21/08/2024 1 Minute Read

Team Italy competes in World Baseball Classic Pool B with USA, Mexico, Great Britain and Qualifier in Houston from March 6-11, 2026

Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas will host World Baseball Classic Pool B from March 6-11, 2024 as well as the Quarterfinals between the top two finishers of Pool A (Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama and Qualifier) and Pool B from March 13-14, 2026. The Quarterfinals between the top two finishers of Pool C (Japan, Australia, Korea, Czech Republic and Qualifier) and Pool D (Venezuela, Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Israel and Qualifier) from March 13-14, 2026, the Semifinals from March 15-16, 2026 and the Championship on March 17, 2026 take place at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.

MLB, WBSC and the MLBPA (the Major League Players Association) have joined forces in its three-year race to recover the four-year cycle interrupted by the pandemic, to present the World Baseball Classic (WBC) from March 5-17, 2026. The WBC will involve 20 teams in the main phase, the 16 best from the previous edition plus four winners from the qualifiers, divided into four Pools of five teams each.

Team Italy is included in Pool B, which is taking place in Houston at the home of the Astros. In the 2023 WBC, Italian manager Mike Piazza led the Azzurri to the quarterfinals in Tokyo against Japan. In order to repeat, this time Team Italy will have to earn one of the two available places against, in order, one winner from the 2025 Qualifiers on Saturday, March 7, 2026; Great Britain on Sunday, March 8, 2026; USA on Tuesday, March 10, 2026; and Mexico on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

Pool B SCHEDULE (Houston, Texas)

Pool A SCHEDULE (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Pool C SCHEDULE (Tokyo, Japan)

Pool D SCHEDULE (Miami, Florida)

If Team USA advances to the quarterfinals in Houston, their game will be played on Friday, March 13th regardless of whether they are the winner or runner-up of Pool B. Likewise, if Samurai Japan advances to Miami, their game will be played on Saturday, March 14th regardless of whether they are the winner or runner-up of Pool C.

Details regarding the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, which will be held in February and March 2025, will be announced soon.

Full ticket information will be available in the near future, but fans can register now at worldbaseballclassic.com/tickets to stay up to date.

OFFICIAL WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC WEBSITE

Forza #Italia!

by Marco Landi and Roberto Angotti

(Photo of Team Italy entering the field for the 2023 WBC Quarterfinal at Tokyo Dome by Sam Cooper)

Categories: Team Italy Baseball , Featured news