World Baseball Challenge

World Baseball Challenge
SportBaseball
Founded2009
CountryCanada
Venue(s)Citizen Field, Prince George, British Columbia
ContinentNorth America
Most recent
champion(s)		Team Japan (2016)
Most titlesFour teams (1 each)

The World Baseball Challenge is an international baseball competition based in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. The tournament was established in 2002 by Larry Seminoff, who is also the founder of the Grand Forks International.

History

The current incarnation of the event, beginning in 2009, has been held every two years at Citizen Field in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. It is sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation, Baseball Canada and Baseball BC. The field of participants for the event typically consists of amateur or competitors such as the United States Collegiate National Team, the Cuban National baseball B squad, independent Canadian club teams and Japanese industrial clubs.[1]

2009

The USA National Collegiate Baseball Team defeated the German National Team by a score of 8–1 in the final.[2] Drew Pomeranz of the University of Mississippi pitched a one-hitter against the tournament's only European team. German starting pitcher Tim Henkenjohann was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.[3] Team USA included several future Major League Baseball players, such as Trevor Bauer, Gerrit Cole, Yasmani Grandal, Sonny Gray, Kolten Wong and Pomeranz.[1] Canada, British Columbia, Prince George Axemen and the Bahamas National Team finished in third through sixth place respectively.[3][4]

2011

Cuban National Baseball B Team defeated Chinese Taipei 10–5 in the final.[5] The Cuban squad included future American League Rookie of the Year José Abreu.

2013

The Ciego de Ávila Tigres of the Cuban National Series defeated Japan's JX-ENEOS 14–4 by mercy rule in the championship game.[6] Team USA, with a roster featuring players from the Northwest Collegiate Baseball League, finished third in its return to the tournament.

2016

In 2015, the event's organizers announced that that year's tournament would be postponed until 2016 due to a lack of sponsor support. Canada was to be represented by the Langley Blaze U18, facing the winners of Japan's InterCity baseball tournament and players from the Northwest Collegiate Baseball League (Team USA). Teams from the Bahamas and Cuba were also expected to play in the tournament.

The 2016 tournament is August 12–20, 2016. Roswell Invaders of the Pecos League are one of two teams from the United States.[7][8] Other teams participating are Kamloops Sun Devils, Sidearm Nation (Calgary), Team Japan and the Thurston County Senators (Olympia) of the Puget Sound Collegiate League.[9]

Team Japan went undefeated to capture the gold medal. They defeated Roswell Invaders 5–4 in the finale, scoring the winning run on a passed ball.

Tournament results

Year Gold medal Silver medal Bronze medal Other participants
2009 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Team Germany Team Canada Team British Columbia, Prince George Axemen, Bahamas National Baseball Team
2011 Cuba National Baseball Team "B" Team Chinese Taipei Toshiba (Japan) Team Canada, Bahamas National Baseball Team, Beijing Tigers[10]
2013 Ciego de Ávila Tigres JX-ENEOS (Japan) Team USA Team Chinese Taipei, Team Canada
2016 Team Japan Roswell Invaders Sidearm Nation Thurston County Senators, Kamloops Sun Devils

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Johnson, Andrea (25 May 2015). "World Baseball Challenge postponed until 2016". The Prince George Citizen.
  2. ^ "Team USA one-hits Germany to win World Baseball Challenge". Mister Baseball. 27 July 2009.
  3. ^ a b "Prince George: Team USA one-hits Germany to win World Baseball Challenge". Mister Baseball. July 27, 2009. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  4. ^ "World Baseball Challenge personnel with past/current ties to MLB or professional baseball". BallCharts.com. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  5. ^ "World Baseball Challenge Under Review". 250 News. 15 September 2013.
  6. ^ "Cuban Tigers Champions of 2013 World Baseball Challenge". Escambray. 23 August 2013.
  7. ^ "Roswell to invade World Baseball Challenge". Prince George Citizen. 26 July 2016.
  8. ^ "Invaders bringing plenty of power to WBC". Prince George Citizen. 10 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Invaders accept invitation to play in World Baseball Challenge in Canada next month". Roswell Daily Record. 28 July 2016.
  10. ^ "World Baseball Challenge". Pointstreak Baseball. 17 July 2011.