2023 World Baseball Classic: Czech Republic team roster | Schneider, Cervenka, Novak, Minarik

Here’s how Team Czech Republic’s roster will look for the 2023 World Baseball Classic held from March 8 to March 21.

Kyodo News

A product of Cajun country in south Louisiana, Jeff played football through high school, and baseball through college and beyond. After getting a BFA from the Savannah College of Art & Design, he moved to London, where he worked for Sky Sports and coached the 2005 British Champion Croydon Pirates baseball team. He also cooks a mean jambalaya.

Update: Mar 8th, 2023 16:41 EST

After a Cinderella run through the qualifying stage, Team Czech Republic will head to their first ever World Baseball Classic. Led by long time MLB infielder Eric Sogard and Cleveland minor league catcher Martin Cervenka, this team may be short on big-time experience, but they more than make up for it with workmanlike hustle.

Team Czech Republic 2023 World Baseball Classic roster

Coaching staff

Head coach: Pavel Chadim
Catching coach: David Neveril
Pitching coach: John Hussey
Hitting coach: Alex Derhak
Quality Control coach: Joe Truesdale
First base coach: Michael Griffin
Third base coach: David Winkler
Bullpen coach: Dusan Randak

🇨🇿WBC NEWS - CZECH REPUBLIC🇨🇿

NGU Crusaders RF Marek Chlup is confirmed to play for the Czech national team in the World Baseball Classic.

Marek’s 2022 was unbelievable:

62 G
.390/.488/.662
12 HR
30 SB
75 RBI
69 R
43/42 K/BB
DII National Champion
2 HR in WBC qualifiers pic.twitter.com/qW6pQeEghj
— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) February 4, 2023

Infielders

Willie Escala
Jakub Hajtmar
Jakub Kubica
Milan Prokop
Filip Smola
Petr Zyma
Marek Krejcirik
Eric Sogard
Vojtech Mensik

Outfielders

Marek Chlup
Arnost Dubovy
Jakub Grepl
Matej Mensik

Catchers

Martin Cervenka
Daniel Vavrusa
Martin Muzik

Less than 48 hours tíl the first ever @WBCBaseball game in #baseballczech history! 🇨🇿 Let’s gooooo #CzechIN pic.twitter.com/FrWGWqXON6
— BaseballCzech (@BaseballCzech) March 8, 2023

Pitchers

Jeff Barto
Tomas Duffek
Lukas Ercoli
Jan Novak (Orioles)
Filip Capka
Lukas Hlouch
Michal Kovala
David Mergans
Daniel Padysak
Ondrej Satoria
Jan Tomek
Martin Schneider
Marek Minarik
Boris Vecerka (Diamondbacks)

If @BaseballCzech gets a W in the World Baseball Classic, and the announcers don't say "Czech and mate" when the last out is made, I'll lose all faith in baseball. pic.twitter.com/RIbctNAiBQ
— T.J. Lauerman 🤙⚾🎮⌨️🧢 (@ThatSportsGamer) March 8, 2023

Team Czech Republic is largely comprised of working men who play in the top Czech baseball league in their spare time. And yet, they managed to pull off the seeming-impossible when they topped the heavily favored Spain in the qualifying round.

Baseball these days is about numbers and probabilities, with a team of outsiders, amateurs, underdogs not highly rated to get out of Pool B. The numbers heavily favor Japan, South Korea, or even Australia.