Team Israel will look to repeat the Cinderella run from 2017 when they face off against Nicaragua in Miami
Ynet reports that Israel's National Baseball team will begin group play in the World Baseball Classic on Sunday against Nicaragua at loanDepot Park in Miami, the United States, the home of the Miami Marlins.
Team Israel returns for their second-ever appearance in the competition, after arguably being the story of the tournament last time around.
Back in 2017, Israel won four straight games out of the gate despite being heavy underdogs entering the competition and advanced to the second round before being eliminated by hosts Japan at the famous Tokyo Dome.
The Israelis continued the momentum from 2017 by qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which saw the return of baseball to the Olympic games for the first time since 1996.
The main attraction in the heart of Israel's lineup will be two-time World Series champion and two-time All-Star Joc Pederson, who plays for the San Francisco Giants.
'This isn’t a five-game or seven-game series. This is one game (at a time), and if we can put together a really solid game, solid nine innings against these other teams, we have just as good a chance as anybody.'
Source - Ynet/Twitter - Image - Jim Chaps/Twitter