THUNDER BAY, ON – The Thunder Bay International Baseball Association (TBIBA) and International Baseball Federation (IBAF) today announced the official schedule for the 2010 IBAF World Junior Baseball Championship.
The schedule outlines the forty-six games that will ultimately determine the World Champion. The participants are the world’s best 18U international teams from 12 different nations. Korea will be looking for their third straight world title, but will have strong competition from Cuba and the United States. As for Canada, they will be looking to make an impact on home soil in their quest to win their first junior gold medal since 1991.
The best 18U baseball talent from around the world will converge on Thunder Bay, which is illustrated by the number of high profile MLB stars that got their start at the World Junior Baseball Championship. Current MLB players such as; Joe Mauer (USA), Kendry Morales and Yunieski Betancourt (Cuba) Shin-Soo Choo (Korea), and recent Canadian first round draft picks; Phillippe Aumont, Brett Lawrie and Adam Loewen all took part in the IBAF World Junior Baseball Championship throughout the years.
“The release of the schedule brings a reality to the planning process” said TBIBA President Larry Hebert. “The City of Thunder Bay can start to get excited, and get ready to support their teams.”
“It is always exciting to see the schedule announced, it allows for a greater sense of anticipation as teams start to think about matchup’s and strategy, and fans can plan what games to go to,” stated IBAF President Ricardo Fraccari from Rome, Italy.
The tournament will take place in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, with the first pitch being thrown at Port Arthur Stadium on Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. (EDT) in a game between Panama and Cuba. The gold medal game will take place on Sunday, August 1st, at 4:30 p.m. (EDT).
2010 IBAF World Junior Baseball Championship Schedule
For more information contact:
Warren Philp, Executive Director
Thunder Bay International Baseball Association
807-343-2016 or 807-472-1842 or Toll-Free 1-877-422-3201
info@tbibaseball.ca
www.worldbaseball2010.com
Available for Telephone Inquiries:
Baseball Canada:
André Cormier, Manager, Media & Public Relations
613-748-5606 x221
media@baseball.ca
International Baseball Federation, Lausanne, (IBAF):
Ian Young,
+41 787 489 439
ian.young@ibaf.org
About the Thunder Bay International Baseball Association (TBIBA)
The Thunder Bay International Baseball Association (TBIBA), a not-for-profit organization, was created in late 2002, with its primary objective being to bid for and host national and international baseball events. The TBIBA aspires to be regarded by the national and international amateur baseball communities as the organization to stage well run, well received and professionally managed championship events played on world class facilities. In 2006 the TBIBA was awarded by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) as the host organization the 2010 World Junior Baseball Championship, July 23 to August 1, 2010.
About the International Baseball Federation (IBAF)
Founded in 1938, the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) is a non-governmental organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as administering men’s and women’s baseball at the world level. Located in Lausanne, Switzerland – the Olympic Capital – and counting more than 125 National Member Federations, the IBAF organizes the IBAF Men’s and Women’s Baseball World Cup, the AAA (18U) and AA (16U) World Championships, and it sanctions the World Baseball Classic, among other international baseball tournaments. The IBAF works to develop and grow the game of baseball around the world. For more information, please visit IBAF.org.
