JTA — Israel’s failure to advance to the single-elimination stage of the 2026 World Baseball Classic has done little to dampen excitement for the team, which exceeded expectations by winning two games and finishing in third place in its first-round pool in Miami.

Israel capped its tournament with a 6-2 win over the Netherlands on Tuesday at LoanDepot Park, the home of the Miami Marlins. Israel had also beaten Nicaragua 5-0 on Sunday to ensure a better-than-last-place finish in Pool D, securing a spot in the 2030 tournament.

The Israeli team was eliminated from advancing to the second round of the tournament after its two losses to baseball powerhouses the Dominican Republic (10-1) on Monday and Venezuela (11-3) on Saturday.

The team exceeded expectations, however, as sports analysts had predicted before the series that Team Israel, ranked 19th out of 20 teams in the 2026 tournament, was unlikely to win more than one game.

“Very positive week overall. Big step forward from 2023,” Nate Fish, the CEO of Israel Baseball Americas and a former player and coach for Israel, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

“It is hard to advance when you’re in a bracket with Venezuela and [the Dominican Republic], but winning two games at the WBC is very impressive.”

Israel is now 7-7 all-time in three WBC appearances. The team burst onto the scene in 2017 with a shocking Cinderella run that featured four straight wins to advance to the second round. In 2023, Israel went 1-3.

Team Israel is composed of players who are eligible for citizenship in Israel, though few have deep relationships with the country, where baseball is still a fledgling sport.

“We have consistently proven we can construct teams that can compete with the best in the world,” Fish said. “Israel Baseball is hugely grateful to the WBC and our entire staff and roster. It was an incredible experience.”

Manager Brad Ausmus, the New York Yankees’ bench coach, told MLB.com that the team felt the support from fans throughout the tournament.

“We see everything up on the scoreboard — there are people wearing their Israeli T-shirts or holding the Israeli flag,” Ausmus said.

“The hope is more players become interested in playing for Israel… I just think every time an Israeli team wins a baseball game in a big tournament like this, it helps,” he added.

In Israel’s........

© The Times of Israel