By Blake Dowson
The Iowa baseball team is going global.
The U.S. International University Sports Federation announced on Monday that the Hawkeyes will represent the United States in Taiwan in August 2017 as part of the World University Games, held from Aug. 19-30.
To be selected to represent the United States, a university has to express its interest first, and then the federation selects the team it thinks will best represent the U.S.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our student-athletes, staff, and the University of Iowa to be able to represent our country at the World University Games,” Iowa head coach Rick Heller said in a release. “This experience will be tremendous from both a competitive and educational standpoint, and we’re thrilled to be able to play against some of the best competition in the world, while wearing the Red, White, and Blue.”
The World University Games includes more than 170 countries competing in 21 sports and is open to athletes between the ages of 17 and 24 who have been a student at a college or university in the past year.
There will be as many as 12 countries represented in the baseball tournament, which will be set up in group play. The top-two finishers in each group will advance to the semifinals, with a championship and third-place game to follow.
Teams that do not make it out of the group-play bracket will play in a consolation bracket.
“We are excited to have our baseball program represent the United States, state of Iowa, and our university at the World University Games,” Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta said in a release. “It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that our student-athletes can learn and grow from.”
Only American players on the Iowa roster are eligible to play in the tournament for the United States team, which means Austin Guzzo (of Canada) will not play.
The Iowa team will take 22 players, as well as 10 staff members. The group of 32 will be in Taipei for more than two weeks and will live in the athletes’ village with the rest of the competitors from around the world.
Opening ceremonies will be held on Aug. 19, 2017, and will be available to stream.
“We’re incredibly excited to have the University of Iowa joining us as the USA National Baseball Team for the 2017 World University Games in Taipei, Taiwan,” Nels Hawkinson, deputy head of delegation for the USA Team, said in a release. “Coach Heller, the student-athletes, and staff will have one of the greatest experiences of their lives staying in the athletes’ village with over 10,000 athletes from 170 countries.”
The Hawkeyes will also be out of the country over the Thanksgiving holiday; they will head to the Dominican Republic to play a few exhibition games against local talent.
With there being 20 newcomers to the roster this season, Heller thought it would be a good opportunity for the team to bond as well as get some good competition.
“We thought this would give us a chance to bond, build team camaraderie, and experience the good things that happen on these trips,” Heller said in a release on Sept. 27. “This couldn’t come at a better time; this team is going to need those extra days of practice from a baseball side of things.”