HIGH POINT, N.C. – Zander Wiel, who set the High Point Rockers record with 32 homers and 98 RBI last year, has been named to the Kingdom of the Netherlands team for the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
Wiel’s 2022 season with the Rockers was impressive. The righty slugger set single-season franchise records with 32 home runs and 98 RBIs. Not just a one-dimensional threat, however, Wiel also recorded 11 stolen bases last year with the Rockers and notched a trio of triples. For his many contributions, the Vanderbilt product was named a 2022 Postseason Atlantic League All-Star.
The 20-team tournament, held every four years, brings together the top baseball teams in the world. Pool play begins March 8 with games in Taiwan, Tokyo, Miami and Phoenix with the quarterfinals taking place in Miami and Tokyo. The semifinals will be held on March 19 and 20 and the championship game on March 21 at loanDepot Park in Miami. The United States is the defending champion, having won the title in 2017.
Wiel is not the only former Rocker on a WBC roster. Pitcher Akeel Morris, who pitched in 22 games as a reliever for the Rockers in 2019, is a member of the Great Britain team. Morris has also pitched in the Atlantic League with New Britain and Long Island as well as in Major League Baseball with the Mets, Braves and Angels.
About High Point Baseball, Inc.
High Point Baseball, AKA The High Point Rockers, completed the 2022 season by reaching the Atlantic League Championship Series. The Rockers play in a state-of-the-art, $36M downtown ballpark, Truist Point, which was named the Atlantic League’s Ballpark of the Year in 2022 and 2019. High Point Baseball is part of the fastest growing family sport in America and is committed to providing superior customer service and quality, and affordable family entertainment for the Triad of North Carolina.
About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
Celebrating its 25th Anniversary season in 2023, the Atlantic League is Major League Baseball’s first Professional Partner League, a player gateway to the major leagues, and a leader in baseball innovation. ALPB has sent over 1,200 players to MLB organizations while drawing more than 45 million fans to its family-friendly ballparks throughout its 25-year history. Please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com.
