CARY, N.C. (WTVD) — USA Baseball has moved its emphasis to 2021 programming following the successful completion of the inaugural National Team Championships in North Carolina in August. The calendar for next year includes possibilities to qualify for the 2021 Olympic Games, as well as the hosting of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup in Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, and several national team identification tournaments around the country.
Championships of the National Team The 15U and Women’s National Team Trials will not be held this year, hence North Carolina was the final tournament of 2020. Both the 15U and Women’s National Teams were scheduled to play in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup and Women’s Baseball World Cup, respectively, however owing to COVID-19, the competitions were postponed. Furthermore, there will be no regional identification events in 2020 for the 2021 USA Baseball National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup.
“In 2021, we’re looking forward to a full slate of USA Baseball programming, including opportunities to qualify for the Olympic Games, compete for world championships, and win a gold medal on home soil at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Florida,” said USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler. “While hard, this year has provided us with the opportunity to learn and grow as an organisation, and we are looking forward to returning to action in 2021 and continuing to develop young players both on and off the field.”
A complete schedule of events and national team programming for USA Baseball in 2021 will be released at a later date. The National High School Invitational (NHSI) will be held for the eighth year, together with the Futures Invitational, the National Team Championships in Arizona and North Carolina, and the National Team Identification Series, among other events.
The 2021 Olympic Games, which will be held in Tokyo, Japan from July 23 to August 8, will be held the following year. In the Olympic Games baseball event, Team USA will compete for one of the two remaining slots.
