Team Australia is getting an early boost in the build-up to the 2026 World Baseball Classic as NSW’s own Travis Bazzana has confirmed his intent to represent his country at the tournament.
He will be joined by Liam Hendriks, three-time MLB All-Star and considered to be one of the best closers of his era, and Curtis Mead, who has played three seasons in Major League Baseball.
Travis himself was the Number 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, after completing a record-breaking collegiate season at Oregon State. He currently is part of the Cleveland Guardians, where he has improved into one of the league’s most exciting prospects.
He has also represented Australia at the youth level, having played for the nation’s U23 squad at the U23 World Cup and the Premier12.
Australia is set to compete in Pool C at the tournament, to be played from 5-10 March 2026 at the Tokyo Dome. The nation had advanced to the quarterfinals at the same venue in 2023.
Moreover, the World Baseball Classic gathers together the best players in the world, giving participating countries the chance to compete at full professional strength.
For Travis Bazzana, playing for Team Australia at the World Baseball Classic since 2019, even writing down his potential lineups in the Notes app on his phone.
“I’ve kind of always dreamt of playing in the World Baseball Classic,” he said in an interview on MLB Office Hours.’
Still, the idea of playing for his home country only became real to him around the time he committed to college in the United States. That was when he “started to kind of see a future for myself in the game,” he added.
Bazzana, Hendriks, and Mead should make for an excellent foundation as Team Australia finalizes its World Baseball Classic roster ahead of the tournament.
Baseball NSW wishes the best for Travis and the rest of Team Australia as they prepare to face the world’s best baseballers in Japan!
Photo from Baseball Australia