TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The schedule for the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12 tournament was announced on Tuesday (May 28), with round-robin Group B play to be held in Taipei from Nov. 13–18.

The tournament features the top 12 national teams from around the world, divided into two different categories: Group A and Group B. Taiwan finds itself in the latter grouping, along with perennial baseball powerhouses such as Japan, South Korea, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Australia.

Taipei will host nearly all the round-robin Group B games at Tianmu Stadium or Taipei Dome (the opening match between Japan and Australia will be held at the Vantelin Dome, Nagoya). The top two finishers in each group will advance to the Super Round and the Medal Round held at Tokyo Dome (Nov. 21–24), per WBSC.

As the home team, Taiwan will play all five Group B games at Taipei Dome. All games are scheduled for primetime evening hours, as large crowds and home viewing audiences are expected for matches against South Korea (Nov. 13), the Dominican Republic (Nov. 14), Japan (Nov. 16), Australia (Nov. 17), and Cuba (Nov. 18).

Group A consists of the United States, Venezuela, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. Round-robin play for this group will take place in Mexico (Nov. 9–14). 

Aside from home-field advantage, the schedule sets up favorably for Taiwan, as the first two games against South Korea and the Dominican Republic are followed by a rest day. This will allow Taiwan the opportunity to rest pitchers and bullpen before entering the final stretch of three games in group play.

Premier 12 emerged out of the defunct International Baseball Federation (IBAF) Baseball World Cup and is generally held every four years, also serving as a qualifier for the Olympics. Japan is the reigning champion, and as of press time, no information about ticket availability has been announced.