On June 30, the 2022 National Baseball Championship was successfully concluded at the Shaoxing Baseball (Softball) Sports Cultural Center. As the baseball and softball competition venue of the Hangzhou Asian Games, the largest baseball and softball stadium in China was officially put into use, and baseball and softball masters from all over the country gathered here.
A total of 176 baseball players from eight teams from Jiangsu, Sichuan, Guangdong, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong and Shanghai participated in the National Champions Cup. Divided into group stage, crossover stage, and ranking stage, there are 20 games in total. The competition lasts from June 25 to June 30. After fierce competition, the Beijing team finally defeated the Jiangsu team 4:1 and won the championship. Jiangsu team won the runner-up, Sichuan team and Shanghai team ranked third and fourth respectively.
(The picture is provided by the Shaoxing Baseball (Soft) Ball Sports Cultural Center Team)
It is reported that in this National Champions Cup, MLB Baseball Development Center head coach Zhang Baoshu and assistant coach Jing Pengwei led 11 active players of the Development Center to fight side by side with the Shanghai team. On the field, the players shed their youthful sweat and showed their extraordinary strength. The championship is a test match for the Asian Games. The arrangement and operation of the event are carried out according to the standards of the Asian Games. It is a high-standard and high-level professional competition. The outstanding players of the younger generation showed their edge in the competition, brought a wonderful baseball feast to the audience, and let everyone see the future of Chinese baseball.
The arena is full of passion and excitement. In addition to participating in the National Champions Cup held in Shaoxing, the players of the MLB Baseball Development Center will be grouped according to the U18 and U15 age groups from the end of June to the end of July for nearly a month, and will go to various places in Guangdong Province to play a number of friendly games. Experts compete against each other.
(Photo provided by photographer Lu Jingping)
Over the years, MLB has always been committed to the cultivation of outstanding baseball talents, from the introductory MLB First Pitch baseball public welfare class, to the MLB CUP Youth Baseball Open, and then to the MLB Baseball Development Center since 2009, which has built a comprehensive system for Chinese youth baseball talents. , The whole chain of professional personnel training system. The MLB Baseball Development Center has always provided an environment for student-athletes to improve their academic ability and baseball competitive level in a balanced manner. It not only bears the responsibility of cultivating elite athletes, but also provides all-round support for the development and popularization of baseball in China. As a pioneer institution in cultivating baseball talents in China and a base for cultivating Chinese youth baseball players, the MLB Baseball Development Center has successively trained 114 outstanding graduates, of which 84 received scholarships to study in universities at home and abroad, and 7 signed contracts with the minor leagues The team, and 34 people have represented national teams of different age groups in competitions.
(Photo provided by photographer Lu Jingping)
The road to success is full of sweat, but the honor of hard work will make the effort meaningful. Playing in this high-standard venue newly built for the Hangzhou Asian Games and experiencing the atmosphere of the event that runs according to the standards of the Asian Games is of great significance to both baseball players and the development of baseball and softball in China. Not only the excellent results achieved in the competition, but more importantly, the athletes have exercised their professional skills, accumulated competition experience, and prepared for the Asian Games and future competitions.
(The picture is provided by the Shaoxing Baseball (Soft) Ball Sports Cultural Center Team)
As a practitioner of “integration of sports and education”, MLB will continue to uphold its original aspiration, focus on improving the talent training system, continue to discover China’s future baseball stars, and strive to deliver outstanding baseball talents to the country. move forward firmly on the road.
(Photo provided by photographer Lu Jingping)