One of the official hashtags for the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s exciting urban sport Baseball5 is #PlayEverywhere because of its capacity to be able to be played in any location – street, field or sports hall – or on any surface – grass, hardcourt, concrete. It is also a sport played by everyone – from primary school students to older generations.
The WBSC Baseball5 World Cup Hong Kong 2024 was a perfect example. With it’s age criteria being 15 and older (by year of birth) the WBSC caught up with the youngest competitor Kira Baitiul from Lithuania, who turns 15 on 30 December and the oldest in Australia‘s Jose Rodriguez, who turns 46 on 12 December.
The contrast between Rodriguez and Baitiul underscored Baseball5’s inclusivity and accessibility, appealing to both seasoned players and younger talent. The participation of these two athletes highlights the sport’s capacity to bring together athletes across a wide age range and embodies the spirit of the sport – one that is welcoming, competitive and open to all.
Baitiul, who at age 14, was the youngest player in this year’s World Cup ahead of Oliva Sanchez of Mexico aged 15 and Australia’s Amelia Wright aged 16, and is a perfect example of the exciting future of Baseball5. With the second best female batting average on the Lithuania team (.433) and 47th overall out of 96 athletes, she showed a great skill set, which is easily suited to the fast-paced nature of the sport.
“It was my first World Cup and the experience was so amazing,” she explained. “Four years ago, I started playing baseball and two years ago we went to the championship (U-17 Baseball5 European Championship where Lithuania finished third) in Bulgaria and now I get to play in a WBSC Baseball5 World Cup, I couldn’t ask for much more.
“I love the game so much and look forward to continuing to represent my country in a sport, which is so fun to play,” she added.
With Lithuania Baseball5 European champions and having finished in eighth place in Hong Kong, there are definitely exciting times ahead, especially considering they had the fourth youngest squad in Hong Kong at 21 years and 1 month with only China (18 years and four months) and Mexico (17 years and 9 months) younger.
Next thing on the agenda is to qualify for the WBSC Youth Baseball5 World Cup in Mexico next year after missing out last year in Bulgaria. Baitiul is part of the Lithuania team hoping to qualify at the Baseball5 Youth European Championship to be held in Clermont-Ferrand, France from 29 October to 2 November.
“We have still plenty to improve but having improved on our 11th place finish in Mexico by finishing in eighth place in Hong Kong, we’re certainly heading in the right direction and hopefully can translate that into a good result in France,” Baitiul said.
For Rodriguez, 45, he was the eldest player at the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup Hong Kong 2024, ahead of two 37-year-olds in Taichi Motoike of Japan and South Africa’s Sylvester Maredi.
Representing Australia, the Cuban-born athlete brought a wealth of experience and wisdom to a young and developing team. “For me, it’s been such an amazing experience,” Rodriguez said. “At 45 years old, I’m still running, hitting, and feeling motivated.”
“I’m also the motivator in the team,” he explained. “I help the team get over errors and keep their spirits high. The best part is seeing the team give everything they have, no matter what happens on the scoreboard.”
Although Australia missed out on participating in the first World Cup in Mexico due to Covid, Rodriguez never lost hope and was proud to present the country at their second Baseball5 World Cup after finishing 12th in the WBSC Youth Baseball5 World Cup last year. “I kept going (after Mexico), and when they called us for the tryout, I made it. Now, I made it to Hong Kong and I’m really happy to be representing Australia.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, and I’m happy to be part of this team,” he said, after laying the foundations for further improvement on the back of their 12-place finish in Hong Kong.
As Australia’s average age stands at 25 years and 3 months (the third average-aged team behind Japan’s 28 years and 11 months and Hong Kong, China’s 28 years and 1 month), just ahead of Cuba at 25 years and 2 months, the inclusion of both young and experienced players shows how Baseball5 can cater to a diverse set of skills and backgrounds, further highlighting its potential as a truly universal sport.
For Rodriguez, the excitement of Baseball5 lies in its fast pace and the constant pressure of making quick decisions. “I’ve always liked playing shortstop or third base,” he explained, referencing his preferred positions. “I love the energy and pressure. It’s so fun because it’s fast and energetic. You run to the base, you make the play, and the game moves so fast.”
With the WBSC Youth Baseball5 World Cup confirmed for Mexico in 2025 ahead of Baseball5’s debut in the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 along with Italy set to host the next edition of the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup in 2026 and the road is clear for Australia’s future Baseball5 stars, especially with the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games also on the horizon. “We’ve gotten a lot of attention recently, and I’m sure it’s going to grow even more,” Rodriguez said. “With our coach Adrian Medina doing some amazing things to help develop the sport, the future of Baseball5 in our country is very bright.”
For the record, Lithuania beat Australia 10-3, 7-0 on the penultimate day of the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup Hong Kong 2024.
