Category: Softball

by Abhishek Shukla

Men’s Softball World Cup groups unveiled; World No. 1 Australia to start title defence in Group A

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) announced today the groups of the XVIII Men’s Softball World Cup, which is scheduled to open this year with the 18-team Group Stage. World champions and world No. 1 Australia will start their title defence in Group A, to be played in Hermosillo, Mexico in June.

A total of 10 national teams have booked their tickets to the World Cup. Besides one wild card, an African Qualifier (two available spots), which will take place in South Africa from 29 February to 2 March, and an Americas Qualifier (five available spots) scheduled to be played in April, will decide the seven remaining participants in the biggest men’s softball event in the world. The 10 qualified nations are:

  • Asia (3) No. 2 Japan, No. 11 Singapore, No. 14 Philippines
  • Europe (2) No. 5 Czechia, No. 17 Netherlands
  • Oceania (2) No. 1 Australia, No. 8 New Zealand
  • Hosts (3) No. 3 Canada, No. 6 USA, No. 9 Mexico
  • Wild Card (1) TBD
Men's Softball World Cup Groups

The field of teams will be split into three groups to open the tournament. 

Mexico will host the Group A, with the participation of the defending World Champions Australia, Czechia, Philippines, and two teams coming from the Americas Qualifier. This group will be held in June in Hermosillo.

Group B is scheduled to be played between 10 and 14 July in Prince Albert, Canada, where the hosts and four-time world champions will compete against New Zealand (winners of seven World Cup titles), and Singapore. One team from the Americas Qualifier, one from the African Qualifier and one wild card (to be announced) will complete the group.

The third and final group will be hosted by USA in Oklahoma City, from 17 to 21 September. The 2022 World Cup bronze medallists and hosts will receive Japan, the Netherlands, two teams coming from the Americas Qualifier and one representative from the African continent.

The final composition of the groups will be announced after the completion of the two remaining continental qualifiers.

A total of 57 games will be played across the Group Stage. Each group will play a 15-game round robin with the top four teams advancing to the Play-Offs. The top two sides will play each other with a ticket to the Finals at stake, while the loser of the first play-off game will then play against the third v fourth winner for the second spot in the Finals.

by Abhishek Shukla

Hermosillo to host WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup Group A in June

After the success of the WBSC U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup last November, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has awarded Hermosillo, México the hosting rights for the WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup Group A, the most important men’s softball tournament in the world. Group A, one of three groups that make up the Group Stage, will take place from 12-16 June 2024.

Hermosillo, the capital of the Sonora State, hosted in 2023 the WBSC U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup at the fully renovated Fernando Ortiz and Mundialistas Hermosillenses stadiums, which remain as a long-term legacy for the Hermosillo softball community. The Fernando Ortiz stadium seated almost 2,000 fans every night during the youth event and will serve as the main venue for the WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup Group Stage.

 

The XVIII WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup will be played for the first time under the two-stage format. A total of 18 teams will start the tournament with the Group Stage, scheduled for the summer of 2024.

With the confirmation of Hermosillo – thanks to the support of the Mexico’s National Commission for Physical Culture and Sport (CONADE) and its Director, Ana Guevara; along with the Sonora State Sports Commission (CODESON) – the Group Stage is now set. Hermosillo will host Group A in June, followed by Group B in Prince Albert, Canada, from 10 to 14 July; and Group C in Oklahoma City, USA, between 17 and 21 September.

The top two teams in the final standings of each group and two wild cards will move to the World Championship Finals 2025, to be played in Prince Albert, Canada, from 8 to 13 July next year.

As hosts of Group A, the Mexican Men’s National Softball Team became the 11th team qualified for the XVIII WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup. The qualified teams are:

  • Africa (2)
  • Americas (5)
  • Asia (3) No. 2 Japan, No. 11 Singapore, No. 14 Philippines
  • Europe (3) No. 5 Czechia, No. 13 Denmark, No. 17 Netherlands
  • Oceania (2) No. 1 Australia, No. 8 New Zealand
  • Hosts (3) No. 3 Canada, No. 6 USA, No. 9 Mexico

The WBSC Africa qualifying event will open the 2024 season from 29 February to 2 March in Limpopo, South Africa; while the WBSC Americas qualifier will be played 7-14 April in Sincelejo, Colombia.

by Abhishek Shukla

WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup Group B awarded to Pingtan, China

The tournament will be played from 14 to 18 August at the Pingtan Softball Stadium. With Group B being hosted in China, the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage is complete, with Group A in Brazil and Group C in USA.

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today announced that Pingtan, China has been awarded the hosting rights of the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup Group B. The tournament will be played from 14 to 18 August at the Pingtan Softball Stadium.

With Group B being hosted in China, the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage is complete, with Group A to be staged in Sao Paulo, Brazil, from 23 to 27 July; and Group C in Dallas, USA, from 28 August to 2 September.

Pingtan Island is the largest island in Fujian Province, and the fifth-largest administered by China. The Pingtan Softball Stadium, with a total construction area of 8,957m2 and a total seating capacity of 5,030, hosted the Asia Qualifier for the World Cup in 2023. 

The WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup, which was first held in 1981 as a Junior Women’s Softball World Cup, will return to China after 21 years. Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu province, hosted the event in 2003. At the same time, this will be the third Softball World Cup on China soil having also staged the Women’s Softball World Cup 2006 in Beijing – a qualifier for the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

World No. 15 China has won three medals in the history of the event, all of them in the first three editions. They won the World Championship in Fargo, USA, in 1985; a silver medal two years later in Oklahoma City, USA; and a bronze in the inaugural junior World Cup in Edmonton, Canada, in 1981.

China has already qualified for the event after a third-place finish at the Asia Cup. With one continental qualifier still to be played, the qualified teams for the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup are:

Americas (5): TBD
Asia (3):  No. 2 Japan, No. 4 Chinese Taipei and No. 15 China  
Europe (3): World No. 6 Italy, No. 9 Czechia and No. 21 Ireland 
Oceania (2): No. 32 New Zealand and No. 10 Australia 
Wild Card/Host (5): No. 1 USA, No. 23 Brazil, TBD

by Abhishek Shukla

USA Softball Announces Preliminary Roster for 2024 Men’s National Team Ahead of WBSC World Cup

Oklahoma City, USA — In a significant development for USA Softball, the national governing body has unveiled a list of 35 athletes selected for consideration for the 2024 Men’s National Team. This announcement comes as the team gears up for the WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup Group Stage event, scheduled to take place in Oklahoma City from September 17 to 21, 2024.

Head Coach Ron Hackett expressed enthusiasm about the team’s prospects, emphasizing the importance of building on their recent achievements. “We are excited at the blend of experience and youth we have in our program. This group of men embodies that,” Hackett said. He stressed the goal of becoming world champions in 2025, highlighting the strong team dynamics that will drive them towards this objective.

The preliminary roster for the 2024 season, available for public viewing, is particularly notable for including all 16 athletes from the 2022 USA team. This team made history by clinching the bronze medal at the WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup 2022, marking USA’s first medal in the competition in over two decades.

Adding to the team’s depth are four members of the U-18 National Team, who recently finished fourth in the World Cup in Hermosillo. Standout players Logan Boom, Brennan DuCharme, Braden DuCharme, and Cody Gibbons — the latter two earning spots on the All-World Team — are among the new faces.

The upcoming WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup marks a departure from tradition, being the first to adopt a two-stage format with Group Stage and Finals in consecutive years. Prince Albert, Canada, will host one group in July 2024, while Oklahoma City will welcome a second group in September. The location for the third group remains unannounced, with the Finals set for July 2025 in Prince Albert.

As the host of a Group Stage event, the USA team, currently ranked No. 5 globally, has been automatically placed in its respective group. This presents a unique opportunity for the team to showcase its talents on home soil and to strive for the ultimate goal set by Coach Hackett: clinching the world champion title in 2025.