TUCSON, Ariz. – On a 67 degree day with the haze of the North Catalina Mountains gazing in the background of the Kino Sports Complex at Veterans Memorial Stadium for the first day of the second and final 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers in the Valley of the Sun, Germany went on to beat China 12-2 in seven inning mercy rule on Sunday afternoon.
China is 0-1 at the 2025 WBCQ, while Germany advanced to 1-0 in the first day of the 2025 WBCQ in Tucson.
The time of the first game of the final WBCQ was two hours and twenty eight minutes.
China’s pitching staff between starter Yanlun Zhang, relievers Xudi Suo, Jeremy Wu-Yelland, Yicong Sun, and Guangxuan Sun combined for throwing 6 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits, nine earned runs, 10 walks, and eight strikeouts.
China left eight men on base and was 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
China in the top of the first inning did not hesitate to get on the board, when shortstop Yun Lu cracked a two-out RBI single to right field, scoring center fielder Pei Liang to take a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, Germany evened the scoreboard up at one apiece, when Shawn Larry came in to score on a pass ball during second baseman Simon Baumgardt’s at-bat and tie the game up at 1-1.
A few moments later, shortstop Alex Schimdt helped Germany take the lead with an infield single and China third baseman Yun Lu mishandling the ground ball with two outs, resulting in Baumgardt scoring to take the lead at 2-1.
China’s offense did not go back out quietly in the top of the third inning, with Ning Li poking an RBI single into left-center field, scoring Pei Liang to tie it up at 2-2.
China manager Wei Li went to his bullpen in the bottom of the bottom of the fourth inning after Larry reached on a throwing error from shortstop Jin Yang and Bamgaurdt smacking a ground ball double to left field, and called upon relief pitcher Xudi Suo to replace starting pitcher Yanlun Zhang.
Yanlun Zhang threw three innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs, one walk, and three strikeouts, while creasing 44 pitches for 28 strikes.
Germany’s offense started to execute on China’s pitching staff, when Finn Bergmann drew a bases loaded walk, scoring Larry to take the lead at 3-2.
The next batter, Alex Schimdt lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Bamgaurdt to extend the lead at 4-2.
During the bottom of the fifth inning, Germany kept pounding on the run total, when Larry rocked a two-run line drive double to left field, scoring Lucas Dunn and Vincent Aherns to make it 6-2.
Germany’s offense did not go out quietly on Sunday afternoon, with Donald Lutz cranking a two-run home run over the right field fence in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring Bamgaurdt to extend the lead to 8-2.
Shortly after, Lou Helmig singled on a fly ball to right field, scoring Bergmann and making it 9-2.
Lucas Dunn capitalized a few moments later with a two-run double to right field, scoring Schimdt and Helmig to extend the score to 11-2.
The final run of the game came off Baumgardt drawing a bases loaded walk, scoring Dunn to end the game in the bottom of the seventh inning and with Germany beating China 12-2 in mercy rule fashion.
Germany starting pitcher Marrkus Solbach helped his own cause on the mound today, gemming 6 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits, two earned runs, no walks, and six strikeouts, while dialing 87 pitches for 70 strikes on Sunday afternoon.
“Marcus is our ace, he plays with a competitive mindset just like he does in the Baseball-Bundesliga in Germany alongside his command with throwing strikes,” Lutz said during the postgame.
Germany manager Jendrick Speer felt a great amount of support from his offense alongside Solbach’s pitching during Sunday’s win.
“It feels really good, the first game was the most important game and we started off really slow and Solbach gave a chance to go out there and compete,” Speer addressed to the media during the postgame.
Germany will play on March 3 at 1 p.m. EST against Brazil at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Tucson, Ariz. and China will play Colombia at 8 p.m. EST.
All WBC Qualifier games will stream live on the World Baseball Classic website, as well as on its Facebook page, MLB.TV, and YouTube channel, with coverage running through the final out of the second qualifier in Tucson, Ariz., on March 6.
After a five year pushback due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Veterans Memorial Stadium at the Kino Sports Complex will host the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers with Colombia, China, Brazil, and Germany participating at the event from March 2-6.
Chinese Taipei and Nicaragua have qualified for the 2026 WBC.
Colombia enters the tournament ranked No. 13 in the World Baseball Rankings, published by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. Brazil at No. 23, China at No. 20, and Germany at No. 17. Nicaragua sits at No. 16, while Chinese Taipei holds the No. 2 spot.
China has played in all five WBC events in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2023.
The team failed to win a game in the 2006 WBC, losing to Japan, Chinese Taipei, and South Korea in Pool A at the Tokyo Dome.
In 2009, China earned its first WBC victory, defeating Chinese Taipei 4-1 on March 7, before losing to Japan and South Korea in Pool A at the Tokyo Dome.
During the 2013 WBC, China played at the Fukuoka Dome in Fukuoka, Japan and won against Brazil 5-2 on March 5, before losing to Japan and Cuba in the double elimination format.
The team lost all three games at the 2017 WBC, falling to Australia, Cuba, and Japan in Pool B at the Tokyo Dome.
In 2023, China finished 0-4 in Pool B at the Tokyo Dome, with losses to Japan, Australia, South Korea, and the Czech Republic. Now, China must qualify for the 2026 tournament by competing in Tucson against Colombia, Germany, and Brazil.
China has had success in other international competitions. The team won gold at the Asia Baseball Cup in 2002, and has won two bronze medals at the Asian Baseball Championship in 2005 and 2019.
China has finished in fourth place at the Asian Games in every appearance since 1994.
China beat Japan 1-0 for the first time in their nation’s history in the 2022 Asian Games in Shaoxing, China at Shaoxing Baseball & Softball Sports Center on October 3, 2023 and only allowed two hits against their offense.
With a growing talent pool and increased exposure on the international stage, China’s national team faces a tough challenge ahead but remains committed to strengthening its baseball program.
The last senior international event Germany played in the 2023 European Championships and lost 5-4 in the bronze medal game to the Netherlands in the bottom of the 10th inning from Dashenko Ricardo’s two run game winning home run in the 2023 European Championship at MBS-Brno in Brno-jih-Komárov, Czech Republic on October 1, 2023.
Germany has never made the WBC in their nation’s history, but has played in the last three qualifiers in 2022, 2016, and 2012.
In the 2022 WBCQ at Armin-Wolf-Arena in Regensburg, Germany, the host nation had won one game against South Africa and lost two games to Great Britain and the Czech Republic, resulting in them not qualifying for the 2023 tournament.
During the 2016 WBCQ in Qualifier 2, Germany lost two games at Estadio B’Air in Mexicali, Mexico to Nicaragua and the Czech Republic and did not qualify for the 2017 tournament.
Germany went 2-2 in Qualifier 2 at the 2012 WBCQ at Armin-Wolf-Arena and lost to Canada twice, including the final qualifier, which did not allow them to be in the field for the 2013 event.
Germany has never won a gold medal at any major international senior event and has won the silver medal at the European Championship in 1957 and seven bronze medals in 1955, 1958, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1975, and 2010.
2026 World Baseball Classic Information
The United States, Italy, Mexico, Great Britain and a Qualifier nation will compete at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas from March 6-11 in Pool B.
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama, and a Qualifier nation will compete in San Juan, Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium from March 6-11 in Pool A.
Japan, Australia, South Korea, Czech Republic, and a Qualifier nation will compete at the Tokyo Dome from March 5-10 in Pool C.
Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Israel, and a Qualifier nation will compete at loanDepot Park in Miami in Pool D from March 6-11.
The Quarterfinals of the 2026 WBC will feature the Pool A runner-up facing the Pool B winner on March 13, while the Pool B runner-up will face the Pool A winner on March 14 at Daikin Park.
The other side of the Quarterfinals will be on March 13 with the Pool C runner-up playing the Pool D winner and the Pool D runner-up will play the Pool C winner on March 14 at loanDepot Park.
The 2026 WBC semifinals will be held on March 15 and 16 at loanDepot Park, with the championship game taking place on March 17.
2025 WBC Qualifiers Schedule – Veterans Memorial Stadium
All Game Start Times Are Listed Eastern Standard Time
March 2, 2025
Brazil vs. Colombia – 8 p.m. EST
March 3, 2025
Brazil vs. Germany – 1 p.m. EST
Colombia vs. China – 8 p.m. EST
March 4, 2025
China vs. Brazil – 1 p.m. EST
Germany vs. Colombia – 8 p.m. EST
March 6, 2025 – Qualifier Game
2nd Place Team vs. 3rd Place Team – 8 p.m. EST
Two Or More Teams Tied Standing Scenario
If two or more teams have the same record, head-to-head results determine the higher rank. If three or more are tied, the team that allowed the fewest runs per out recorded against the tied teams advances. If still tied, earned runs per out recorded will be used. If a tie remains, the team with the highest batting average in head-to-head games moves on. If no winner is determined, World Baseball Classic Inc. will hold a drawing to decide.
