As the World Baseball Classic (WBC) reaches the final stage, Stan State students have been following the tournament and shared which countries and players they have been rooting for.

The 2026 World Baseball Classic has showcased national teams battling through the games for a chance to win the championship.

The tournament is organized by Major League Baseball (MLB) and international baseball organizations, featuring many of the sport’s top players who play on their home countries’ teams.

Countries such as Mexico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Italy, Korea, Japan, Canada and the United States were among the teams in contention during the tournament’s most competitive stretch.

For Stan State students, the event has added another layer of excitement to the baseball season.

Riley Allen (Sophomore, Exercise Science) shared where his love for baseball comes from.

“I’m a San Francisco Giants fan. I grew up and loved watching them win the world series,” Allen said.

Allen also shared his favorite players on Team USA being Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals, Logan Webb of the San Francisco Giants and Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs.

Kian Sanchez (Junior, Computer Science) shared who he was rooting for and his favorite player.

“Viva Mexico,” Sanchez said, though he added that he believed the United States or the Dominican Republic had the best chance to win and take the championship.

As a player for the Stan State Warriors Baseball Team, he said one of his favorite players in the tournament is Mexico catcher Alejandro Kirk.

“Alejandro Kirk is putting on for Tijuana,” he said.

Adam Davies (Senior, Business) said he is backing Team USA.

“Team USA because they have a loaded roster and their pitching staff is really good,” Davies said.

The championship game is scheduled for March 17 in Miami with Team USA and Venezuela going head-to-head.