WBSC announces dates, venues for new U-23 Baseball World Cup™ 2016 in Monterrey, Mexico

by WBSC

ESPAÑOL

Photo Gallery

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today revealed the dates and venues for the first-ever WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2016, which will be hosted by the city of Monterrey, Mexico, from 28 October to 6 November.

The world governing body also announced the expansion of the U-21 Baseball World Cup to a new U-23 format, in order to further raise the elite competition level by allowing nations to utilise the top players up to 23 years-old.

The official Baseball World Cup™ platforms, which are for the title of world champion, will now be competed in the age categories of U-12, U-15, U-18, and U-23, as well as Women’s.

The U-23 Baseball World Cup will now distribute one of the largest sums of world ranking points in the sport of baseball, only behind the WBSC Premier12 and the WBSC-sanctioned World Baseball Classic, the top-tier events that allocate the first and second amount of ranking points, respectively.

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said: “We are excited to expand to this new U-23 Baseball World Cup format and position this world championship behind our flagship events, which will further raise the profile and reach of the WBSC four-year tournament cycle.”

The U-23 Baseball World Cup 2016 in Monterrey will be the top international competition of the year, allocating 690 world ranking points to the first-ever U-23 world champion. (1,380 points are awarded to the winner of the Premier12; 1,150 are awarded to the winner of the World Baseball Classic.)

Centre stage of the U-23 Baseball World Cup 2016 will be one of the highest capacity baseball stadiums in all of Latin America, at the 27,000-seat Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey, home of professional club Sultannes Monterrey of the Mexican Baseball League (LMB).

Other stadiums that will host U-23 world championship games include Parque Hundido UANL and Unidad Deportiva Alfonso Martinez Dominguez, which will undergo renovations and upgrades to meet international standards, leaving a legacy for the community and future generations of local baseball players.

The official emblem and look, as well as the competing National Teams, of the new WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup will be announced in the coming weeks.