#KUinTAIWAN: FISU World University Baseball Championship schedule announced
CHIAYI, Taiwan – The International University Sports Federation (FISU) finalized the Sixth World University Baseball Championship (WUBC) schedule with the Kansas baseball team, representing the United States, to start competition Thursday, July 5, against Hong Kong.
The WUBC runs from July 6-15 in Chiayi, Taiwan, at the Chiayi City Baseball Field. The pool play format is set up with eight teams divided into two groups. Group A consists of Taiwan, Korea, Czech Republic and Australia, while Group B comprises Japan, United States (Kansas), Russia and Hong Kong.
Each team will play three games during pool play before moving to the second phase of the championship that features a super round and consolation round July 11-13. The third phase, the finals, July 14-15, will decide first through eighth place. A complete breakdown can be found on the official WUBC website.
With a 13-hour time difference in Taiwan ahead of the Central Time Zone, Kansas opens against Hong Kong at 8 p.m. (CT) on July 5. The second game of pool play takes place July 8 at 12 a.m. (CT) against Japan, with Russia to follow on July 9, also at 12 a.m. (CT).
The games will all be live streamed in some facet on a combination of sources, with more information to follow.
The Jayhawks leave for Taiwan on Tuesday, July 3. They will take a 6 a.m., flight from Kansas City to Denver, Colorado, before boarding a connecting flight that takes off for San Francisco, California, at 8:45 a.m. (CT). To reach Taiwan, Kansas will take a 13.5-hour flight that will get the Jayhawks into Taipei at 5:30 a.m. (CT) on July 4.
A total of 22 student-athletes are allowed to participate for each team, and for Kansas, only U.S. citizens can compete, with incoming freshmen and transfers qualifying. An official USA Team roster will be released prior to the start of the competition on Wednesday, July 4.
The United States holds more medals – three gold and two silver – in the event than any other participating country, including taking home the crown in 2004, 2006 and 2008. Japan is second on the list with four medals – two silver and two bronze – while Cuba is third with three medals – two gold and one bronze.
This trip marks the second foreign tour for the Jayhawks in less than a two-year span, as they trekked to the Dominican Republic in November of 2016.
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