The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League unanimously elected Párraga Oscar Prieto as its new president, for the period between 2013 and 2015.

Tokyo/Phoenix/San Juan. Five games were on the schedule on Friday. The day started at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, where the second round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic got underway. The Netherlands continued its strong run, downing Cuba behind the heroics of Jonathan Schoop. Afterwards Japan needed to come back twice to win in extra innings against Chinese Taipei.

Tokyo. Cuba is remaining in contention at the 2013 World Baseball Classic. In game three of the second round at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, which is being played in a modified double elimination format, the record world champion crushed Chinese Taipei 14-0 in seven innings to stay alive.

San Juan. As European Baseball is dominating the early stages of the 2013 World Baseball Classic, Puerto Rico avoided an upset against Spain, prevailing 3-0 in each team’s first-round openers at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Phoenix. Mexico defeated (5-2) Team USA in front of a roaring44.256 fan crowd in Phoenix, thus providing the second surprise of the day in poule D of the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

The Italian bats came alive in the repeat World Baseball Classicmatch up against Team Canada, getting the best of them once again in convincing fashion with a 14 to 4 victory. Team Italy knocked out 14 runs off of 17 hits, as the Canadians were only able push across 4 runs in a mercy rule loss in game 3 of pool D. The Italians move to 2 and 0 in the tournament, which dramatically help their chances in moving onto the second round in this 2013 edition of the World Baseball Classic.

Tokyo. The Netherlands continue to stifle Cuba in International Baseball. Nearly one and a half years after defeating the team from the Caribbean in the final of the 2011 IBAF Baseball World Cup in Panama City, the Dutch team also prevailed in the second-round opener of the 2013 World Baseball Classic at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. The team of manager Hensley Meulens celebrated a 6-2 victory at the start of the double elimination round.

Phoenix/San Juan/Tokyo. After the first round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic got finished in Pools A and B on Wednesday, the preliminary phase gets underway in Phoenix and San Juan. Italy shocked Mexico with a late rally to deliver the first big surprise of the tournament. In the second matchup on Thursday the Dominican Republic slugged their way past Venezuela.

San Juan. The Dominican Republic has won the highly anticipated duel against Venezuela to open Pool C of the first round at the 2013 World Baseball Classic in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Five runs in the first two innings lifted the Dominicans to an early lead en route to a 9-3 victory.

Phoenix. Italy provided the first surprise in pool D of the World Baseball Classic defeating (6-5) Mexico at the end of a 9 innings of memorable drama.