The Australian Baseball Federation today announced the final 28-man roster that will compete against the world's best at the 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) throughout March
The announcement falls in line with Major League Baseball's official release of team rosters for each of the sixteen nations participating in the second World Baseball Classic

Whilst there are some untoward omissions from the Australian team, with recent World-Series contender Grant Balfour, Seattle Mariners Ryan Rowland-Smith, Atlanta Braves Pete Moylan and Phil Stockman, as well as Mike Nakamura sitting out due to contractual arrangements with their Major League clubs, their absence however is not to over-shadow the talent of the Australian team

Every player on the Australian Baseball team boasts either minor league playing experience or an affiliation with a Major League team, and boasts eight players with big league pedigree in Chris Snelling, Justin Huber, Brad Harman, Travis Blackley, Damian Moss, Chris Oxspring, Brad Thomas and Richard Thompson, and a further three players on 40-man rosters for the 2009 season, these being Joel Naughton, Drew Naylor and Luke Hughes

The Australian team will be lead by an all-star coaching staff which will be managed by Jon Deeble (Boston Redsox), and supported by two-time World Series winner Graeme Lloyd (Yankees) and 1996 World Series champion Pat Kelly (Yankees), as well as Phil Dale (Atlanta Braves), Phil Elliott (Toronto Blue Jays) and Tony Harris (Pittsburgh Pirates) - proving there is no shortage of "big league" talent to guide the pack from "down under"

Drawn in "Pool B", Australia will face South Africa, Cuba and Mexico in the opening round of the Classic, set to commence March 8, 2009 at Foro Sol Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico