This matchup is scheduled for Saturday, March 6th at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time (New York). It will be just the second time these two have faced each other since Nicaragua made their WBC debut in 2023.
The Dominican Republic beat them 6-1, with Nicaragua finishing their tournament debut without a single win (0-4).
Both teams are part of the Pool D group that includes Israel, the Netherlands, and Venezuela.
For teams that have already played, Australia recorded their second-ever WBC shutout after defeating Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) 2-0 to start the tournament (recap here). Meanwhile, South Korea unloaded for four home runs to take down the Czech Republic 11-4 (recap here).
Here's a look ahead at other upcoming games:
Netherlands vs. Venezuela preview
Mexico vs. Great Britain preview
Dominican Republic (+450)
Fans should go into this game expecting one of the most one-sided matchups of the entire tournament. The DR are third-favourites to win the whole thing, sitting behind Team USA (-110) and Japan (+350). Meanwhile, Nicaragua are sitting in the bottom three of odds with the Czech Republic and Brazil.
In 2023, the Dominican Republic didn't even make it out of the Pool stage. But this year? They have a very real chance of winning the entire thing.
They're rocking 23 new players this year on their full 30-man roster, with the only seven returning players being pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Camilio Doval (13 new pitchers), infielders Manny Machado (San Diego Padres), Ketel Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks), and Jeremy Pena (Houston Astros), and outfielders Juan Soto (New York Mets) and Julio Rodriguez (Seattle Mariners).
That's it.
Now, let's take a look at how they've overloaded their lineup, which can be argued to be even better than Team USA's, at least for hitting.
For starters, in the infield, the DR brought on board Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto Blue Jays), Junior Caminero (Tampa Bay Rays), and long-time MLB veteran Carlos Santana (Arizona Diamondbacks).
Between those three alone, they share seven All-Star selections, three Silver Sluggers, and two Gold Gloves. Vladdy is coming off a season with 23 home runs, 84 RBI, and a .292 batting average, Santana a 11-home run, 54-RBI season, and Caminero, one of the game's brightest young stars, a monstrous 45-home run, 110 RBI season.
Caminero, 22, has already gone yard in the team's exhibition games.
As for the already stacked outfield, they'll be bringing in the power-hitting speedster Oneil Cruz (Pittsburgh Pirates). The 27-year-old put up 20 home runs with 61 RBI in 2025 with the National League-leading 38 steals.
The superstar joining the lineup this year is Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego Padres). As a three-time All-Star, two-time Platinum Glove, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger winner, Tatis is one of the bigger names in the entire tournament alone. He's coming off a 25-home run, 71-RBI season, all while hitting .268, proving that this lineup for the DR is nothing to underestimate.
Their pitching staff is also one of the best. Christopher Sanchez (Philadelphia Phillies), a new addition, was the NL Cy Young Award runner-up this past season after pitching a fantastic 2.30 ERA with 212 strikeouts in 202 innings across 32 starts, finishing with a 13-5 record and an 8.0 WAR (wins-above-replacement) - the best in the entire MLB.
He'll be joined by veteran and two-time All-Star Luis Severino (Athletics) and 26-year-old Brayan Bello (Boston Red Sox), who is coming off a great season, tossing a career-best 3.35 ERA - the first time in his four-year career he's thrown below a 4.00.
Another new addition is Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Abner Uribe, who tossed a stellar 1.67 ERA with 90 strikeouts in 75.1 innings. His 3.2 walks-per-nine-innings last year was a career low as was his 1.035 WHIP (walks/hits per inning).
Uribe, 25, will be joined in the bullpen by the 33-year-old Carlos Estaves (Kansas City Royals), who led the entire MLB in saves (42) last season.
Nicaragua (+50000)
If you want to look for a team to root for without any MLB stars like so many others, but have a well-respected, long-term manager that fans love everywhere? Then Nicaragua is your team, especially after going 0-4 in their first WBC appearance in 2023.
"Hopefully, we can play hard, play smart, and bring some pride not only to Nicaragua now, but this would mean a lot to the kids who come up in the future," said Baker.
Baker is a three-time Manager of the Year who played in the MLB for 19 years (1968-1986), earning two All-Star selections and Silver Slugger awards, along with a World Series as a player for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1981) and then again as a manager in 2022 with the Houston Astros.
Nicaragua's big player in the 2026 WBC is infielder Mark Vientos (New York Mets). The 26-year-old had 27 home runs and 71 RBI in 2024, followed by a 17-home run, 61-RBI season this past year.
The other veterans for Nicaragua lie in their pitching staff, starting with 35-year-old Erasmo Ramirez (Minnesota Twins), who was named the Nicaragua Team Captain for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He struggled in the 15 minor league games he played in, pitching a 4.64 ERA, but had a surprisingly solid 2025 in the majors, tossing a 2.45 ERA in nine games for the Twins, giving up just three runs in 11 innings.
As of right now, he's a free agent again.
Ramirez was one of eight pitchers returning from the 2023 WBC squad, where he gave up one run in 3.2 innings, allowing four hits and three strikeouts.
Another pitcher to look out for is starter Carlos Rodriguez (Milwaukee Brewers). Despite having a tough four games last season for the Brewers, Rodriguez still tossed a 3.82 ERA in 17 games (15 starts) just a level below in Triple-A, putting up 82 strikeouts in 77.2 innings, while giving up 67 hits.
Besides Brazil against Team USA in the first round of Pool play, there is no greater underdog matchup in the tournament than this one. And in a brutally tough pool that also includes the powerhouse Venezuela and the Netherlands, Nicaragua will have to do everything right and then some if they want to move on to the second round of the WBC for the first time in their history.