Team USA’s fate is out of its hands.
Whether the Americans (3-1) advance to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals hinges on Wednesday night’s Italy vs. Mexico game after Italy stunned the U.S. Tuesday night, 8-6.
The simplest path for the U.S. to advance is Italy (3-0) defeating Mexico (2-1) as the Americans would then finish second in Pool B; the top two teams from each of the four pools advance to the quarterfinals. A convoluted tiebreak scenario could determine the two teams to advance if Mexico defeats Italy.
2026 world baseball classic: what to know
- Who: Team Italy vs. Team Mexico
- When: March 11, 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Daikin Park (Houston, Texas)
- Channel: FS1
- Streaming: DIRECTV (try it free)
USA manager Mark DeRosa has come under fire for believing his team had already clinched a quarterfinal spot entering Tuesday’s loss to Italy, which could end up haunting them.
World Baseball Classic: Italy vs. Mexico start time
Tonight’s (March 11) World Baseball Classic matchup between Italy and Mexico is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET.
How to watch Italy vs. Mexico for free
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the game for free.
DIRECTV is our favorite service for watching baseball live for free — its five-day free trial includes FS1 (plus most other channels you’ll need for the upcoming MLB season including local channels). When the trial is over, you’ll pay as low as $34.99/month and gain access to top live channels.
Sling TV is another affordable way to stream tonight’s; its Select plan includes FS1 and starts at $19.99/month.
World Baseball Classic: Pool B Standings
1. Italy (3-0)
2. USA (3-1)
3. Mexico (2-1)
4. Great Britain (1-3)
5. Brazil (0-4)
USA WBC tiebreak scenarios
If Italy defeats Mexico, Team USA finishes second in Pool B and advances to the quarterfinals.
If Mexico defeats Italy and scores at least five runs, Team USA and Mexico advance.
If Mexico defeats Italy and scores four or fewer runs, Mexico and Italy advance and Team USA is eliminated.
Who are the WBC starting pitchers for Italy vs. Mexico?
Aaron Nola is starting for Italy, while Javier Assad starts for Mexico.
