Israel’s baseball team, which captivated at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, is headed to its first Olympics next summer.
Israel won a joint European-African tournament to become the first nation to qualify for baseball’s return to the Games after the sport was voted off the program after Beijing 2008.
It joins host nation Japan. Four more countries will qualify -- two at the global Premier12 in November, another from the Americas and one more from a last-chance qualifier next year.
Israel, ranked 19th in the world, advanced via its best opportunity in Italy this week. It upset the highest-ranked European nations -- the Netherlands (No. 8) and host Italy (No. 16) -- and wrapped it up with an 11-1 win over South Africa on Sunday.
Its run came two years after Israel, then ranked 41st, beat South Korea, Chinese Taipei, the Netherlands and Cuba before bowing out of the World Baseball Classic. And one week after Israel finished fourth at the European Championship.
Israel’s roster at this week’s Olympic qualifier lacked many of the MLB veterans that it had at the World Baseball Classic. Israeli citizenship was not required at the WBC.
Its most recognizable player is Danny Valencia, an infielder who played parts of nine MLB seasons from 2010-18. Joey Wagman, its starting pitcher for its first and last games this week, plies his trade for the independent-league Milwaukee Milkmen.
MLB players are unlikely to feature at the Tokyo Games, but minor leaguers are expected to be eligible as in the past.
The rest of the Olympic field is likely to be nations from North America (such as the U.S., Cuba, Mexico or Canada) or Asia (South Korea, Chinese Taipei) or Australia.
Baseball will not be on the 2024 Olympic program but could be added for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
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The Final Out!!! Israel's going to the @Tokyo2020 Olympics!!! @ILBaseball @olympicchannel pic.twitter.com/a1p1lQ675a
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) September 22, 2019