2009 Baseball World Cup

The 2009 Baseball World Cup will be held in Europe Sept. 9 to 27. First-round games will be held in Regensburg, Germany; Moscow, Russia; Prague, Czech Republic; Sundyberg, Sweden; and Barcelona, Spain. The second round will be split between Italy and the Netherlands, while the final round will be played in Italy.

In total, 22 nations will compete for the coveted world championship in seven European countries.

The United States, who won the World Championship in 2007 for the third time,  is the favorite in the first round group, which takes place in Regensburg, Germany. Contrary to past competitions, elite players with Major League experience will participate in international competitions. Altogether, the United States has won 14 medals in the World Cups.

At 7 p.m. Sept. 10, the United States will begin their campaign against South American baseball powerhouse Venezuela. At 7 p.m. Sept. 11, the United States will meet the Germans. The last game of the first round against China starts at 2 p.m. Sept. 12.

At least one win is needed to retain the chance to advance to the next round. Those teams in each group finishing in first and second place, as well as four of the best third place teams, qualify for the second round.

The ball park in Regensburg, one of the oldest cities north of the Alps and the home town of Pope Benedict XVI, will have a 11,500 seat capacity. In conjunction with the fair, the Regensburg organizers announced that more than 13,000 tickets have been sold for the September first-round games.

Tickets for the Regensburg game can be found at www.baseballwm09.de. One day tickets range between €16 (opening day outfield) and €58 (Friday/Saturday home plate). Four-day tickets cost between €65 and €155.

Ordering tickets online is very easy. Payment can be made with credit card, Pay Pal or direct debiting. Upon receipt of payment, the tickets will be sent to your e-mail address.

Ticket sales and more information about the first round of the 2009 Baseball World Cup in Regensburg is available at www.baseballwm09.de or by calling Philipp Hoffschild at 0941-2979-7835.

(Courtesy of www.baseballwm09.de)