MASON CITY – Three former NIACC baseball players will play in next month’s World Baseball Classic.
Former NIACC pitcher Ryan Huntington will play for the Netherlands. Infielder Robbie Glendinning and pitcher Mitch Neunborn will play for Australia.
Huntington, a left-handed pitcher from Aruba, was with the Trojans from 2015-17.
“Well, honestly, this is a opportunity that not many people get to experience,” Huntington said, “so for sure this means the world to me.
“You get a chance to represent your country on one of the biggest stage of baseball. This is a dream of every baseball player, I would believe. It was definitely one of mine.”
Huntington said that the Netherlands’ roster is made up of players from the Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten.
“As a player of Aruba, we have the opportunity to play for the Kingdom Of The Netherlands,” Huntington said, “because we have a Dutch passport.”
After NIACC, Huntington played pro baseball in the Netherlands.
Glendinning, who is in the Kansas City Royals’ organization, helped lead NIACC to the NJCAA Division II World Series in 2015 and 2016. Neunborn, a right-handed pitcher, played for the Trojans in 2017.
Pool play for the World Baseball Classic is set for March 7-15.
Netherlands is in Pool A, which will be played in the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung, Chinese Taipei. Other teams in Pool A are Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Italy and Panama.
Australia is in Pool B, which will be played in the Tokyo Dome in Japan. Other countries in Pool B are Japan, South Korea, China and Czech Republic.
The Netherlands’ first game is set for 10 p.m. (CDT) March 7 against Cuba. That game will be televised on FS1.
Australia opens pool play at 9 p.m. (CDT) on March 8 against South Korea. That game will be televised on FS1.
WBC Facts
Pool play: March 7-15
Quarterfinals: March 15-18
Semifinals: March 19-20
Championship: March 21
Pool A (Taichung, Chinese Taipei) – Chinese Taipei, Netherlands, Cuba, Italy, Panama.
Pool B (Tokyo, Japan) – Japan, South Korea, Australia, China, Czech Republic.
Pool C (Phoenix, Arizona) – United States, Mexico, Colombia, Canada, Great Britain.
Pool D (Miami, Florida) – Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Israel, Nicaragua.
(PHOTO: Robbie Glendinning minors summer 2022, via NIACC)
