagues, and No. 14 overall.

Max Kepler (32), Philadelphia Phillies. Germany.
Kepler’s Phillies are down 2-0 in the best-of-five playoffs vs. the Dodgers at the time of writing. The Berlin lefty swinger has a double and a triple in his two postseason games. He hit .216 with 18 homers in the regular season, though his .300 OBP and .391 slugging percentage meant that he was only about 12 percent below average. He is due to re-enter free agency this winter at 32 years old, having played left field regularly for the first time in his career.

Triple-A (3)
Adam Macko (24), Toronto Blue Jays. Slovakia/Ireland. Buffalo Bisons. BA: 24; FG: 12; MLB: 22.
Minus some rehab appearances after getting injured during spring training, Macko spent the entire season at Triple-A Buffalo. In 64 innings across 18 games there, he struck out 65 and walked 36. Macko finished the season with a 3-8 record at the level, recording a 5.06 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. He pitched another 17 innings in rookie ball while recovering, striking out 26 and walking three. A couple of days ago, Macko was officially added to the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster, signifying that Toronto has the left-hander in its plans. It also means that other clubs cannot select Macko in this winter’s Rule 5 Draft [link to explanation].

Ernesto Martinez Jr. (26), Milwaukee Brewers. France. Nashville Sounds. BA: NR; FG: 19; MLB: NR.
Martinez finished his first full season at Triple-A with a .265 average and .357 OBP in 80 games played. He concluded the season with an active eight-game hit streak. He scored 40 runs, had 40 RBI, knocked six home runs, and stole one base.

Martinez will be a minor league free agent again this winter; last year, he returned to the Brewers after his first opportunity to explore the market. The first baseman provided a post-season showcase at the Baseball Euros in Rotterdam, playing every game for France and hitting .348/.500/.391, with no strikeouts in 30 plate appearances.

Sem Robberse (23), St Louis Cardinals. Netherlands. Memphis Redbirds. BA: 22; FG: 18; MLB: NR.
Robberse had surgery on his throwing elbow in June and finished the season on the injured list. He pitched 14.2 innings before the surgery, striking out 19 and allowing 23 hits and eight walks. This was the third season he played at least part of the year in Triple-A. The Zeist native will likely have a delayed start to his 2026 season as he continues to recover from surgery.

Double-A (3)
Alessandro Ercolani (21), Pittsburgh Pirates. San Marino. Altoona Curve. BA: NR; FG: Hon. Men.; MLB: NR.
Ercolani spent the last week or so of the season and the one week of playoffs on the injured list after pitching a career-high 100.1 innings, spending the entirety of his age-21 season at Double-A. He had a 4.04 ERA and 1.23 WHIP, striking out 68 and walking 39 with a 1-8 record (strongly influenced by the fact that he was limited to 3 or 4 innings per start for much of the season, limiting his opportunities to record wins). As noted in the intro, he was named the team’s Pitcher of the Year in its postseason awards.

Arij Fransen (24), Cincinnati Reds. Netherlands. Chattanooga Lookouts. BA: NR; FG: Hon. Men.; MLB: NR.
Fransen pitched the entirety of the 2025 season in Double-A Chattanooga. In 30 games and 55.1 innings, the Deventer native struck out 49 and walked 41 with a 4-4 record and 6.34 ERA. Fransen signed in the middle of the 2019 season, but due to the pandemic he did not pitch in an official game until 2021. He has steadily progressed through the organization, including one appearance at Triple-A in 2024.

Omar Hernández (23), Kansas City Royals. Spain. NW Arkansas Naturals.
Hernández split the season between High-A and Double-A, receiving a mid-season promotion and hitting slightly better in AA. Combined, the catcher played 75 games, hitting .225/.259/.271 with 12 extra base hits, 10 steals, 54 strikeouts, and nine walks. Hernández appeared in four games for the Spanish national team in the recent European Championship, notching five hits, three RBI, and three runs scored. Playing in the outfield, he compiled a .333/.412/.400 line in 17 plate appearances.

High-A (1)
Kay-Lan Nicasia (23), Milwaukee Brewers. Netherlands. Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Nicasia completed his first season at High-A Wisconsin, playing 78 games this year in total (75 in High-A). The outfielder hit .157/.306/.314 with 11 stolen bases in 13 attempts. Nicasia had 19 extra bases while striking out 105 times and taking 43 walks. The latter has been his calling card across parts of five seasons in the minors, as he has drawn 133 free passes in 256 games.

Single-A (3)
Tyriq Kemp (22), Kansas City Royals. Netherlands. Columbia Fireflies.
The Rotterdam infielder, who spent the last two seasons at Baylor University in Texas, was drafted by the Royals in the sixth round in the midsummer selection of amateurs. Kemp debuted in full-season A-ball, playing 16 games and accumulating 11 hits and 11 walks for a .193/.338/.298 slash. He stole five bases in eight attempts.

Mathias LaCombe (23), Chicago White Sox. France. Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. BA: 28; FG: NR; MLB: 21.
Drafted in the 12^th round in 2023 from Cochise College in Arizona, the Toulouse academy product fought minor injuries and was finally able to pitch in May 2025. After the long delay, LaCombe had a strong debut, pitching in 19 games, 12 at rookie-level Arizona, and his last seven at full-season Kannapolis, with the late-season boost earning him consideration in two sets of team prospect rankings.

The French righty struck out 73 in 53.1 innings with a 3.04 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. He struck out an eye-popping 32.6% of all opponents, a rate bettered by only 55 pitchers across every level of the minor leagues. LaCombe’s mark of 12.32 strikeouts per nine innings in at least 50 innings was topped by only 63 minor league hurlers.

Yannic Walther (21), Milwaukee Brewers. Germany. Carolina Mudcats.Walther finished the season with a round .200 average and .318 OBP in 200 at bats. Appearing in 65 full-season games, the catcher from Heidelberg struck out 69 times and walked an excellent 33 times while tallying 40 hits. He tossed out 17 percent of runners and was charged with only two passed balls, finishing with .990 fielding percentage.

The young catcher was an absolute behemoth for Germany at the Baseball Euros, playing in every game, going yard against the Czech Republic and Spain, collecting three hits versus Israel, and controlling the running game well. Overall, he hit .400/.464/.680, finishing fourth in home runs (tied) and sixth in total bases (17).

Rookie League, U.S. Complex Leagues (7)
Peter Bonilla (20), Los Angeles Dodgers. Spain.  ACL Dodgers.
Bonilla finished the Complex League season strong, allowing only one run in his last five appearances. He walked eight and struck out six in this span, but allowed just three hits. He pitched 22 innings this season, compiling an 0-2 record and 4.50 ERA while striking out 27 and walking 21.  

Tim Fischer (20), Los Angeles Dodgers. Germany. ACL Dodgers.Fischer concluded his third season as a Dodger and first in the U.S. He pitched in 15 games (two since our last update – allowing four runs and five walks in 2 innings) and 18 innings, with an 0-2 record, one hold, and a 6.00 ERA. He walked 22 and struck out 14.

Brandon Herbold (22), Kansas City Royals. Netherlands. ACL Royals.
Herbold concluded his third pro season with a 1-0 record and 2.63 ERA in 13.2 innings. He allowed nine hits and 10 walks while striking out a whopping 21 batters. The lefty enters the offseason and 2026 spring training with the hope that performance earns him a chance in full-season baseball. He has now pitched 75.1 pro innings, striking out 79, with a 1.42 WHIP and 3-3 record.

Dominic Scheffler (21), Cincinnati Reds. Switzerland. ACL Reds.Scheffler had only two more appearances since our last update before the ACL season finished. In those games, he pitched an additional 2.2 innings, walking one and striking out two while allowing eight hits. A tough performance in his final two-thirds of an inning raised his season ACL ERA from 4.91 to 6.15, demonstrating how fickle even full-season stats are in such limited periods. After not appearing since July 23, the tall (6-4, 196 lb.) southpaw suited up for Switzerland in the European Baseball Championship, appearing once for 1/3 of an inning, walking three and giving up two hits.

Giacomo Taschin (18), Toronto Blue Jays. Italy. FCL Blue Jays.
Taschin signed with Toronto and reported to camp in Florida. He will wait until 2026 to make his official debut.

Gijs van den Brink (20), Kansas City Royals. Netherlands. ACL Royals.
Van den Brink made one appearance of two scoreless innings on May 6. He was later placed on the 60-day injured list. This was his second season in the minors, after pitching 22.1 innings in 10 games in Arizona in 2024.

Williams Wong (19), Texas Rangers. Italy. ACL Rangers.
Wong played the entire season in the Arizona Complex League (which wrapped up in late July), and he played with Italy at the Under-23 European Championship in Třebíč, Czech Republic. Wong finished his third pro season with a .214/.314/.291 slash line, playing 33 games. He had four extra base hits and two stolen bases, walking 15 times and striking out in 33 trips to the plate.  

Rookie League, Dominican Complex Leagues (5)
Paul Hoff (18), Milwaukee Brewers. Germany. DSL Brewers Gold.
The northern German native spent the season on the injured list and did not pitch in 2025. He debuted last season with a 3.64 ERA in 29.2 innings.

Matteo Marelli (19), New York Mets. Italy. DSL Mets Blue.
Marelli pitched 13.2 innings across six games in his debut season. He walked 19 and hit six more, while allowing 16 hits and striking out 12 en route to a 9.22 ERA.

Jordan Ouanyou (17), Cincinnati Reds. France. DSL Rojos.
The slugging first baseman completed his first pro season as a 17-year-old with 15 games played and a .196/.231/.239 slash line, striking out 17 times with three walks while hitting a pair of doubles.   

Keegan Pieternella (17), Toronto Blue Jays. Netherlands. DSL Blue Jays Red.
Pieternella walked more than he struck out in the first 35 games of his career. He tallied 18 hits, 21 walks, and 18 strikeouts for a .200/.363/.222 slash line. He played catcher, second, third, DH, and all three outfield positions.

Filippo Sabatini (18), Philadelphia Phillies. Italy. DSL Phillies White.
Sabatini reportedly underwent elbow surgery; his debut will be delayed until at least 2026.

Previous Articles in This Year’s Series:
May [link].
June [link].
July [link].
August [link].

Additional statistical content by Gabriel Fidler, using advanced statistics from Fangraphs [link].

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — The Oranje returned to a recipe that has worked so well over the last week, using a combination of loud line drives and dominant relief pitching to survive a very strong Italian squad and claim the 2025 European Baseball Championship title with a 6-5 victory before a sellout crowd. Earlier in the day, the Czech Republic earned its first-ever medal at the Baseball Euros and Israel and Germany finished their tournaments with victories.

Seemingly almost every ball hit off the bats of the Netherlands all tournament has been barrelled, and the title bout was no exception. In the bottom of the first, the hosts played two after Didi Gregorius led off the game with a loud double, scoring on a Hendrick Clementina single. After the catcher stole second, a line drive from Juremi Profar put the home side up by two.

On the first pitch of the next inning, Giaconino Lasaracina added a final exclamation point to his emergence as one of Europe’s top power threats, launching a bomb to left field that broke a light bulb in the electronic scoreboard. Two innings later, Italy tied up the game on base knocks by Alberto Mineo, Jhorjan Guevara, and Gabriele Angioi.

Scharlon Schoop would ensure that the Dutch would not concede momentum to their opponents in the bottom of the same inning, leading off the fourth with a full-count four-bagger that crested over the scoreboard in left field. After Juremi Profar and and Eugene Helder smacked one-base knocks, Jiandido Tromp mashed a double to the wall in left and the Netherlands held a 5-3 advantage.

After an unearned run for the Kingdom in the fifth, Mineo led off with a single in the top of the sixth, with Guevára following with a double into the right field corner. Both touched home after Lorenzo Morresi poked a ball through the left side. Angioi and Nathanael Batista kept the hits coming, with the latter plating Morresi for the third run of the inning. However, Wendell Florianus got the next two hitters out, and the Dutch retained a 6-5 advantage.

In the seventh, Italy loaded the bases with no out on a Lasaracina single and a pair of walks, but manager Evert-Jan ‘t Hoen went to the bed for the third time, and Eric Mendez induced a strikeout and two flyouts and the hosts were out of the jam.

From this point on, the two teams’ relievers took over, with Mattia Sireus and Gabriele Quattrini getting the last seven outs, with two on Ks, each allowing one hit. However, it was Jaydenn Estanista who truly slammed the door, punching out five Italians in the last two frames and permitting only a single baserunner.

With a crowd of 3,000 looking on and cheering actively throughout the game, the Netherlands poured onto the field to celebrate its 25th European title, including 18 in 27 attempts against the Azurri. Reliever Kevin Kelly, who tossed 8.1 scoreless innings of relief for the Dutch in the semifinal, adding 16 strikeouts, was named Best Pitcher, while Didi Gregorius was named MVP. Italians Renzo Martini and Lasaracina earned Best Hitter and Home Run Leader awards.

At the same post-game ceremony, the Czech Republic was presented with its first-ever trophy, having come only as close as fourth in 2014, in a tournament in which there was no third-place game. It has otherwise topped out at fifth in the remaining five of the past six championships.

Earlier in the day, Israel and Croatia battled to a 3-3 tie through the first five innings before the former pulled away, eventually taking seventh place with an 11-5 victory. Meanwhile, 20-year-old Philipp Kleehaupt entered with the bases loaded and no outs in the fourth inning of Germany’s game against GB and completely shut down the Lions. He fired four scoreless frames, with four strikeouts, while young Cesar Aquino earned the save with two shutout, hitless innings. Darrion Richards, all of 20 years old, hit a booming triple in the win. Matteo Sollecito and Zachary Cameron each tossed two blanks for the Brits.

or more about the European Baseball Championship and our coverage of the tournament, see the following articles:
Overview [link].
Day 1 [link].
Day 2 [link].
Day 3 [link].
Day 6 [link].
Day 7 [link].

For box scores and the full schedule, see the WBSC tournament page [link].

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Italy took an early lead against Czech Republic and held off multiple rallies by the latter to advance to the title game of the 2025 European Baseball Championship in the afternoon, while the Netherlands thrilled a home crowd with multiple home runs in a defeat of Spain in the nightcap. Elsewhere, Austria and Switzerland clinched their best-ever finishes in a Baseball Euros, and Germany and Great Britain set up a compelling match-up for fifth place.

The day started with Switzerland dismantling France 11-3 in the eleventh-place game. It marked a one-place improvement over its previous best performance, set last year in its debut. Meanwhile, France finished a tough tournament with its second-worst result.

Sweden then took a 1-0 lead over Austria in the fourth, tying the ballgame at two in the seventh after the Central European nation scored scored a pair in the sixth. However, Moritz Scheicher launched a rocket that resulted in a three-run homer and Austria took the ninth-place contest, 6-2. It is the best-ever finish for Austria, which has now appeared in the last four European Baseball Championships. Sweden revealed a series of impressive young pitchers and finishes tenth, its third-best finish in the last six tourneys.

Germany and Israel had a rollercoaster game in which the winner moved to the fifth-place bout. At one bout, Israel had a 6-2 lead, but Germany fought back to take the lead in the bottom of the seventh, 9-8. Israel drew even in the top of the ninth before the Deutschlanders used a little small ball to walk off.

A 1-1 game between Italy and Czech Republic gave hope to the Central European nation, playing in its first-ever European Championship semi-final, with a Martin Červenka dinger evening the score. However, the Italians pulled away in the middle innings and then held off Czech rallies in the bottom of the seven and ninth to win 8-5 and advance to the Baseball Euros’ championship game. Giaconino Lasaracina hit another four-bagger in the game, his tournament-leading fifth, to aid the Azurri.

Great Britain joined Germany in the fifth-place contest with a narrow victory over upstarts Croatia, 3-2. Kruno Gojković hit a big fly for Hrvatska, but British pitchers fanned 13 in the win.

Finally, in the nightcap, Spain scored a run in the first and the Dutch lost starter Tom de Blok to an injury, but Kevin Kelly came out of the pen for a jaw-dropping 16 strikeouts in 8.1 innings and Jonathan Schoop, Ray-Patrick Didder, and Jiandido Tromp went yard in a 6-1 victory, setting up a rematch of the last time the Euros were played in Rotterdam, with Italy claiming its last victory at the European Baseball Championship in that 2012 game. The only more recent matchup was a 2019 victory for the Oranje. It will be the 27th time the two nations have contested the continental crown, with the Netherlands holding an 17-9 advantage.

For more about the European Baseball Championship and our coverage of the tournament, see the following articles:
Overview [link].
Day 1 [link].
Day 2 [link].
Day 3 [link].
Day 6 [link].

For box scores and the full schedule, see the WBSC tournament page [link].

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands – Only a quartet of countries remain in the hunt for the 2025 European Baseball Championshi, with the Czech Republic the first to win its quarterfinal game this morning over an Israel side that mounted a ninth-inning comeback. A second consecutive thriller saw Italy advance in a 1-0 nail-biter over Germany, while Spain dispatched Great Britain, 7-0. In the nightcap, Croatia took a 1-0 lead and pushed the Netherlands to the limit in a 3-1 victory.

Elsewhere, a surprise Austria win over France and an impressive 1-0 shutout by Sweden over Switzerland means that Austria and Sweden will content ninth place and Les Bleus and the Swiss will wrangle for eleventh.

Our own Gabriel Fidler has been on the call at www.baseballeurope.tv for two games a day, which will continue tomorrow in the contests that are italicized. Send him any questions you would like answered to @ExtraInningsUK or comment on this article at Facebook @MisterBaseball.Europe. Here is the schedule for tomorrow, 26 Sept. (all times are CET):
Eleventh (10:00): France – Switzerland
Ninth (11:00): Sweden – France
Fifth-to-Eighth (14:00): Israel – Germany
Semifinals (15:00): Italy – Czech Republic
Fifth-to-Eighth (18:00): Great Britain – Croatia
Semifinals (19:30): Spain – Netherlands

For more about the European Baseball Championship and our coverage of the tournament, see the following articles:
Overview [link].
Day 1 [link].
Day 2 [link].

For box scores and the full schedule, see the WBSC tournament page [link].

Rotterdam, NETHERLANDS – The host team remained perfect at the European Baseball Championship, the only team in Pools A and B to collect three straight wins. Great Britain joined the Netherlands as the second team from the second pool in Rotterdam to earn a bye in the playoffs, while Germany and Czech Republic took the other two automatic spots in the quarterfinals after a three-way tie left Spain finishing third in Group A thanks to run differential. Moving up from Pool C is Italy and Switzerland, the latter making its debut in the playoffs of the top rung of the Baseball Euros, while Croatia and Austria will join them in Rotterdam.

Pool A
Germany 2 – Spain 4
Sweden 0 – Czech Republic 10 (8)

Pool B
Israel 1 – Netherlands 9
France 4 – Great Britain 9

Pool C
Lithuania 5 – Switzerland 13 (7)
Greece 4 – Italy 9 (7)

Pool D
Austria 26 – Hungary 2 (5)
Belgium 3 – Croatia 6 (10)

Day 4 Schedule
Tomorrow is an off day for all but four teams, with Lithuania taking on Greece in Novara in a Pool C placement game, while Hungary will tangle with Belgium in Antwerp in the D Group equivalent.

For more about the European Baseball Championship and our coverage of the tournament, see the following articles:
Overview [link].
Day 1 [link].
Day 2 [link].

For box scores and the full schedule, see the WBSC tournament page [link].

Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Croatia earned their second victories of the European Baseball Championship and are now the only undefeated teams remaining in the tournament. With the victories, the Deutschlanders and the Dutch are in the driving seat for byes into the quarterfinals, while the other pair are now likely to have secured places in the playoffs. Notching a “1” in the win column were Czech Republic, Great Britain, Switzerland, and Belgium.

Pool A
Czech Republic 1 – Germany 8
Sweden 0 – Spain 15 (5)

Pool B
Great Britain 16 – Israel 1
France Netherlands 9 – 3

Pool A
Germany 4 – Sweden 3
Spain 1 – Czech Republic 9

Pool B
Great Britain 16 – Israel 1
Netherlands 13 – France 4

Pool C
Greece 8 – Switzerland 12
Italy 16 – Lithuania 0

Pool D
Croatia 4 – Austria 2
Hungary 9 – Belgium 19 (7)

For more about the European Baseball Championship and our coverage of the tournament, see the following articles:
Overview [link].
Day 1 [link].

For box scores and the full schedule, see the WBSC tournament page [link].

On a day where rain caused delays in Rotterdam, all four pools of the European Baseball Championship managed to complete a full schedule, with Germany and Spain winning by large margins in Pool A, and the Netherlands and Israel winning back-and-forth games in the other top pool. Meanwhile, Italy and Greece moved to the pole position in the third grouping, and Croatia and Austria earned wins in Pool D. The nightcap from Rotterdam saw a sellout crowd of around 3,000 enjoy a rollercoaster game between the Netherlands and Great Britain that saw the hosts pull away in a crucial victory.

Pool A
Czech Republic 1 – Germany 8
Sweden 0 – Spain 15 (5)

Pool B
France 4 – Israel 8
Netherlands 9 – Great Britain 3

Pool C
Lithuania 3 – Greece 4
Italy 18 – Switzerland 0 (5)

Pool D
Hungary 1 – Croatia 11 (7)
Austria 16 – Belgium 8

For more about the European Baseball Championship and our coverage of the tournament, see our overview [link]. For box scores and the full schedule, see the WBSC tournament page [link].

With our news breaking yesterday that our Managing Editor, Gabriel Fidler, will return to the broadcast booth for the 2025 European Baseball Championship, we will be able to offer you a variety of coverage from the Baseball Euros. Assuming you are not attending in person—and, if you are, show us your pictures on Facebook—we will be offering you daily updates on the website, but in addition to the broadcasts, you can find Gabriel’s live updates from behind-the-scenes on Twitter @ExtraInningsUK.

For an overview of the European Baseball Championship, check out our overview [link], which also includes information about streaming. The schedule and results can be found at the WBSC website [link], which have been updated to reflect the current rain delay in Rotterdam.

Mister-Baseball.com will be live from the European Baseball Chamionship! We are pleased to announce that our Managing Editor, Gabriel Fidler, has once again been named to the broadcast team for the Baseball Euros, reprising his role as play-by-play and color commentator from the 2023 European Baseball Championship.

Fidler will be based in Rotterdam, broadcasting Pool A and B games in the opening round, and will remain in the Dutch port city for the playoff round. He will be behind the mic for all Great Britain baseball games, along with games featuring Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

The European Championship begins with a group stage, spread over four pools, playing from Saturday through Monday, before a travel day on Tuesday. In a new format, the top two teams from Pools A and B qualify for the quarterfinals, while the third and fourth teams from Pools A and B play the top two teams from Pool C and D on Sept. 24. The remainder of the playoffs then occurs from Thursday through Saturday. The full schedule can be found here [link].

The pools were determined by the final standings from the 2023 European Baseball Championship, with the top eight teams earning a spot in Pools A and B and, thus, earning a slightly easier path to the quarterfinals. The full list of teams is as follows:
Pool A (Rotterdam, Netherlands): Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Sweden.
Pool B (Rotterdam, Netherlands): France, Great Britain, Israel, Netherlands.
Pool C (Novara, Italy): Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Switzerland.
Pool D (Antwerp, Belgium): Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Hungary.

Games will be broadcast by BaseballEurope.tv [link], with game and tournament passes available.

Fidler has a long career as a baseball broadcaster and journalist, earning a degree in telecommunications from Lee University (U.S.), where he was the colour commentator for four seasons for the Flames, which qualified multiple times for the NAIA World Series and produced numerous MLB Draft Picks and professional signings. Lee is now a member of one of the top NCAA Division I conferences, the Gulf South. Since then, Fidler has served as streaming coordinator for Massachusetts Maritime Academy; Media Coordinator for the 2018 NCAA Division III New England Regional, hosted by the Cape Cod League; Color Commentator for the MLB London Cup at the 2019 London Series; official voice of the 2023 Herts Falcons; and commentator for the 2024 British Baseball Federation (BBF) Summer Cup final, along with various regular season BBF games. In addition to founding ExtraInnings.co.uk, which covers international baseball, primarily of national teams and professional leagues and prospects, he has written for Mister-Baseball.com since 2009, and was named Managing Editor in 2020.

The full broadcasting schedule for Fidler for pool play is as follows:
Sept. 20, p.m.: TBD.
Sept. 20, 19:30: Netherlands – Great Britain
Sept. 21, 13:00: Great Britain – Israel
Sept. 21, 19:30: Germany – Sweden
Sept. 22, 13:00: France – Great Britain
Sept. 22, 18:00.: Sweden – Czech Republic

With the 2025 European Baseball Championship set to begin in Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Novara on Saturday, ten of the sixteen countries are scheduled to play at least one exhibition game in preparation for the Baseball Euros. At least some of the games were also streamed, with videos still available. These are linked where known, as are box scores from the Italian Baseball Week, which was contested by Czech Republic, Italy, and Baseball Jobs Overseas’ Globetrotters.

Results (Innings, if known)
12/9 (Codogno, Italy): Italy 3 – Baseball Jobs Overseas 3 (9) [Video][Box]
12/9 (Codogno, Italy): Baseball Jobs Overseas 2 – Czech Republic 8 (7) [Video][Box]
13/9 (Codogno, Italy): Czech Republic 2 – Italy 15 (7) [Video][Box]
14/9 (Codogno, Italy): Italy 8 – Czech Republic 9 (9) [Video][Box]
14/9 (Regensburg, Germany): Austria 18 – Switzerland 2
14/9 (Regensburg, Germany): Austria 4 – Switzerland 9
15/9 (Antwerp, Belgium): France 5 – Belgium 3 (6) [Video]
16/9 (Antwerp, Belgium): France 1 – Belgium 4 (5) [Video]
16/9 (Rotterdam, Netherlands): Spain W – Netherlands [Video]
16/9 (Hamburg, Germany): Sweden – Germany (Rain, postponed to 17/9)
17/9 (Merchtem, Belgium): France 1 – Belgium 5 (7) [Video]
17/9 (Hamburg, Germany): Sweden 2 – Germany 9 [Video]
17/9 (Hamburg, Germany): Sweden 2 – Germany 1 (9) [Score unconfirmed.]
17/9 (Paderborn, Germany): Austria – Paderborn Untouchables
18/9 (Hamburg, Germany): Sweden – Germany [Cancelled, rain]
18/9 (Paderborn, Germany): Austria – Paderborn Untouchables

Other Teams
The following teams do not have any friendlies scheduled, as far as we can ascertain: Croatia, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Israel, and Lithuania. Great Britain is training at the Hoofdorp Pioniers Stadium in central Netherlands.

By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor.

By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor.

Coleman Borthwick pitched the U.S.A. to the gold medal, with the Red, White, and Blue tying an all-time record in the process and triumphing over undefeated Japan in the process. Earlier in the day, Taiwan squeezed past South Korea for the bronze medal. With the European and African teams already finished, we look at each team’s performance, noting a few standout individuals.

Gold Medal Game
World No. 3 U.S.A. defeated No. 1 Japan, 2-0, in the World Championship Final and claimed the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2025 in front of a full house — 16,693 fans — at Cellular Stadium in Okinawa, Japan. Coleman Borthwick went the distance against the previously undefeated Samurai, allowing only three hits. Brody Schumacher scored the first run on Jaden Jackson’s swinging bunt to first base in the fourth, while the U.S.A. did not need a hit to score the second one inning later.

Borthwick was named the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup MVP after the two-way player’s second scoreless start in the world championship, having already tossed three perfect innings against Australia earlier in the tournament. In total, he struck out 12 in 10 scoreless innings, permitting just three hits and one base on balls. He started all nine games, including five games at 1B, and hit .300/.417/.333.

The United States has now won the trophy 11 times and ties Cuba as the two most successful countries in the age group tournament. It is USA’s 28th medal in 32 editions of the U-18 Baseball World Cup and the fourth time the Stars and Stripes has defeated Japan in the World Cup Final, following the 1982, 2013, and 2015 editions. Japan earned its fifth silver, fourth-most among all countries, and its eighth overall medal.

Bronze Medal Game
In the first game of the day, South Korea scored first, plating a single run in the second, but Taiwan came from behind to beat its archrivals in a thriller, claiming the bronze medal in the process.

Taiwan took its first lead in the fifth, but the Koreans equalized one frame later, setting up a final inning with the two teams deadlocked, 2-2. Ting-Yi Jang scored Sheng-En Zeng from second with a two-out single in the top of the seventh for the winning run, while reliever Lan-Ho Sung got the third out of the sixth and pitched a perfect top of the seventh for the win.

It was the eighth bronze medal for Taiwan, which has participated in 31 out of the 32 editions, and fourth successive time the Taiwanese have stepped onto the podium in the last four editions of the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup. For five-time champions South Korea, it was the fifth time in the past six editions that the Koreans have contested the bronze medal game, having finished third in 2015, 2019, and 2023. It is the fourth time they have finished fourth in 23 tries.

Italy
Santiago Arismendi led a pitching staff that kept Italy close in every game thanks to a 3.90 ERA. Even in a one-win opening round, Italy never gave up double digit runs, a feat not accomplished until Australia managed it on the final day of the U18 World Cup. Arismendi allowed only one run over 8.1 innings for a 1.08 ERA, with other teams hitting just .179/.303/.179 off him. Federico Magalotti had a 3.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, with batters hitting only .100/.269/.100 against him. Filippo Brunelli was also solid, with a 4.82 ERA over three games and 9.1 innings, striking out 10.

We noted at various points the patience of Pablo Suárez and, in the end, the Italian infielder finished in a tie for third in walks with eight, only two behind the leader. Suárez finished with a .414 on-base percentage, second among Italians to Aldo Pavarani at .417. Federico de Cristan made the most of his six walks and a plunking to finish with a .381 OBP despite only one hit, and led the team with three stolen bases. Daniele di Persia was the team’s leading hitter in average (.273), slugging percentage (.318, tied with Alessandro Garaviglia), and OPS (.678).

Germany
Jona Widmann was one of the most discussed pitchers of the tournament and one of Germany’s two left-handed aces. Widmann was nigh unhittable, finishing behind only the United States’ Carson Bolemon in batting average against at .069. His 14 Ks were fourth, and he had a 2.00 ERA and 0.78 WHIP. Apfelbaum was one of two pitchers to start three games, permitting only a .190 opponents’ batting average and striking out seven in six innings. Fabian Spiess walked six in 7.2 innings, but allowed only three hits (.136 average) and struck out seven.

Widmann and Apfelbaum were bolstered by Felix Ströll, who was a workhorse behind the plate. Ströll caught four runners stealing, best among all catchers at the Under-18 World Cup, and collected 42 putouts, good for seventh overall. Spiess worked a nasty pickoff move to nab three runners himself.

Alessandro Carrasquilla was a dynamo at the top of Germany’s order, and collected nine hits, tied with World Cup MVP Borthwick and others for third-most in the tournament. Two of those hits were triples, putting Carrasquilla in a three-way tie for first among all hitters. Overall, he hit .346/.452/.538. Jakob Huber was also above the .300 mark, finishing at .316/.350/.421. Robin Spies was one of four hitters with a home run in Okinawa’s spacious NPB spring training stadia. Emilio Götz swiped four bases, tied for fourth in the tournament.

South Africa
Joshua Botha was a true bright spot and a consistent presence in the South African lineup and finished tied for seventh at the Under-18 World Cup in average (.400) and tied for fifth in OBP (.526). A double put his slugging percentage at .467 and OPS at .993. Botha also led the team with three stolen bases. Jaden du Preez had only seven at bats, but collected three hits as a two-way player. Stiaan Henning hit .364 in 11 at bats and, like Botha, struck out only once. Junaid Bedford came on strong in the Placement Round to finish with a .286/.333/.357 line, while Aydee Osman was an on-base machine, drawing four walks and two plunkings to finish with a .500 on-base percentage, second only to Botha.

On the pitching front, Henning tossed 11 innings in total, good for a tie for fifth place at the Baseball World Cup. He earned South Africa’s only win and led the team in strikeouts (10) and was one of two pitchers with more whiffs than walks (5). Caelum Stroberg was the team’s best reliever, appearing in four games and hurling 4.2 frames with only two earned runs and two walks.

Final Standings
1. U.S.A.: 8-1
2. Japan: 8-1
3. Taiwan: 6-3
4. South Korea: 6-3
5. Puerto Rico: 4-4
6. Panamá: 2-6
7. Cuba: 5-3
8. Australia: 4-4
9. Italy: 3-5
10. Germany: 2-6
11. China: 1-7
12. South Africa: 1-7

Box Scores are available here [link]. See our other Under-18 Baseball World Cup coverage:
Preview [link].
Day 1 Results [link].
Day 2 Results [link].
Day 3 Results [link].
Day 4 Results [link].
Day 5 Results [link].
Day 6 Results [link].
Day 7 Results [link].
Day 8 Results [link].
Day 9 Results [link].

By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor.

South Africa finished the Under-18 Baseball World Cup with a surprise victory over Germany on its last day, while Italy started strong against Australia before eventually falling short. The games wrapped up the Placement Round, leaving only a pair of medal games tomorrow in Okinawa before the U18 World Cup comes to an end.

South Africa – Germany
Junaid Bedford helped South Africa put a ‘1’ on the scoreboard in the second, leading off with a double. Two batters later, Aydee Osman was hit by a pitch, and both runners took two bases on an error that allowed Imaad Hassiem to reach. A walk would load the bases with only one out, but Germany’s Tom Apfelbaum would wiggle out of the jam by surrendering only one more run, on a sacrifice fly by Liam van der Westhuizen.

With South Africa now up 2-0, Benito Bull beat out a slow roller down the third base line in the bottom of the inning, moving to second on a two-out plunking of Jules Moser. Lukas Köttig then singled up the middle, scoring Bull, with Moser following him on a throwing error. Alessandro Carrasquilla then made the miscue sting with a booming triple to right center, scoring two more.

From here, the game settled into a rhythm, Germany holding its 3-2 lead through three complete innings. For the Deutschlanders, Fabian Spiess was magic out of the bullpen, striking out three in three shutout frames, with only a single off him.

In the sixth, with Spiess now recovering in the dugout, South Africa found new life. Joshua Botha walked to start things off, moving all the way to third on a Bedford knock to alley in left. Pinch hitter Jaden du Preez, who started yesterday’s game, then poked a safety down the left field line, scoring Botha, though Bedford was snared after considering taking third. Two batters later, Hassiem singled through the left side, putting two runners on again, and du Preez would then score on a Luca Orgill double. The liner down the left field line was retrieved too quickly for a second run to score, but after another pitching change, van der Westhuizen plunked a single into center, and Hassiem and Orgill both crossed home. By the time the damage was done, South Africa had scored four runs, its biggest inning of the Under-18 World Cup.

South Africa’s starter Stiaan Henning took the 6-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth, where he was greeted by a base knock from Finn Niemeyer, who moved to second on a wild pitch. Benito Bull the singled to put runners on the corners, and Jules Moser punched a ball through the right side to score Niemeyer. Henning then induced a long flyout for the second out, finishing the inning with a K.

Samuel Redle needed only 10 pitches to get out of the top of the seventh, giving Germany one last chance. Reliever Connor Stander got a quick out, then allowed a walk to on-base machine Kyran Norgren and a single to Felix Ströll. After a K, Bull took a base on balls to load the bases and Caelum Stroberg, one of South Africa’s most reliable pitchers, took the mound, finishing the win with a four-pitch strikeout to deliver the 6-4 victory.

Bedford finished the tournament strong, notching three hits for the victors, who totalled seven base knocks. Meanwhile, Germany had 10 safeties, with two a piece for Carrasquilla, Niemeyer, Bull, and Moser. Each side walked just two and committed only one error. Henning earned the hard-fought victory, allowing four runs on nine hits and no walks, whiffing six. Stroberg earned the save.

Italy – Australia
Filippo Brunelli gave Italy just what it needed to start the game, going 1-2-3 in the first and showing the ability to work around baserunners in the second. As he has done so many times in the tournament, the Azzurri’s table-setter, Aldo Pavarani, got the offense going in the third, taking a walk with one out, and taking second despite being picked off, as his speed forced a quick throw that led to an error.

After a wild pitch, Pavarani came round to score the game’s first run when Pablo Suárez bounced a ball to third that led to another miscue and two bases for the hitter. Patrick Silva then struck a ball up the middle to score Suárez and knock out Australia’s ace, Mitch Evans, already under contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. After a pitching change and now with two outs, Alessandro Garaviglia smashed a ball to deep right field, legging out a triple and collecting an RBI.

Brunelli was untouchable in the third, needing only eight pitches to dispatch Australia, but after a scoreless top of the fourth, Australia finally solved the southpaw, who exited after a single and a walk. It took two more pitchers to get out of the frame, by which time Australia had suddenly broken the game wide open with eight runs.

Although Italy attempted to quickly answer, with Silva bashing a long double and Enrico Bicchiarelli following with a one-base hit, Australia held the Italians scoreless and piled on another three markers in the fifth.

The final was 12-3 to Australia, with Ethan Bickel (2.2 IP, 3K) and Patrick Crotty (2 IP, 5K) earning, respectively, the win and the save, and ensuring Italy could not mount another rally. Five Italian pitchers mounted the hill, with none of the relievers managing more than four outs.

Silva had two of Italy’s six hits, while Bicchiarelli and Daniele di Persia both reached with a single and a base on balls in the game.

Placement Round
Today’s results cemented the final standings for the bottom six at the U18 Baseball World Cup. Cuba, which was only truly tested by Germany in the second half of the tournament, finishes seventh, followed by Australia, which won the tiebreaker with Italy, who followed. Germany settled for the No. 10 spot despite inspired play throughout, while China, which on the final day was defeated by Cuba, 10-0, and South Africa took the final two places.

Other Games
The four places in the medal round were set a day previously, but the top four nations kept feet to the pedals in their final Super Round games. The U.S. dispatched Puerto Rico, 7-0, while Japan scored seven runs in the bottom of the second on its way to an easy win against Taiwan. South Korea was even quicker, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first against Panamá, securing the right to be the home team in the bronze medal game.

Day 8 Schedule
Only two games remain, with Taiwan testing South Korea for the bronze and the U.S.A. braving undefeated and No. 1-ranked Japan for the gold medal.

Placement Group Standings
Japan: 5-0
U.S.A.: 4-1
South Korea: 3-2
Taiwan: 2-3
Puerto Rico: 1-4
Panamá: 0-5

Group B Standings
Cuba: 5-0
Australia: 3-2
Italy: 3-2
Germany: 2-3
China: 1-4
South Africa: 1-4

Box Scores are available here [link]. See our other Under-18 Baseball World Cup coverage:
Preview [link].
Day 1 Results [link].
Day 2 Results [link].
Day 3 Results [link].
Day 4 Results [link].
Day 5 Results [link].
Day 6 Results [link].
Day 7 Results [link].
Day 8 Results [link].

By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor.

Italy continued its hot streak with a well-played victory over China, while Germany gave Cuba all it could manage. Elsewhere, South Africa got off to a good start against Australia, but fell short in the Southern Hemisphere duel.

China – Italy
Daniele di Persia helped Italy get off to a great start in a matchup against Asia’s fourth-ranked nation, but China showed resilience and made things interesting in a well-pitched game for Italy.

In the bottom of the first, Aldo Pavarani singled to lead off Italy’s half of the inning. Enrico Bicchiarelli and Alessandro Garaviglia walked with two out to load the bases before di Persia stepped up and drilled a two-base hit to right center that emptied the bases.

Italy retained a 3-0 lead into the fourth, when the first batter, Xin Zhao, broke up Mattia Muscio’s no-hitter with a triple to left center. The fleet-footed catcher scored on a single by Zijian Zheng, but Muscio got out of the inning with a K, one of nine he recorded on the day.

The Azzurri answered immediately, with Corrado Resca beaned to start things off, moving to second on a nifty bunt down the third base line by Francesco Carlini, who beat the throw to put two on. Both runners swiped bags to advance, before scoring on a single from Pavarani, who advanced to second on the throw home. Pablo Suárez then dropped a base knock to right center to plate Pavarani, and Italy had a 6-1 lead.

Muscio remained in the game into the sixth, when three of China’s hitters singled consecutively, with a nice throw from Federico de Cristan nailing one at second to slow down the rally. After a walk, Ivan Larice entered and, after allowing a two-run single and a hit by pitch, settled down to get the third out.

Neither side would score in its last half inning, preserving a 6-3 win for Italy, its third on the bounce at the U18 World Cup. Muscio earned the win, allowing three runs on six hits and only two walks in 5.2 innings. Larice gained credit for the save, striking out one in 1.1 frames.

Pavarani had two of Italy’s five hits, also drawing a walk and a hit by pitch in a perfect day at the plate. Suárez collected a hit and a walk, stealing a bag as well. De Cristan made the most of his walk and plunking, stealing three bases. Neither side committed an error, a rarity in the tournament.

As a point of trivia, China may have set a record in the game, as it used seven different players in the five spot in its lineup, subbing out its original third baseman, who later moved to right field, with three pitchers cycling through his spot, as well as a pinch hitter, a pinch runner, and to finish things, a new right fielder.

Germany – Cuba
Germany scored early against Marlon García, making the most of an error that allowed Jakob Huber to reach with one out. A grounder moved him to second and Emilio Götz took advantage, driving a base knock to right field for the RBI. A stolen base by Götz and another error put runners on the corners, but García worked out of the jam with only one run surrendered.

The Black, Red, and Gold took the lead into the bottom of the fourth, when Cuba finally solved starter Matthias Bullmann. To that point, the big right-hander (193 cm/6-foot-4) had allowed only a walk, with his single strikeout on a swing-and-a-miss from Frederich Cepeda Jr., son of the all-time international legend for the Cuban national team. Bullmann fell quickly into trouble in the fourth, however, with a hit batter leading to three runs. Javier Zambrano hit a two-run safety, and Yordan Artiles followed with an RBI-double.

A single from Kyran Norgren and a great managerial decision by Georg Bull set up Germany for immediate revenge in the top of the fifth. After Norgren reached, Jann-Mika Schierhorn entered as a pinch hitter and, on the first pitch, lined a ball deep into right center, speeding around the bases for a run-scoring triple. The next batter, Germany’s sparkplug at the top of the order, Alessandro Carrasquilla, then dropped a ball safely down the right field line to drive in Schierhorn. Leandro Forteza, the new pitcher, would then get the next two outs, but the game was now even.

Reliever Jules Moser entered after Bull’s call to the bullpen, and struck out the first batter, but a triple from Leandro Pérez spelled trouble. After a walk, a ground ball scored Pérez, though Moser limited the rally to a single run after catching Jonathan Moreno attempting to steal, ending the inning with a neat 1-3-6 putout.

Götz started the sixth by beating out a bouncer to second, moving all the way to third when the next hitter, Finn Niemeyer, beat out a bunt to the right side, with an error allowing each the extra base. Following a fly out, and with two runners in scoring position and Germany’s plucky offense still with two outs to go in the frame, Edurman Cruz relieved Forteza. It was just what the doctor ordered for Cuba. Cruz induced a groundball to third that Götz broke for home on, and a nice throw from Daniel Santos nailed the leadoff runner. As the next batter dug in, two pickoff attempts by Cruz eventually yielded the intended result, as catcher Jochey Jiménez caught Samuel Redle stealing to end the frame.

Moser gave up two hits in the bottom of the seventh, but a bullet from Schierhorn nabbed one of the runners attempting to steal, and Moser struck out the final two batters on swinging strikes. Down to its final three outs, Norgren gave Deutschland some hope, drawing a free pass to start. Once again, Abeicy Pantoja called on his ‘pen, and once more, the moved worked, as reliever Edenis Cruz, twin brother of the pitcher he replaced, worked out of the jam, though a single from Huber and a beaning of Noah Lorenz did load the bases. A lofty flyball ended things, however, and Cuba escaped with a 4-3 victory, its closest escape of the Placement Round.

Germany out-hit and out-fielded the Antilleans, arguably out-pitching them as well. Bullmann went four innings, striking out two and surrendering three runs on only three hits and a walk. Moser was very unlucky to receive the loss, whiffing three in two innings. Götz had two hits, as did Norgren, who reached base in every plate appearance. The Deutschlanders did not commit an error in the tough defeat.

South Africa – Australia
In a contest between the only two teams at the U18 World Cup from south of the equator, it was South Africa that struck first. Tristan Fradd led off with a 3-2 single down the right field line, sprinting to third two batters later on a Joshua Botha knock to almost the same location. Botha then broke for second, successfully stealing the bag, and inducing a wild throw that allowed Fradd to score and Botha to head to third. Stiaan Henning then lined a ball up the middle to plate Botha. A hit batter and a balk gave South Africa a chance to add more, but back-to-back Ks by Deakin Filko got Australia out of the jam.

Jaden du Preez had some help from his infield in the bottom of the initial frame, finishing a scoreless first with a K, but South Africa had its hot start halted, as Australia’s manager Jason Pospishil opted for a quick hook on Filko. Ashton Kennedy entered and was superb in relief, tossing three shutout innings in which he surrendered only a single hit and no walks. In both the third and the fourth, South Africa got its second batter of the frame on base, only to find the runner erased on an inning-ending double play.

Meanwhile, Australia reversed South Africa’s early lead with a nine-run bottom of the second on its way to a mercy rule win in five innings. Australia got six of its 11 hits in second and capitalised on a pair of defensive errors. In its final at bat, South Africa faced Nate Quigg, who struck out the side to put an exclamation point on the 13-2 victory for the Aussies.

Botha had hits in both his at bats, but South Africa managed only four knocks in total, working a single walk and two hit by pitches. Three pitchers toed the rubber int he loss, and saw eight unearned runs cross the plate, with five errors leading to the damage.

Other Games
The remaining games on the docket were all nailbiters, with Taiwan and Puerto Rico going two extra innings before the former finally plated a run. Each side had only two hits in the 1-0 final, the score of which was duplicated by the U.S. in its victory over South Korea. Giovanni Rojas pitched a shutout for the Americans, striking out 10. Meanwhile, Panamá scored a run in the first and still held a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth against Japan, which tied the game up. In extra innings, both sides scored four in the eighth before Japan earned the walkoff victory in a 6-5 final.

The Super Round results set the matchups for the medal games, with U.S.A. challenging Japan for the gold, and South Korea and Taiwan contesting third place.

Day 8 Schedule
Still looking for its first win, South Africa will meet a scrappy German side on the final day of the Under-18 Baseball World Cup. Italy will put its win streak on the line against Australia in what should be a de facto battle for eighth place, though wins by German and Australia would change the calculus.

Placement Group Standings
Japan: 4-0
U.S.A.: 3-1
South Korea: 2-2
Taiwan: 2-2
Puerto Rico: 1-3
Panamá: 0-4

Group B Standings
Cuba: 4-0
Italy: 3-1
Germany: 2-2
Australia: 2-2
China: 1-3
South Africa: 0-4

Box Scores are available here [link]. See our other Under-18 Baseball World Cup coverage:
Preview [link].
Day 1 Results [link].
Day 2 Results [link].
Day 3 Results [link].
Day 4 Results [link].
Day 5 Results [link].
Day 6 Results [link].
Day 7 Results [link].

By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor.

Germany may have started the Under-18 Baseball World Cup with a pair of victories, but in today’s matchup of Europe’s two delegates, it was Italy that claimed the victory, its second consecutive at the tournament in Okinawa. Meanwhile, South Africa took on China in a bid for its first victory at the U18 World Cup.

Germany – Italy
Santiago Arismendi pitched a four-inning gem in relief, and Italy came-from-behind to defeat Germany in a clash of European nines at the Under-18 Baseball World Cup.

It was Italy that struck first, turning a walk and two errors into a single run in the first, despite German starter Jona Widmann striking out the side. The Deutschlanders immediately struck back, however, loading the bases to start the second on walks to Finn Niemeyer and Robin Spies and a nifty bunt by Benito Bull, which as the runners advanced, found enough real estate to allow Bull to beat out a hit. Kyran Norgren then lifted a sac fly to center to score Niemeyer, and Alessandro Carrasquilla lined a single to the middle outfield for the RBI. Federico Magalotti wiggled out of the jam on the next batter, though, inducing a flyout to left center that Enrico Bicchiarelli tracked down.

Italy regained the lead in the third after a base on balls to Aldo Pavarani and a double to Pablo Suárez. Patrick Silva sent the former home on a groundball, while Súarez touched the plate after a wild pitch.

Arismendi took over for Magalotti after rain delayed the game in the top of the fourth with Italy leading 3-2. Italy added a little breathing room with a marker in the fifth, once more after a leadoff walk to Pavarani, who scored on a passed ball. Arismendi was an ace out of the ‘pen for Italian skipper Guglielmo Trinci, firing four shutout innings, and setting down the last 11 batters in order. The right-hander allowed only two hits, while striking out four without a walk.

Lost in the result was the solid pitching of Germany’s two hurlers. Starter Jona Widmann was unlucky to take a loss, punching out six in four innings and allowing only two hits and two walks. Samuel Redle finished with two innings, striking out two. The two teams each had only four hits, with Germany’s Bull the only player notching a pair, though Pavarani reached base three times and also stole a base.

China – South Africa
China scored three runs in the top of the first against Christian Fradd, setting the tone. Xin Zhao made the most of a leadoff defensive error with an RBI-triple, and Haonan Chen added a two-run knock.

Aydee Osman got South Africa on the board in the second after a one-out single from Stiaan Henning, but the Green-and-Gold could not plate Osman.

The two-run deficit did not last long, as China manufactured a single run in the third on a walk, a sacrifice hit, a balk, and a grounder. In the fourth, a throwing error led to two more runs for the East Asian squad.

Jaden du Preez gave South Africa new life in the bottom of the frame, lining a one-base hit down the left field line to start things off. The two-way player came off the bench to provide a pair of hits, the only South African to hit the feat in ths game. The hot-hitting Joshua Botha dropped a single of his own in centerfield, putting runners on the corners. China’s catcher, Xin Zhao, then manage to catch du Preez leaning, and the caught stealing gave China its first out. A grounder from Henning scored Botha, but South Africa only managed one run in the frame.

The final three innings saw China add at least one run in each, plating two in the fifth, one in the sixth, and another pair in the seventh. Down 11-2, South Africa at least finished with a positive, as Junaid Bedford led off with a free pass, and pinch runner Liam van der Westhuizen scored on a base knock by Connor Steyn.

Errors were the story of the game, as China did not commit a miscue, while South Africa allowed nine unearned runs to score on four errors. Fradd and Connor Stander, the first reliever called by Dean McKinnon, were victimized particularly by the defense. The former went three innings, sending two down on strikes, and allowing four runs on four hits and two walks, but with only one of the runs earned. Stander tossed 2.2 frames, with five runs scoring, none of them earned. Jayden Clarke finished off the final 1.1 innings, with one of the two runs to score unearned. All told, South Africa allowed seven hits, but walked seven.

Other Games
The nightcap of the first day of Super Round play produced a thrilling game, as the U.S.A. and Japan were scoreless into the bottom of the fifth, when the Americans scored the game’s first run. Japan tied up the game in the top of the seventh and forced extra innings, when the hosts plated five and held the U.S. to a single run to win, 6-2. Japan is now the only undefeated nation at the Under-18 Baseball World Cup, while South Korea moved into a tie for second place in the other evening game, jumping to a 4-0 lead in the first against Taiwan and rolling to an 8-1 victory.

In the other Super Round game, Caribbean neighbors Puerto Rico and Panamá both had excellent pitching performances, with the U.S. territory coming out 3-1 in a closely played game. Similarly, the other Placement Round game was a thriller, with Australia and Cuba both scoring single runs in the sixth before the Antilleans walked things off in the ninth.

Day 7 Schedule
Italy will put its winning streak on the line against China, while Germany will have a very tough test against Cuba, whom it would need to beat to have a chance at finishing top of the group. South Africa and Australia will match up as the only two teams from the Southern Hemisphere at the U18 World Cup.

Placement Group Standings
Japan: 3-0
U.S.A.: 2-1
South Korea: 2-1
Puerto Rico: 1-2
Taiwan: 1-2
Panamá: 0-3

Group B Standings
Cuba: 3-0
Italy: 2-1
Germany: 2-1
Australia: 1-2
China: 1-2
South Africa: 0-3

Box Scores are available here [link]. See our other Under-18 Baseball World Cup coverage:
Preview [link].
Day 1 Results [link].
Day 2 Results [link].
Day 3 Results [link].
Day 4 Results [link].
Day 5 Results [link].
Day 6 Results [link].

By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor.

Through a full seven innings against second-ranked Taiwan, Germany’s hopes of qualifying for the Super Round at the Under-18 Baseball World Cup remained alive, while Italy and South Africa tangled in a thrilling final game of round robin play from Okinawa.

South Korea – South Africa
After finding itself down 13-0 in the bottom of the third on Sunday, South Africa returned to the field against South Korea, ranked No. 4 in the world by WBSC. When the game began, South Korea had scored five runs in the first, three with two out. Aiden McKenzie lined a single to center with one out in the bottom of the second to give South Africa some hope of an immediate answer, but rifle-armed catcher Yeon-Woo Lee caught McKenzie stealing and a strikeout ended the threat.

South Korea added seven more in the second and a single run in the top of the third, with play resuming with two outs in the bottom half. Donovan Wallendorf, who was electric as a pinch runner against Italy in yesterday’s game, drew a full-count walk after the game began again, but, Jun-Sung Park manufactured a bouncer to the left side to end the inning.

The walk and McKenzie’s hit would be the only baserunners against South Korea’s moundsmen. The East Asian heavyweights added four more runs in the fourth, though Imaad Hassiem would return for the fifth and hold the Koreans scoreless.

Day 7 Schedule
With pool play now concluded, South Africa will taken on China in the first game of the Placement Round. The day will also feature the first and only head-to-head game between the European nations, with Germany taking on Italy in the second matchup of the day.

Final Group A Standings
Japan: 5-0
South Korea: 4-1
Puerto Rico: 3-2
Cuba: 2-3
Italy: 1-4
South Africa: 0-5

Final Group B Standings
U.S.A.: 5-0
Taiwan: 4-1
Panamá: 2-3
Australia: 2-3
Germany: 2-3
China: 0-5

Box Scores are available here [link]. See our other Under-18 Baseball World Cup coverage:
Preview [link].
Day 1 Results [link].
Day 2 Results [link].
Day 3 Results [link].
Day 4 Results [link].
Day 5 Results [link].

By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor.

Through a full seven innings against second-ranked Taiwan, Germany’s hopes of qualifying for the Super Round at the Under-18 Baseball World Cup remained alive, while Italy and South Africa tangled in a thrilling final game of round robin play from Okinawa.

Taiwan – Germany
With Panamá winning slugfest against China in one of the two early games, Germany entered its final game of the opening pool knowing it would need a win to advance to the Supe Round. After Taiwan strung together a walk, a misfielded sacrifice bunt, and a groundball into its first run in the top of the first, it looked like Germany might be in for a long day. Instead, the Deutschlanders immediately got to work in the bottom of the frame against I-En Chung. Owen Fierlbeck took another walk, tying the game at one. A wild pitch then allowed Huber to score Germany’s second run and, even with another punch-out, Germany headed to the second with lead.

A one-out Sheng-En Zeng triple scored Yi-An Chang, who had reached on a walk to start the top of the second. Tom Apfelbaum escaped without any further damage, in part due to his catcher, Ströll, catching Zeng attempting to steal home.

After a scoreless bottom of the frame, Fabian Spiess took over for Tom Apfelbaum in the top of the third, working in and out of a bases-loaded jam. Huber then led off the bottom of the inning with a triple and scored on a fielding error, giving Germany a new lead.

Chinese Taipei got to Spiess in the top of the fifth, with an RBI-single by Ting-Yi Jang. Germany called Finn Niemeyer from the bullpen with runners at the corners. With Chang at bat, Cheng-Hao Wu tried to steal home and became the third out, Ströll once more applying the tag.

Germany took the lead back in the bottom half of the frame against Lan-Hong Su, the third Taiwanese moundsman. Niemeyer helped himself with an RBI-single, plating Huber, who had reached with his third hit of the game.

Working with a 4-3 lead, Niemeyer gave up three consecutive singles with one out in the top of the sixth, but once more limited the damage to a single run, finishing the inning with a three-pitch, swinging strikeout. Germany went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning, setting up an all-important final frame, as all WBSC games except those involving senior national teams have been curtailed at seven innings.

In the top of the eighth, Shu-Cheng Hsu bunted to advance the tie-break runners. Niemeyer got to the ball, but threw it away from the first base bag, and both runners scored. Sheng-En Zeng followed with a single to left field and extended Taiwan’s lead to 7-4. Another run scored on a defensive error, though reliever Pepe Stockhaus then recorded outs from the next three batters.

With Germany now needing at least four runs to keep the game—and its Super Round—hopes alive, Chun-Hsi Lin walked Fierlbeck to jam the sacks. However, Lin then mowed down the next three batters, striking out the side, and relegating Germany to the Placement Round.

Baseball Deutschland worked six walks and collected five base knocks, but it was three unearned runs and seven walks issued that sunk its worthy upset bid. Four German pitchers shared the eight innings, surrendering 10 hits, but also striking out eight Taiwanese attackers. Huber was 3-for-4, while both Carrasquilla and Fierlbeck walked twice.

South Africa – Italy
Italy took an early lead on South African starter Stiaan Henning. After a free pass to Pablo Suárez, Daniele di Persia and Patrick Silva hit back-to-back, one-out singles for the first run, and both scored on errors. Rain delayed the game in the bottom of the second, ending Italian starter Santiago Arismendi’s day after two perfect innings.

In the top of the third, South Africa got on the scoreboard. Reliever Filippo Brunelli hit Aydee Osman and Tristan Fradd, walking Imaad Hassiem to load the bases. Jordan Pinto, South Africa’s most consistent hitter during the Under-18 Baseball World Cup, lifted a sacrifice fly to left field that was deep enough to score Osman. However, a nifty pick-off by catcher Corrado Resca nailed Fradd at second to end the inning.

Italy immediately answered, as di Persia and Silva knocked back-to-back hits to start the bottom half of the frame, and Italy scored on another error and Federico Magalotti’s sacrifice fly. Henning left after four solid innings, having allowed three earned runs and collecting three whiffs.

South Africa eroded Italy’s lead in the fourth. Joshua Botha hit a one-out double, stole third, and scored on Henning’s infield single. An inning later, Dean du Plessis and Fradd led off with consecutive singles and Hassiem bunted them over. Pinto once again drove a flyball deep to the left side, and Du Plessis scored on the sacrifice fly.

After Jaden du Preez took the mound for South Africa, recording a scoreless fifth, Italy handed the ball to Ivan Larice in the top of the sixth. The first batter, Botha, reached first on a plunking, moving to second on a wild pickoff attempt, and third on a balk. A bouncing ball down the first base line from Junaid Bedford looked like it might be deep enough to score a run, but Silva fired home to nab Botha. With two down, it looked like South Africa’s rally might be over, but a passed ball moved Bedford up. Enter pinch runner Donovan Wallendorf, who stole third on a fourth ball to Osman, and took advantage of the ensuing confusion to score on a throwing error, bringing South Africa to within one. Larice buckled down and got the third out, however, preventing the Green-and-Gold from tying up the game.

Resca beat out a slow roller to short to start the bottom of the sixth. After du Preez walked Aldo Pavarani and Federico de Cristan, South Africa’s manager, Dean McKinnon, called in Caelum Stroberg, who was just what his club needed. The right-handed induced grounders from di Persia and Silva with the bases loaded, to escape the bottom of the sixth.

Federico Magalotti took the mound for Italy in the top of the seventh, with the South Africa offense starting to fire on all cylinders. When Hassiem was struck by a pitch and stole second with Pinto at the plate, it looked South Africa might have something going, but Magalotti coaxed a ground ball to first, with Silva keeping Hassiem at first. After Hassiem swiped third, Italy’s closer then overpowered the next batter on strikes, finishing with a swing-and-a-miss, to end the game with the potential tying run at third.

South Africa amassed 10 baserunners, four of which were hit batters and another four base knocks. However, the offense hit .182/.313/.182 with runners on base. Still, given that six different players reached base and the squad nearly fought back from a 5-1 deficit after three, shows that there is plenty of potential for the rest of the Under-18 World Cup. Du Preez and Stroberg each made significant contributions as well, with the former getting four outs, two by K, and allowing no runs and one hit.

Di Persia and Silva both went 2-for-4 with two runs in the win, while Suárez continued to exhibit superb plate discipline, drawing another three walks and putting his total for the tournament to six. Brunelli claimed the win after pitching the middle three innings, while Magalotti earned the save.

Other Games
The U.S.A. and Japan remained perfect, with the former dispatching Australia, 11-1 in six innings thanks to a seven-run sixth. The hosts had a much closer game, tacking on single runs in the sixth and seventh to defeat Puerto Rico, 3-0. Panamá claimed victory over China, 12-5, in a game that was closer than the score indicated, with the two sides collecting 13 and 11 hits, respectively. Cuba needed a win against South Korea to give it a chance to advance to the Super Round, but instead, Joel Kim and Ji-Sung Park combined for a one-hit shutout, striking out 13 players in the 3-0 victory.

Day 6 Schedule
South Africa will resume play against South Korea in rain-delayed game from Day Three. Europe’s two representatives, meawhile, will have an off day. Regardless of the result, Japan, Puerto Rico, and South Korea advance to the Super Round from Pool A, while the United States, Taiwan, and Panamá take the spots allotted to Pool B. The remainder of the teams enter the Placement Group, which will feature the only European derby of the tournament and allow South Africa to test Germany.

Group A Standings
Japan: 5-0
South Korea: 3-1
Puerto Rico: 3-2
Cuba: 2-3
Italy: 1-4
South Africa: 0-4

Group B Standings
U.S.A.: 5-0
Taiwan: 4-1
Panamá: 2-3
Australia: 2-3
Germany: 2-3
China: 0-5

Box Scores are available here [link]. See our other Under-18 Baseball World Cup coverage:
Preview [link].
Day 1 Results [link].
Day 2 Results [link].
Day 3 Results [link].
Day 4 Results [link].

By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor.

Despite a loss on the fourth day of play at the Under-18 Baseball World Cup, Germany’s chance for a spot in the Super Round remains open. It will have to rebound from a hitless day against Panamá, a fate that Italy also suffered in its game with South Korea. Meanwhile, South Africa broke up a no-hit bid against Japan and came tantalizingly close to breaking out against the World No. 1, but fell short on the penultimate day of round robin play from Okinawa.

Germany – Panamá
After opening the Under-18 Baseball World Cup with a trio of solid performances, Germany had a tough time against winless Panamá, which no-hit the Deutschlanders, and took advantage of six errors and seven walks.

Panamá wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. German starter Emilio Götz did not make it out of the first. Luis Rivera bunted for a hit to start the bottom of the first, Götz allowed back-to-back walks, and Panamá scored twice on a throwing error. Another run scored when Juan Rujano grounded into a double play, and Panamá made it 4-0 on Carlos Castillo‘s RBI-double. After another run in the second, the worst was yet to come for Germany. Panamá scored nine runs—only two earned—on four hits and three errors in the bottom of the third against relievers Samuel Redle and Lukas Köttig.

Italy – South Korea
Europe’s other representative at the U18 World Cup fared no better, although South Korea waited until the second to strike. The four-run rally on four hits, including Jiho Park’s double, was more than it needed to win. Dongkun Shin, Taeyang Lee, and Junsang Eom no-hit Italy, combining for nine strikeouts. In fact, had it not been for the walk that Pablo Suárez drew in the top of the first, South Korea would have tossed a perfect game.

Alessandro Gamberini and Gabriele Cirini only surrendered five hits and four earned runs in the game, with just one going for extra bases, but nine walks and four errors sabotaged their efforts.

South Africa – Japan
Heading into the top of the fourth inning, Japan had taken a 5-0 lead and Daito Nakano had yet to surrender a hit, but Jordan Pinto started the frame with something no European hitter managed on Day Four—a base hit. Aiden McKenzie followed with another safety, but Kaito Fujimori then caught Pinto stealing third. After a strikeout, South Africa continued to threaten, as Stiaan Henning singled up the middle, putting runenrs on the corners, and Travis Hoffman was hit by a pitch. Nakano pitched his way out of the jam with another K, and the rally was over.

Japan added another run in the fourth, before South Africa once again made things interesting in the top of the fifth. With one out, Pinch hitter Joshua Botha hustled to first on a grounder to second, making it safely. He moved to second on a walk by fellow pinch hitter Aydee Osman, but Nakano once more got out of the jam. Japan would then score to four to walk off the game via the mercy rule. South Africa used three moundsmen in the defeat, while Nakano fired five shutout innings, whiffing nine.

Other Games
The U.S.A. one-hit China in a 10-0 mercy rule victory in one of two games to start the day, but at the same time, Cuba and Puerto Rico tangled in a thrilling 1-0 victory for the U.S. territory. Each nation managed only two hits in the game. Taiwan bested Australia, 10-2.

Day 5 Schedule
Despite consecutive losses, Germany still has a chance to advance to the Super Round, but will almost certainly have to defeat World No. 2 Taiwan. There appears to be a scenario in which Germany could lose, but China beat Panamá and the U.S.A. set down Australia, which might also result in advancement, but the path is still in Germany’s hands. Italy and South Africa have already been eliminated from the discussion, and each will seek its first win tomorrow, when the two nations match up on the final day of pool play.

Group A Standings
Japan: 4-0
Puerto Rico: 3-1
South Korea: 2-1
Cuba: 2-2
South Africa: 0-3
Italy: 0-4

Group B Standings
U.S.A.: 4-0
Taiwan: 3-1
Australia: 2-2
Germany: 2-2
Panamá: 1-3
China: 0-4

See our other Under-18 Baseball World Cup coverage:
Preview [link].
Day 1 Results [link].
Day 2 Results [link].
Day 3 Results [link].

By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor.

Germany’ fought valiantly in a tough matchup against the United States, while Italy put plenty of runners on base against Puerto Rico, but could not quite break through in Under-18 Baseball World Cup action, as both European nations took losses on the third day of play in Okinawa. Meanwhile, South Africa’s game against World No. 4 South Korea looked like it might end after only five frames before rain affected play.

Puerto Rico – Italy
For the second-straight day, the Italians were undone by a quick start from an opponent that took advantage of every mistake. With two outs in the top of the first and the bases-loaded via the free pass, Italy committed a costly defensive error that allowed Puerto Rico to score a pair. A wild pitch led to a third run, and Italy was in a 3-0 hole without having surrendered a hit.

After knocking out Italy’s starter with no outs and two on in the second, Christian Tontini entered and gave the Azzurri some hope, getting the next three batters with ease, recording a pair of punch-outs. After a scoreless third, Puerto Rico finally broke through against the right-hander, with doubles from Enrico Carrion and Javeth Carrion leading to three runs.

Puerto Rico’s starter Keniel Miranda pitched four scoreless innings with seven strike-outs, though five Italians reached base. Italy finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth, with Federico de Cristan and Aldo Pavarani working back-to-back walks to start the frame. An error scored de Cristan and moved Pavarani to third, allowing Patrick Silva to lift a flyball to right for a sacrifice fly and a second run.

Down 6-2, Italy kept fighting, putting two on in the sixth with one out, but eventually left the bases loaded. Federico Magalotti was aces on the mound in the final two frames, permitting only a walk to the seven batters he faced. In the bottom of the seventh, Alessandro Garaviglia beat out a two-out infield single, but was left stranded, and Puerto Rico claimed the four-run victory.

Italy drew a whopping nine walks and added three hits, but went 0-for-7 with two walks with runners in scoring position and 0-for-16 with four walks with runners on base. Garaviglia had two hits for the Blue-and-White, while de Cristan was a sparkplug from the nine spot, drawing walks in all three of his plate appearances.

U.S.A. – Germany
The United States took advantage of a wild start by Matthias Bullman and scored four runs on a pair of two-out singles in the top of the first. From that point onwards, however, the game was a more competitive affair, and Bullman would toss a pair of scoreless innings against the world’s third-ranked nation.

Germany got on the scoreboard against Matthew Sharman in the bottom of the fifth with the U.S. up 7-0. Germany made the most of a throwing error with singles by Jakob Hiber, Finn Niemeyer, and Owen Fierlbeck, cutting the gap to 7-3. Unfortunately for Baseball Deutschland, Trey Rangel took over for Sharman and allowed only a walk over the final three innings, striking out six.

The Stars and Stripes added two insurance runs in the top of the sixth on RBI-singles by Grady Emerson and Aiden Ruiz. It was the third RBI for Ruiz, who went 2-for-4 in the 9-3 victory. Fierlbeck was the only German player to reach base twice, and he and Niemeyer were the only pair not to go down on strikes.

South Korea – South Africa
The umpiring crew stopped with two outs in the bottom of the third after the heavens opened and a deluge fell. The WBSC Technical Commission decided to suspend the game. According to the WBSC rules, the game will resume from the exact point of suspension, with South Korea was leading 13-0.

Other Games
Australia jumped to an early lead against China and kept piling it on, all the while holding the Chinese hitless until the fourth in a 15-3 victory. In a matchup of unbeatens, Japan defeated Cuba 3-0 to move to the top of Pool A, while the final game of the day was an absolute nail-biter.

Panamá and Taiwan were still scoreless in the bottom of the fifth, when Taiwan’s leadoff hitter Tin-Yi Jiang turned a hit by pitch into a run after a nifty steal of second, advancing to third on a wild pitch, and scoring on a bouncing ball in front of the plate. With Shih-Chan Chen cruising on the mound, it looked like the one run might hold, but Panamá mounted a two-out rally when Juan Caballero doubled and Luis Rivera followed with a game-tying single to right center. William Cutshall then lined a ball up the middle, but reliever Lan-Hong Su got out of the jam. Taiwan then walked off after Yi-An Chang started the bottom of the seventh with a single, moved to second on a one-out walk, and came home on a game-winning base kock by Yu-Hao Chang. The 2-1 win moved Taiwan into a three-way tie with Australia and Germany in Group B

Day 4 Schedule
Germany will go for a crucial third win against Panamá, with a victory offering hope of qualifying for the Super Round with only two days of pool play remaining. Meanwhile, Italy will try and break into the win column against heavyweight South Korea and South Africa will be tasked with stopping Samurai Japan.

Group A Standings
Japan: 3-0
Cuba: 2-1
Puerto Rico: 2-1
South Korea: 1-1
South Africa: 0-2
Italy: 0-3

Group B Standings
U.S.A.: 3-0
Australia: 2-1
Germany: 2-1
Taiwan: 2-1
China: 0-3
Panamá: 0-3

See our other Under-18 Baseball World Cup coverage:
Preview [link].
Day 1 Results [link].
Day 2 Results [link].

By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor.

Jona Widmann and Pepe Stockhaus took a no-hitter deep into Germany’s game against China, while Italy ran into Cuba’s talented pitching staff in the Under-18 Baseball World Cup in Okinawa. Meanwhile, South Africa had a promising start against Puerto Rico, but could not hold on for its first victory.

Germany – China
Although it took two innings to get the offense going, the German baseballers broke out in the third and some ace pitching from starter Jona Widmann delivered a second consecutive victory to start the U18 World Cup.

Deutschland made the most of a wild third by starter Yuchang Hu, who walked two to set up Felix Ströll’s sacrifice fly. Another walk put two on, and with two outs, Noah Lorenz ripped a ball down the right-field line for a triple, scoring both.

An inning later, two more walks and an Alessandro Carrasquilla single loaded the bases and, once more, Germany scored with two outs. This time, it was through another base on balls, taken by the ever-present Ströll. Meanwhile, Widmann was electric on the mound, ensuring that China could never start a rally, with three walks the only blemishes against him in five innings.

The Deutschlanders pulled away late, scoring two in the sixth and three in the seventh. In the former, Carrasquilla led off with a three-base hit and scored one pitch later on a double from Emilio Götz. Götz came around on an error. In the final frame, a pair of walks started another rally, with an error on a sacrifice bunt scoring one, before Carrasquilla lined a two-run double to right center.

As the game progressed to the bottom half of the seventh, Germany still had not allowed a hit. Returning for his second inning on the bump, Pepe Stockhaus walked Tao Wang and Hanchen Ou with one out, advancing Wang to third on consecutive wild pitches. China then used a bouncer over the mound to plate its first run, but the Europeans were now one out away from a combined no-hitter. Instead, Wenlong Liu singled down the rightfield line, putting runners at the corners. With two on, Stockhaus fired another pitch wild to score the lead runner, and a throwing error from the catcher allowed a second run to score on the play. With the count 2-2 and the bases now empty, Stockhaus buckled down and ended the game on strikes.

Widmann earned the win with five no-hit frames, whiffing eight, while Stockhaus was credited with a save, striking out three in two innings. China’s three pitchers combined for seven walks and a hit batter, and its defence committed four errors. Meanwhile, Germany’s leadoff hitter Carrasquilla turned in another excellent game, going 3-for-4 with a walk and falling a home run short of the cycle. No other hitter had more than one hit, though Ströll and Lorenz drove in a pair.

Italy – Cuba
Cuba scored two runs in the bottom of the first against Alessandro Gamberini and never looked back. The Antilleans added more runs in each of their at-bats except for the sixth, collecting 13 hits against Italy’s pitching staff. Shortstop Jonathan Moreno notched three safeties in the 8-0 victory.

For the second day in a row, Cuba’s starting pitcher carried a no-no into the fourth. Edenis Cruz flirted with a no-hitter for 3.2 innings before Daniele di Persia reached on a two-out single in the top of the fourth. It would be the only hit Cruz surrendered over his five innings. Richard Bouquet took care of the last six outs.

Four Italian pitchers toed the rubber, with none recording more than six outs. The Azzurri totalled only four baserunners, with two hits by di Persia and a hit and a walk from Pablo Suárez.

South Africa – Puerto Rico
In the top of the second, South Africa took advantage of a defensive error to start the frame, with Junaid Bedford the singling up the middle to put two runners on against starter Richard de Jesús. Jordan Pinto then made the most of the miscue, striking an RBI-single to left center to give South Africa an early lead over Puerto Rico.

However, the two singles were all the hits South Africa could manage against de Jesús and reliever Yandiel Reyes. Puerto Rico tied the game in the bottom of the third against starter Jaden du Preez and took the lead with a three-run fourth against Stiaan Henning on its way to a 9-1 win.

Other Games
The day started with Australia entering the win column in a tight game with Panamá, 4-1. The two evening games were thrillers as well, as South Korea took a 2-1 against Japan in the second, but the hosts immediately plated two of their own. A single run in the third was the last either team would score, and Japan claimed the 4-2 victory. Elsewhere, Taiwan held the U.S. to four runs, but Carson Bolemon and Jared Grindlinger combined to no-hit the Taiwanese in a 4-0 decision. Boleman sent down 11 on strikes, permitting only two free passes in five innings, and Grindlinger added two Ks of his own in a pair of frames.

Day 3 Schedule
The day starts with Italy taking on Puerto Rico, while Germany will test its perfect record against heavyweights the U.S. South Africa will face South Korea as the Under-18 Baseball World Cup moves to its third day.

Group A Standings
Cuba: 2-0
Japan: 2-0
Puerto Rico: 1-1
South Korea: 1-1
Italy: 0-2
South Africa: 0-2

Group B Standings
Germany: 2-0
U.S.A.: 2-0
Australia: 1-1
Taiwan: 1-1
China: 0-2
Panamá: 0-2

See our other Under-18 Baseball World Cup coverage:
Preview [link].
Day 1 Results [link].

By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor.

Germany came from behind to pull off an impressive win over Australia on the first day of the 2025 Under-18 Baseball World Cup, while Italy turned in a superb performance against World No. 1 Japan. Elsewhere, South Africa took the loss against powerful Cuba as action commenced in Okinawa.

Germany – Australia
Baseball Deutschland faced the unenviable task of taking on Mitch Evans, Australia’s 6-foot-4 (193 cm), 205-pound (93 kg) ace, who recently inked a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. However, Robin Spies gave Germany an early lead when he homered in the top of the first off the big southpaw. Australia struck back in the bottom of the third, with a double from William Hardy and RBI-singles from Josh Nati and Christian Lane leading to four runs.

Germany tied the game with two runs in the top half of the fifth and won it in the top of the sixth when Benito Bull doubled off reliever Riley Puckett and scored on an error. Four German pitchers limited Australia to five hits, despite combining for nine walks. Samuel Redle followed relievier Fabian Spiess’ pair of scoreless innings with shutout frames in the sixth and the seventh to earn the win.

Germany had a 10-hit game. Catcher Felix Felix Ströll went 3-for-4 with three RBI, and leadoff hitter Alessandro Carrasquilla collected two hits and scored two runs. Matthew Trainor reached base three times for the Aussies, for whom Evans tossed four innings with three strikeouts, surrendering two runs on four hits and a walk.

Italy – Japan
After keeping Japan scoreless for two innings, Italian starter Santiago Arismendi left with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, as manager Guglielmo Trinci turned things over to Filippo Brunelli. The left-hander allowed the first run of the game on a walk, but then got out of the pickle on strikes, keeping Italy in the game.

Italy tied the game in the top of the sixth. Federico de Cristan reached on a swinging bunt and advanced to third on a one-out hit-and-run executed by Aldo Pavarani. De Cristan scored on a defensive error. That was all for starter Shota Morishita, with Saku Hayase entering with runners at first and second. Japan escaped the threat when Hikaru Tamenaga stopped Patrick Silva‘s hard-hit chopper at third and went to second for the third.

Centerfielder Riccardo Mazzanti kept Italy in the game with a brilliant running catch in the bottom half of the sixth and The Azzurri thought they had taken the tie into the seventh when Kaito Fujimori grounded a soft comebacker to reliever Ivan Larice. The right-hander delayed the throw to first and Patrick Silva lost the ball as the runner reached the base, and Samurai Japan scored three runs on two errors, going three-up, three-down in the seventh to ice the 4-1 victory.

No player for either team had more than one hit, though Japan’s Hyuma Okabe singled and walked three times in the leadoff spot, stealing a base. Morishita was superb, punching out eight in 5.1 innings and permitting only four hits and no walks. Italy’s three pitchers surrendered just five hits and one earned run, but issued eight free passes.

Cuba – South Africa
A six-run second opened the gates for Cuba, and Antilleans cruised to a 10-0 mercy rule victory despite recording only six hits. Joshua Botha broke up Leandro Forteza’s no-hitter in the fourth inning, but South Africa would not record another hit and had only two baserunners in the game. Caelum Stroberg (2.1 IP, 4H, 0ER, 1BB) and Connor Stander (1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K) were solid in relief for Africa’s representative.

Other Games
In Game 1, the United States shut out Panamá, 9-0, while South Korea rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the first to win 5-2. The final game of the day saw Taiwan shut out China, 7-0, permitting just two hits.

Day 2 Schedule
Italy will take on Cuba at the same time as Germany and China wrangle, with the Deutschlanders hoping to remain perfect. South Africa takes on Puerto Rico as the Under-18 Baseball World Cup continues in Okinawa.

Group A Standings
Cuba: 1-0
Japan: 1-0
South Korea: 1-0
Italy: 0-1
Puerto Rico: 0-1
South Africa: 0-1

Group B Standings
Germany: 1-0
Taiwan: 1-0
U.S.A.: 1-0
Australia: 0-1
China: 0-1
Panamá: 0-1

Also see our Under-18 Baseball World Cup Preview [link].

Rosters for Season One of the Baseball United league will be revealed over the coming days, with Abu Dhabi’s Mid East Falcons the first to announce its players for the autumn campaign. Among the team’s 25-person roster are a pair of Europeans: Federico Celli and Konsta Kurikka, along with Shutaro Usui, who has played the past four seasons in Europe. Both Celli and Kurikka were originally drafted by the Falcons in 2023 [link], while Usui is a new addition to the list.

Both Celli and Kurikka have made headlines in recent years, with the former becoming one of Italy’s top players domestically and on the national team on the back of three respectable seasons in the Dodgers’ system. Meanwhile, Kurikka has played all over the world, becoming the first Finnish-born player in the Australian Baseball League last winter before inking a contract with the Frontier League’s New Jersey Jackals this spring, becoming the first Finnish player in more than a century to play professionally in the United States [link]. Usui played for Dornbirn Indians in the Austrian Bundesliga in 2022 and 2023 [link] and Untouchables Paderborn [link] the past two seasons.

The Abu Dhabi club also drafted Leo Bäckström (Sweden), Alex Liddi (Italy), and Alberto Mineo (Italy) in 2023, but it would appear that these three Europeans are no longer with the organization. Celli and Kurikka will have two former major leaguers as teammates on the Falcons, with Alejandro de Aza and Severino Gonzalez also listed on the roster. The full roster is available at Extra Innings UK [link].

The other three Baseball United clubs are scheduled to release their rosters on Sept. 9 (Arabia Wolves), Sept. 12 (Mumbai Cobras), and Sept. 17 (Karachi Monarchs). Fourteen players with European connections, including eight that learned the game in Europe, were originally drafted by Baseball United clubs, though it remains to be seen how many will be rostered two years later.

The league begins play on Nov. 14, with the season lasting for exactly one month. Each team plays each other three times between then and Dec. 7, with the top two teams facing off in a best-of-three “United Series” from Dec. 12–14. Barry Larkin Field at the Baseball United Ballpark, located at The Sevens, Dubai, will host the league.