Game No. 1: Chinese Taipei (中華臺北) at Australia (ɐı̣ןɐɹʇsnⱯ)
Venue: Tokyo Dome — Tokyo, Japan
The first game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic includes one of the last tournament’s hosts. Chinese Taipei finished the group stage with a record of 2-2, as did everyone else in 2023’s Pool A. However, they failed to qualify for the knockout quarterfinals with a -5 run differential. They’ll be the away team against Australia, who went 3-1 in the group stage only to be knocked out by Cuba in the first round of the knockout stage in 2023.
Rockies fans may recognize
left-handed pitcher Jack Te Haki O’Loughlin—who spent time with the organization last year—on the Australia roster. He is joined by former Rockies farmhand and catcher Robbie Perkins, young Cleveland Guardians star Travis Bazzana, and 2023 tournament standout Robbie Glendinning on the team.
For Chinese Taipei, viewers may recognize journeyman MLB outfielder Stuart Fairchild. Fairchild spent the 2025 season with the Atlanta Braves and is currently on a minor league deal with the Cleveland Guardians. I personally suggest keeping an eye on outfielder Chen Chieh-hsien. Chen is a six-time All-Star in the CPBL with four Gold Glove Awards and has been playing for the Uni-President Lions since 2016.
First Pitch: 8:00 PM MDT
TV: FS1
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
RHP Jo-hsi Hsu vs LHP Alex Wells
Game No. 2: Czechia (Česká) at Korea (대한민국)
Venue: Tokyo Dome — Tokyo, Japan
The darlings of the 2023 tournament take on a former powerhouse looking to make a comeback in the second game of the day.
Czechia was eliminated in pool play back in 2023 with a 1-3 record, but captured the hearts of viewers with their story. A team of electricians, doctors, engineers, and school teachers from a country hardly considered to be baseball-focused, Czechia played David versus Goliath games against the likes of Japan and finished with a record just good enough to automatically qualify for this year’s Classic.
Although retired from baseball, 2023 team captain Petr Zýma is Czechia’s bench coach with catcher Martin Mužík taking over as the new captain. Electrician and right-handed pitcher Ondřej Satoria—who made a name for himself by striking out Shoehi Ohtani on three pitches in 2023—has also returned to the team. Rockies fans might recognize infielder Terrin Vavra, whom the Rockies selected in the third round of the 2018 draft. Vavra is the only player for Czechia with big league experience.
Korea was knocked out in pool play after finishing 2-2, and is now back with a roster absolutely packed with talent. MLB players Shay Whitcomb, Jahmai Jones, Woo-suk Go, and Dane Dunning all have roles to play, while highly decorated former MLB pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu, Giants outfielder and “Grandson of the Wind” Jung-hoo Lee and electric young Dodgers infielder Hyeseong Kim bring star-power to the lineup.
First Pitch: 3:00 AM MDT (March 5th, 2026)
TV: FS1
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
RHP Daniel Padyšák vs RHP Hyeong-jun So
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