The top two finishers of each tournament will advance to the respective 2024 Group Stage.

It's the Tigers' first title since 1985. Manager Akinobu Okada was their starting second baseman at the time. Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Koyo Aoyagi pitched 4.2 scoreless innings to start Game 7 for the Tigers. Centre fielder Koji Chikamoto earned MVP honours.

The second edition of the Baseball5 European Championship will include 13 participants. France is the reigning European champion. The top two finishers will qualify for the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2024.

Australia has enjoyed success in the baseball and softball Olympic stage combining for five Olympic medals, including two in Athens 2004 and a softball bronze medal at Beijing 2008 (pictured). The Oceania giant is always a strong candidate to reach the podium in any international competition.

Liu’s homerun in the 14th inning is the first walk-off homerun in the 34-year history of the Taiwan Series. A total of 16 pitchers were used in the game. setting a record for a Taiwan Series game. The game also went past 10pm, which meant all electronic equipment and instruments went silent as the special “Tianmu Stadium Neighborhood Friendly Clause” went into effect.

Eu is a two-time World Cup veteran who represented Singapore in the U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup 2020 and the U-23 Men’s Softball World Cup 2023.

After the Opening Round, the four best-ranked nations in the tournament advanced to the Super Round, which starts on Thursday.

Mexico moved above USA in the list after their bronze medal in the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. Chile returns in 50th place to take the total number of baseball programmes in the ranking to 80.

Team USA U-16 alumnus Corey Seager (Photo: MLB) was rewarded for his efforts in helping the Rangers claim their first World Series, winning his second-career World Series MVP.

Weichuan Dragons, who abruptly withdrew from the Chinese Professional Baseball League after winning their third-straight CPBL titles in 1999, will appear in the Taiwan Series for the first time in 24 years.