Baseball in the Czech Republic is trending in a positive direction, and the Central European nation is getting set to return to the 2026 World Baseball Classic after qualifying for the first time in 2023.
In exactly 100 days, the U23 Eurobaseball will start in Trebic! 👀🍿 Don't miss the showcase of Europe's greatest talents and buy your ticket today at 📲 GoOut
Tickets 🎟️ https://t.co/JchxuWrv5Q#baseballczech #U23eurobaseball pic.twitter.com/YWCIfDBg2B
— Baseball Czech (@baseballczech_) April 26, 2025
Infielder Eric Sogard was their lone Major League Baseball player in 2023, and he has since retired, so his roster status is unknown. The U23 Czech Republic team will also play in the Euro Baseball 2025 tournament as the host nation in Trebic on August 5.
Czech Baseball Extraliga is producing plenty of talent and a lot of their best players will be playing in the 2026 WBC. The league was founded in 1993 and it consists of eight teams. Draci Brno has won the most league championships with 25. They were also the most recent Czech Baseball Extraliga champion, and will look to win it all for the fourth time in a row.
The Arrows Ostrava right-handed pitcher Ondrej Satoria became the ninth pitcher in Czech Baseball Extraliga history to record 700 strikeouts on April 25 against the Draci Brno. He leads the league in innings with 23.2 and has 21 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.66.
Mr. 700 @OndrejSatoria! 😮💨
At 28 years old, Ondřej Satoria becomes only the 9th pitcher ever to reach 700 Ks in Extraliga! 🗡️ Welcome to the prestigious club, Saty. 👊🏻🇨🇿#baseballczech #extraliga2025 pic.twitter.com/SuSAdwAKQl
— Baseball Czech (@baseballczech_) April 25, 2025
Satoria is famous for striking out Japan’s Shohei Ohtani in the 2023 World Baseball Classic at the Tokyo Dome. Satoria, 28, is projected to suit up for Team Czech Republic again in the 2026 WBC.
One and only @MLB @MLBONFOX @WBCBaseball @BaseballCzech pic.twitter.com/dEey6XEbNU
— Ondřej Satoria / オンジェイ• サトリア (@OndrejSatoria) March 14, 2023
Another guy turning heads in Czech Baseball Extraliga is Venezuelan catcher Jose Colina, who is second in the league with four home runs and these all came in a three-game stretch with his most recent home run coming on April 25 in the same game Satoria got his 700th strikeout. Colina’s also has nine RBI, and an OPS of 1.265 in 29 at-bats.
Colina, 27, was signed by the Chicago White Sox out of Venezuela in 2015. He never made MLB and the last time he played minor league baseball was with the New York Mets Triple-A affiliate, the Syracuse Mets, in 2022. He has helped lead the Draci Brno to the top of the standings with a 7-1 record through eight games.
Here is a look at what Team Czech Republic’s roster could look like in the 2026 WBC via World Baseball Network’s Jeff Duda:
“Outfielders Marek Chlup and Matej Mensik are possibilities to return after playing in 2023. Catcher Martin Cervenkia, and infielders William Escala, and Millian Prokop are also likely to play in their second consecutive WBC for Team Czech Republic.
On the pitching front, Flip Capka will probably be back in their starting rotation, along with Luckas Hlouch and Daniel Padysak. Ondrej Satoria, Thomas Duffek, Flip Capka, and Jan Tomek are among the returning arms that might round out their pitching staff.”
Czechia and South Korea pic.twitter.com/ZLmAjv1FDj
— Jeff Duda (@INTLBaseball24) January 31, 2025
Photo: Czech Republic players line up for the national anthem prior to the World Baseball Classic Pool B game between Czech Republic and Korea at Tokyo Dome on March 12, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Kenta Harada/Getty Images)
