WBSC Europe announced changes to the format from the three previous editions by breaking the 16 nations into four groups of four teams. The top eight finishers in the 2023 European Baseball Championship will be divided into Groups A and B in Rotterdam, while ninth-ranked Team Italy and Euro countries ranked 10th through 14th plus two Qualifiers will compete into Groups C and D at a location to be announced later.
The four groups will play in a preliminary round-robin during the first three days of the competition. Day four is a travel day so that the top two teams from Groups C and D can meet in Rotterdam to clash against the third-place finishers in Groups A and B. On the following day, the first and second place finishers from Groups A and B will also play each other to determine which eight teams will advance in the competition.
The clear intention, similar to that of the 2024 Serie A Baseball Championship in Italy, is to increase the direct clashes between the strongest teams and avoid excessive blowout games, while leaving open the possibility, for those coming from the second-tier groups to earn the right to compete among the best.
The Azzurri are therefore called into action after a dismal ninth-place finish in the last European Baseball Championship. Team Italy now has the opportunity to return to the same stadium where the squad earned the Euro gold medal in 2012.
Forza #Italia!
by Marco Landi and Roberto Angotti
