The World Baseball Classic grabbed the international spotlight recently, as many different countries showed off their skills on the diamond.

Some fans may have even been surprised to learn that baseball has a global reach beyond the more well-known, baseball-playing nations.

After the beginning games, it was clear which teams would probably advance deeper in the tournament.

Venezuela won its first 4 games, but was then eliminated by Team USA 9-7.

Japan seemed to gain momentum quickly, going undefeated in pool play, as star pitcher Shohei Ohtani racked up the K’s.

The four pools all had strong teams, but only eight made it through to the quarterfinals: Cuba, Italy, Japan, Australia, Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the USA. 

After some close games in the quarters, the semi-finalists included: Cuba, the USA, Japan, and Mexico.

Japan advanced to the championship game, thanks to a walk-off double that beat Mexico 6-5, while the United States had little difficulty handling Cuba, winning 14-2.

The Japan-USA final had baseball fans very excited, and the championship game proved to be truly unforgettable.

It was close the entire game, but Japan ultimately took a 3-2 win and the tournament championship.

In a moment that seemingly came straight out of a Hollywood script, Angels slugger/ace Shohei Ohtani struck out his Angels teammate and perennial MVP candidate, Mike Trout, for the final out of the game.

The World Baseball Classic lived up to its name – it was, indeed, a classic!