Sydney WBC Qualifier Rosters Set

The schedule for the World Baseball Classic qualifying tournament in Sydney, Australia, next month is set.

Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the Philippines will face off Feb. 11-14 with the winner advancing to the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

The complete schedule of games is as follows:

Feb. 11—South Africa vs. New Zealand, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN Pac-Rim)
Feb. 11—Philippines vs. Australia, 3:30 a.m. ET (MLB Network and ESPN Pac-Rim)
Feb. 12—Philippines vs. TBD, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN Pac-Rim)
Feb. 12—Australia vs. TBD, 3:30 a.m. ET (MLB Network and ESPN Pac-Rim)
Feb. 13—TBD vs. TBD, 2:30 a.m. ET (MLB Network)
Feb. 14—Finalist 2 vs. Finalist 1, 10 p.m. ET (MLB Network)

The host team Australia—just 1-8 in the WBC, with its lone win over Mexico in 2009—will be managed by Jon Deeble, his fourth time leading the team. The full roster is below and has by far the most players in affiliated ball with nine, as well as former major leaguers Peter Moylan, Travis Blackley, Trent Oeltjen and Ryan Rowland-Smith and former Cubs righthander Ryan Searle. Team Australia is also loaded with players from the Australian Baseball League such as Trent D’Antonio, Allan De San Miguel, Matt Kennelly, Wayne Lundgren, Mitch Nilsson, Logan Wade, Aaron Whitefield and Josh Tols.

AUSTRALIA
Name	Pos.	MLB Org.	Current Club
James Beresford	INF	MIN	Rochester Red Wings (AAA)
Travis Blackley	LHP	FA	–
Steven Chambers	RHP	FA	–
Trent D’Antonio	C	FA	–
Allan De San Miguel	C	FA	–
Mitchell Dening	OF	FA	–
Justin Erasmus	RHP	FA	–
Sam Gibbons	RHP	MIN	Cedar Rapids Kernels (A)
Brad Harman	2B	FA	–
Luke Hughes	INF	FA	–
David Kandilas	OF	FA	–
Matt Kennelly	C	ATL	Mississippi Braves (AA)
Steven Kent	LHP	ATL	Mississippi Braves (AA)
Wayne Lundgren	RHP	FA	–
Peter Moylan	RHP	KC	Omaha Storm Chasers (AAA)
Mitchell Nilsson	C	FA	–
Trent Oeltjen	OF	FA	–
Ryan Rowland-Smith	LHP	FA	–
Warwick Saupold	RHP	DET	Toledo Mud Hens (AAA)
Ryan Searle	RHP	FA	–
David Sutherland	1B	FA	–
Matt Timms	RHP	FA	–
Josh Tols	LHP	FA	–
Todd Van Steensel	RHP	MIN	Rochester Red Wings (AAA)
Logan Wade	SS	MIN	Fort Myers Miracle (A)
Stefan Welch	INF	FA	—
Aaron Whitefield	OF	MIN	GCL Twins (R)
Matthew Williams	RHP	FA	–

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New Zealand will be managed by former major leaguer Chris Woodward, who served as a base coach for the team during the qualifying round of the 2013 Classic. New Zealand went 2-2 during the 2013 qualifier— its debut in the WBC, and was defeated by Taiwan in the pool’s final game.  The full roster is below and includes two players in affiliated ball in Max Brown of the Diamondbacks and Indians lefthander Nick Maronde. Other players include former Red Sox farmhands Boss and Moko Moanaroa and former Blue Jays infielder Scott Campbell, who played college ball at Gonzaga.

NEW ZEALAND
Name	Pos.	MLB Org.	Current Club
Tim Auty	OF	FA	–
Tyron Bartorillo	INF	FA	–
Beau Bishop	C	FA	–
Jimmy Boyce	RHP	FA	–
Joe Boyce	RHP	FA	–
Daniel Bradley	OF	FA	–
Max Brown	OF	ARI	AZL Diamondbacks (R)
Scott Campbell	INF	FA	–
Ben Cone	RHP	FA	–
Scott Cone	LHP	FA	–
Jacob Curry	LHP	FA	–
Dewald De Klerk	C	FA	–
Kyle Glogoski	RHP	FA	–
Benjamin Hughlon	RHP	FA	–
Blair Johnstone	RHP	FA	–
Daniel Lamb-Hunt	OF	FA	–
John Lee	RHP	FA	–
Andrew Marck	RHP	FA	–
Nick Maronde	LHP	CLE	Columbus Clippers (AAA)
Jason Matthews	SS	FA	–
Boss Moanaroa	1B	FA	–
Moko Moanaroa	OF	FA	–
Connar O’Gorman	C	FA	–
Riki Paewai	RHP	FA	–
Alan Schoenberger	SS	FA	–
Ben Thompson	RHP	FA	–
Jamie Wilson	RHP	FA	–
Randy Yard	RHP	FA	–

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Tim Hulett, the manager of the Rangers’ short-season affiliate Spokane of the Northwest League, will manage the Philippines, which made its Classic debut during the 2013 qualifying round and went 1-2 with the victory over Thailand.

The full roster is below and includes current affiliated players Marlins catcher Brad Haynal and Dodgers first baseman Angelo Songco. Among the more notable members of the roster are lefthander Clay Rapada, who pitched for the Tigers, Yankees, Orioles, Cubs and Rangers and made 70 appearances for the Yankees in 2012, though he pitched just 38 innings. Rapada was born in the United States, but his father is a full-blooded Filipino from Cabangan, Zambales. Rapada, 35, has said he’ll retire after the qualifier; Chris Aguila, a third-round pick of the Marlins in 1997, got 230 major league at bats and batted .230. Aguila’s father is Filipino; Kevin Vance ranked as high as No. 19 for the White Sox entering the 2013 season and pitched in the Diamondbacks organization in 2015, but was released in October. His brother, Matt, plays professionally in Germany after attending Harvard. Matt played for Germany—where he resides—in the WBC in 2012, but the Vances have family from the Philippines.

PHILIPPINES
First	Last	Pos.	MLB Org.	Current Club
Chris	Aguila	OF	FA	–
Adriane Ros	Bernardo	2B	FA	–
Ernesto	Binarao	LHP	FA	–
J.R.	Bunda	RHP	FA	–
Leslie	Cabiling	RHP	FA	–
Brady	Conlan	3B	FA	–
Edmer	Del Socorro	C	FA	–
Vladimir	Eguia	LHP	FA	–
Eric	Farris	OF	FA	–
Taylor	Garrison	RHP	FA	–
Austin	Haynal	RHP	FA	–
Brad	Haynal	C	MIA	Batavia Muckdogs (A)
Romeo	Jasmin	RHP	FA	–
Ryan	Juarez	RHP	FA	–
Ferdinand	Liguayan	OF	FA	–
Juan Paulo	Macasaet	OF	FA	–
Alfredo	Olivares	C	FA	–
Jennald	Pareja	SS	FA	–
Ronel	Peralta	RHP	FA	–
Jonash	Ponce	OF	FA	–
Devon	Ramirez	LHP	FA	–
Clay	Rapada	LHP	FA	–
Jon Jon	Robles	LHP	FA	–
Angelo	Songco	1B	LAD	Tulsa Drillers (AA)
Kevin	Vance	RHP	FA	–
Matt	Vance	SS	FA	–
Diaz	Vermon	OF	FA	–
Joshua	Wong	INF	FA	–

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South Africa will be led by Alan Phillips, who was the team’s bench coach during the 2013 qualifier. The full roster is below and feature three affiliated players, righthanders Callan Pearce of the Twins and Dylan Unsworth of the Mariners and Twins outfielder Rowan Ebersohn. Ebersohn signed with the Twins after taking part in an MLB youth baseball clinic in South Africa. Shannon Ekermans is a veteran of international play, having started against the U.S. in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in 2007. Jared Elario pitched a scoreless inning against the U.S. in the inaugural WBC in 2006, escaping unscathed in a 17-0 loss to the Americans; Robert Lewis-Walker was signed by the Reds in 2011 and lasted two seasons in the organization, going 0-2, 4.87 in 33 appearances. He was released in 2013; Carl Michaels was part of South Africa’s 2008 Olympic team, the most recent Games appearance for baseball, which might be back in play for the 2020 Games in Tokyo; Anthony Phillips, son of manager Alan, was signed as an international free agent by the Mariners in 2006 and spent seven years in the organization, reaching Triple-A before he becoming a free agent and signing with the Phillies in 2013. He was released in 2014 and posted a .639 OPS in affiliated pro ball; Jonathan Phillips is also the son of manager Alan; Lefthander Hein Robb spent four years with the Twins organization, going 6-11, 4.12 before being released in June 2014; Brett Willemburg first entered pro ball in 2002 when he signed with the Royals and then played in Europe until 2009 before returning to affiliated pro ball with the Pirates in 2009. He was released at the end of that season. A recent addition is Gift Ngoepe, the slick-fielding shortstop who reached Triple-A in 2015. Ngoepe was voted best defensive shortstop in the Eastern League in 2015, but his bat has trailed his glove to this point.

SOUTH AFRICA
Name	Pos.	MLB Org.	Current Club
Kyron Bibis	OF	FA	–
Kyle Botha	C	FA	–
Brandon Bouillon	OF	FA	–
Garth Cahill	RHP	FA	–
Kieran Cree	RHP	FA	–
Rowan Ebersohn	OF	MIN	GCL Twins (R)
Shannon Ekermans	1B	FA	–
Jared Elario	RHP	FA	–
Kyle Ettisch	C	FA	–
Kyle Gaddin	RHP	FA	–
Wesley Hoskins	INF	FA	–
Dean Jacobs	RHP	FA	–
Robert Lewis-Walker	RHP	FA	–
Carl Michaels	RHP	FA	–
Gift Ngoepe	SS	PIT	Indianapolis (AAA)
Russel Olivier	RHP	FA	–
Callan Pearce	RHP	MIN	GCL Twins (R)
Anthony Phillips	SS	FA	–
Jonathan Phillips	3B	FA	–
Allan Randall	INF	FA	–
Hein Robb	LHP	FA	–
Benjamin Smith	OF	FA	–
Lloyd Stevens	RHP	FA	–
Keegan Swanepoel	1B	FA	–
Dylan Unsworth	RHP	SEA	Tacoma Rainiers (AAA)
Liam Vincent	RHP	FA	–
Brett Willemburg	INF	FA	–
Damian Wood	RHP	FA	–

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Following the Sydney qualifier, additional qualifiers will be held at Estadio B Air in Mexicali, Mexico on March 17-20 (Mexico, Czech Republic, Germany, Nicaragua); Rod Carew Stadium in Panama City, Panama on March 17-20 (Colombia, France, Panama, Spain); and MCU Park in Brooklyn, New York on Sept. 22-25 (Brazil, Great Britain, Israel, Pakistan).