by The Baseball Champions League (BCL) Americas gets underway today at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú in Mexico City, with a team made up mostly of players from the American Association of Professional Baseball (@AA_Baseball) reigning champion Kane County Cougars representing the league in the six-team international competition.
And the Game One starter is Staten Island native and Ramapo (N.J.) College grad Vin Timpanelli, who went 1-2 with a 2.70 ERA for Kane County in 2024, among a couple of stops.
• Hosted by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in conjunction with the Mexican Baseball League (LMB), the 2025 BCL Americas features the Cougars and five other champion clubs:
◦ Leñadores de Las Tunas (Cuba) – Serie Nacional Champions
◦ Pirates de Santa Maria (Curaçao) – Curaçao Baseball League Champions
◦ Tigres de Chinandega (Nicaragua) – Liga de Béisbol Profesional Nacional
◦ Titanes de Florida (Puerto Rico) – Liga de Béisbol Superior Doble A
◦ Diablos Rojos del México (Mexico) – Mexican Baseball League (LMB) Champions and tournament hosts
The format includes two group-stage games for each team (today through Thursday), followed by crossover games between second- and third-place finishers (Friday). Winners from those matchups advance to the semifinals (Saturday), and the championship game will take place on Sunday at 4 p.m ET / 3 p.m. CT.
The AAPB season gets underway on Thursday, May 8, when Kane County hosts Sioux City and Cleburne entertains Winnipeg.
