Schedule unveiled for upcoming WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup in Sonora, Mexico - tickets on sale soon
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today published the official schedule of the III WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup, which will take place in the state of Sonora, Mexico, from 23 September to 2 October.
The 12-team U-23 international baseball tournament will be contested over 50 games, with Game 50 set as the World Championship Final. The Opening Round will take place from 23-27 September and feature six games per day.
The Opening Ceremony is scheduled for 6.30 pm in Ciudad Obregon on Thursday, 23 September.
The teams will start the tournament with a group stage (round-robin):
- Group A Ciudad Obregon: Mexico, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Germany and Chinese Taipei
- Group B Hermosillo: Colombia, Korea, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama and Venezuela
Germany and Chinese Taipei will open Group A at 10:30 a.m. local time in Ciudad Obregon, while the Panama-Colombia 10:30 a.m. game will serve as the Hermosillo Group B opener.
The hosts and defending U-23 World Champions, Mexico, will take the field at 7.30 pm against the Czech Republic in Ciudad Obregon.
The top three finishers from each group will advance to the Super Round, which will be played from 29 September to 1 October. The finals are set for Saturday, 2 October.
Tickets On Sale Soon
Tickets will be on sale shortly - timing to be communicated via WBSC, Yaquis de Obregon and Naranjeros de Hermosillo social media platforms - for all 50 games of the tournament. Fans can purchase their tickets for Group A and Super Round games in Ciudad Obregon at ticketu.com.mx. Tickets for Group B and Placement Round games in Hermosillo will be available at boletomovil.com.
There will be a limited capacity at each venue, due to Covid safety protocols, so the recommendation is for fans to buy their tickets as soon as possible.
Megacable confirmed as host broadcaster
One of Mexico’s largest telecommunications companies, Megacable has been chosen as the Host Broadcaster and the exclusive rights holder in the Mexican territory for the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup Mexico 2020 and is expected to reach millions of viewers through its various channels, including TVC Deportes, TVC Deportes 2 and Megasports.
Megacable has many years of TV production and many international baseball events under its belt. The WBSC is proud to work with such an experienced broadcasting partner.
Age eligibility
The WBSC previously ruled to expand the age category for the upcoming edition of the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup in Mexico to include players up to the age of 24 due to the one-year postponement of the event to the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, players born in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 will be eligible to participate in the 2021 WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup.
The last edition of the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup was played in 2018 in Barranquilla, Colombia. Mexico defeated Japan, 2-1 in the World Championship Final, while Venezuela bested Korea, 5-4, to earn the bronze.
