Following Australia's efforts at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Australia has risen to #8 in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Rankings, the highest Australia has ever been, surpassing their previous high of #9, which was reached in 2010.
Australia's ninth place finish at the World Baseball Classic earned them 520 World Ranking points. That success culminating with the recent qualification of the U12s and U18s to their respective World Cup's has catapulted Australia's World Ranking into unchartered territory.
According to the WBSC, the World Rankings are weighted by a country's performance in WBSC-sanctioned events international tournaments (from U12 to Professional) over a four-year period.
Another tournament which has bolstered Australia's ranking in the last 12 months has been the U23 Baseball World Cup, where the Australian team exceeded everyone's expectations to claim the silver medal in a hard-fought Championship game against World #1 Japan.
For a full media release from the WBSC regarding the updated World Rankings as well as final placings from the 2017 World Baseball Classic, click here.