Chinese Taipei will choose its team for the 2025 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup, presented by RAXUS, during the Yushuan Cup. The High School Championship, known as “Taiwan’s Koshien,” starts on June 5 and will feature 350 players from 31 schools across Taiwan. The winning manager will have the responsibility of selecting the team for the World Cup.
The Yushuan Cup will be hosted by Taoyuan and Kaohsiung during the opening rounds, with the medal round taking place at Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City. The final will be held on June 14.
Cheng-Hua Lin, a member of the Chinese Taipei team that won the 2019 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup, joined the pre-tournament press conference to share his thoughts. Now an outfielder with the Rakuten Monkeys in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), Lin recalled the critical final moments of the 2019 World Cup.
“When I saw a fly ball coming my way, I remembered my error against Canada,” Lin reflected. “It was a similar situation, only this time the ball was much more important. I focused and caught it.” Lin emphasized the importance of passion and hard work, advising the current players: “If you’ve made it this far, you already have talent. Don’t give up.”
The 2025 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup will take place in Okinawa, Japan, from September 5 to 14. The tournament follows the traditional format, with 12 teams split into two groups. The top three teams from each group advance to the Super Round, and the first and second-place teams compete for the championship, while the third and fourth-place teams vie for bronze.
Group A will include Japan (World No. 1), Korea (No. 6), Puerto Rico (No. 9), Cuba (No. 10), Italy (No. 14), and South Africa (No. 30).
Group B will feature Chinese Taipei (No. 2), the USA (No. 5), Panama (No. 8), Australia (No. 12), Germany (No. 17), and China (No. 20).
The WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup, first held in 1981, is the oldest Youth Baseball World Cup. Cuba holds the most titles with 11, followed by the United States with 10, Korea with 5, and Chinese Taipei with 3.
Japan won its first title in 2023 after defeating Chinese Taipei in the final.
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