OTTAWA- Canada will open the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup on September 1st against Chinese Taipei at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario after the World Baseball Softball Confederation announced today the game schedule for the event that will take place from September 1st to 10th, 2017.
A record nine Top 10 countries have qualified into the 12-nation, premier youth baseball tournament, which will feature the best 16- to 18-year-old baseball players from around the world.
Canada, ranked No. 10 in the world, will participate in Group A in the Opening Round along with No. 4 Chinese Taipei, No. 8 Australia, No. 12 Italy, No. 3 Korea and No. 15 Nicaragua, while Group B will feature three-time defending champion No. 2 USA who will be joined by No. 5 Cuba, No. 1 Japan, No. 6 Mexico, No. 9 Netherlands and No. 29 South Africa.
Canada will take on Nicaragua (September 2nd), Korea (September 3rd), Italy (September 4th) and Australia (September 5th) in Opening Round action with the top three seeds in each group advancing to the Super Round.
Teams advancing to the Super Round will carry their Opening Round records with them (only against teams that are also advancing) to the Super Round and play against the top three seeds from the opposite group from September 7th to 9th. On September 10th the top two seeds following Super Round play will meet for gold while the third and fourth seeds will play for bronze.
Team Canada is receiving automatic entry into the event by virtue of being the host nation while all other participating nations qualified through various regional events.
In 27 all-time U-18 Baseball World Cup events, Canada has won six medals including one gold (1991), one silver (2012) and four bronze (’83, ’87, ’97, 06).
Prior to the World Cup, Team Canada will hold a selection camp in Ajax, Ontario from August 18th to 28th where 20 players will be chosen to represent their country in Thunder Bay.
