On Thursday the long anticipated World Baseball Classic Qualifiers in Mexicali, Mexico and Panama City, Panama will get underway. Germany and Czech Republic in Mexicali and France and Spain in Panama City will represent European Baseball, hoping to upset the favored teams from Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Colombia on route to reaching the main tournament of the World Baseball Classic.
Preparation time ends on Wednesday with the last practices on site at Estadio B’Air in Mexicali and Rod Carew Stadium in Panama City. All MLB affiliated players including Donald Lutz (Germany) and Adrian Gonzalez (Mexico) joined their respective teams this week. On opening day in Mexicali on Thursday Germany takes on Nicaragua at 12.30pm and Mexico faces the Czech Republic at 7.30pm right after Fernando Valenzuela has thrown the first pitch. In Panama City Colombia squares off against Spain at 1pm in the afternoon and host Panama plays against France at 8pm in the evening.
All games of the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers will be live streamed through MLB.tv. Visit www.worldbaseballclassic.com for all the rosters, live play by play and the links to the livestreams.
