(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
     Colombia and Brazil complete field of participants World Baseball Classic 2026
Nederlands
 TUCSON, Arizona (USA) -
Colombia and Brazil became the 19th and 20th country to qualify for the sixth edition of the World Baseball Classic.
With that, the field of participants is now complete for the event that is scheduled for March 5-17 next year.
Colombia and Brazil secured their spot in the second of two WBC Qualifying Tournaments, which took place March 2-6 in Tucson, Arizona (USA).
The other participating countries there were China and Germany.
A week ago, in the Taipei Dome in Taiwanese capital Taipei City, Nicaragua and host Chinese Taipei qualified for the Classic in the first WBC Qualifier (February 21-25).
Also participating there were South Africa and Spain, who were eliminated, like China and Germany.
In Tucson, the games were played at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Kino Sports Complex, which was the Spring Training-site of Major League-clubs Arizona Diambondbacks (1998-2010) and Chicago White Sox (1998-2008).
Since 2022, the stadium is the home of Tucson Saguaros, which plays in the Pecos League, which is an Independent League.
On Day 1 (Sunday, March 2), Germany opened the tournament with a big 12-2, 7-inning, mercy-rule win against China.
Remarkably enough, China recorded more basehits than Germany (9-8), but also committed four defensive errors.
China initially opened the score in the first inning with one run, Germany answered with two runs, but China came alongside.
Germany then turned the game its way from the fourth inning on.
With a 6-2 lead, Germany ended the game with a 6-run rally in he seventh inning, highlighted by a 2-run homerun by Donald Lutz.
In 2013 and 2014 combined, Lutz played in 62 Major League-games for Cincinnati Reds.
German starter Markus Solbach struckout six batters.
The righthander played professionally in the organizations of Minnesota Twins (2011-2013), Arizona Diamondbacks (2014-2016), Los Angeles Dodgers (2019; 2021) and Detroit Tigers (2022), appearing in 134 Minor League-games, reaching Triple-A in 2021 (17 games) and 2022 (two games).
He also played in Independent Leagues and in Australia and Italy and is currently active for Bonn Capitals.
In the evening, Colombia shutout Brazil, 6-0.
Four Colombian pitchers gave up only three basehits.
On Day 2, Brazil recovered from the loss in the opener and recorded a 9-7 win against Germany.
Brazil took a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning, but led only 8-7 after eight innings.
An insurance run was then added in the ninth.
In the fourth, Brazil rallied off of reliever Jaden Agassi, the son of two tennis-legends, American Andre Agassi and German Steffi Graf, which makes eligible to play for Germany.
The righthander pitches for the University of Southern California and made his debut in the German National Team.
Also playing for Germany during this event were infielder Eric Brenk and catcher Vincent Ahrens, who last year played in the Dutch big league for respectively HCAW and Curaçao Neptunus.
In the evening-game, Colombia recorded another convincing win, this time a 9-1 victory against China.
Colombia collected eleven basehits, including a 2-run homerun by Jesus Marriaga.
On the third day of the round-robin, two mercy-rule wins were recorded.
Brazil handed China another big 12-2 loss in seven innings.
With that, China was eliminated.
Brazil collected 15 basehits, rallied for six runs in the first inning and led 11-1 after three innings.
China erased the 10-run difference in the fifth, but Brazil then scored its 12th run in the bottom of the 7th inning on a 2-out, walk-off single by Vitor Ito.
In the evening, the final game of the round-robin between Colombia and Germany was decisive for first place.
When Germany had won, there would have been a three-way tie.
In that case, the final score would have become important.
It didn't come that far, as Colombia shutout Germany 10-0 in seven innings to remain unbeaten and qualify for the Classic.
Colombia collected 15 basehits and rallied for five runs in the first inning.
Dilson Herrera, who played in 105 Major League-games from 2014 through 2020, was 4-for-4.
With that, Brazil and Germany met in the Play-Off game for second place on Thursday (March 6).
Like their first meeting, it was a close game, but Brazil again won with a 2-run difference, 6-4 to become the final team to qualify for the Classic.
Brazil struck early and led 6-2 after four innings.
Germany then narrowed the deficit to 6-4 in the seventh, but couldn't turn the game around.
The Brazilian defense ended the game with a double play.
Colombia will participate for the third time in the World Baseball Classic.
The team earlier participated in 2017 and 2023.
Brazil participated in one earlier edition, in 2013.
Sixteen countries already secured themselves of a spot in the World Baseball Classic, based on their results in 2023.
In August, the Pool-alignments were announced.
Canada, Cuba, Panama and Puerto Rico will play in Pool A, Great Britain, Italy, Mexico and the USA have been assigned to Pool B, Australia, Czechia, Japan and South Korea will come into action in Pool C and the Dominican Republic, Israel, the Netherlands and Venezuela will meet in Pool D.
In 2026, Pool A will be played in Estadio Hiram Bithorn in San Juan (Puerto Rico), Pool B in Daikin Park in Houston, Texas (USA), the home of Houston Astros, Pool C in the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo (Japan) and Pool D in LoanDepot Park, the home of Miami Marlins in Miami, Florida (USA).
Houston and Miami also will be the sites of the Quarter Finals.
The Semi-Finals and Final will be played in Miami.
Brazil, Chinese Taipei, Colombia and Nicaragua will be assigned to one of these Pools soon, as both Qualifers have now been played.
(March 6)
Related Articles:
 Qualifiers announced for World Baseball Classic. (November 12)
Nicaragua and Chinese Taipei qualify for World Baseball Classic 2026. (February 25)
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