2017 World Baseball Classic: Tournament schedule, TV info, dates, locations

Joe Rodgers

2017 World Baseball Classic: Tournament schedule, TV info, dates, locations image

The 2017 World Baseball Classic schedule is set.

For the first time in the worldwide tournament, a single-elimination tiebreaker game will be played if necessary to determine the second advancing team in both the first and second rounds.

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The first round will again be a round-robin format, with the top two teams at each venue advancing to one of two second-round pools. 

Defending champion Dominican Republic will open Pool C play against Canada at Marlins Park in Miami on March 9. Colombia will make its WBC debut the following night when it takes the field against Team USA. 

Here is a breakdown of the pools. 

ROUND 1

Pool A — South Korea, Netherlands, Chinese Taipei, Israel, March 6-10 in Seoul, South Korea.
Pool B — Cuba, Japan, China, Australia, March 7-11 in Tokyo, Japan. 
Pool C — Canada, Dominican Republic, United States, Colombia, March 9-13 in Miami.
Pool D — Mexico, Italy, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, March 9-13 in Guadalajara, Mexico. 

ROUND 2

Pool E — Winners and runners-up of Pools A and B, March 12-16 in Tokyo. 
Pool F — Winners and runners-up of Pools C and D, March 14-19 in San Diego. 

FINALS

Winners and runners-up of Pools E and F, March 20, 21 and 22nd in Los Angeles. 

MLB Network is the exclusive English-language network for the Classic; ESPN Deportes is the Spanish-language network. Each network will air all games in the United States.

Joe Rodgers