Phoenix prepares for Nike RBI World Series at historic Jackie Robinson Training Complex

The Nike RBI World Series is set to return to the iconic Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida, bringing together 24 baseball and softball teams from across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. The 31st annual championship tournament promises to be a memorable experience for the more than 325 young athletes participating.

Phoenix will be proudly represented by the Arizona Diamondbacks Nike RBI team in the senior baseball division. This marks Phoenix’s 11th overall appearance in the tournament and the sixth berth in the senior division since 2015. Notably, Phoenix has clinched the Senior Division Championship twice, in 2016 and 2019.

The tournament will span two weeks, with baseball teams in the Junior (ages 13-15) and Senior (ages 16-18) Divisions competing from August 5th to August 10th. The softball teams (ages 18 and under) will compete from August 12th to August 17th. A highlight of this year’s event is that for the first time in tournament history, the majority of games, including pool-play and playoff games, will stream live on MLB.com, allowing fans from around the world to tune in and support their teams.

The Nike RBI program has been instrumental in providing a road for many players to advance to college and professional baseball. MLB clubs have drafted over 200 RBI participants throughout the program’s 34-year history, with more than 110 alumni selected between the 2013-2024 MLB drafts. Notable alumni who have reached the major leagues include Taj Bradley, J.P. Crawford, and Alek Thomas, with Thomas being a proud representative of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Through the “MLB Together” initiative, MLB is organizing sessions to encourage open discussions about mental health, aiming to help young athletes cope with stress and maintain a positive outlook during the tournament. Additionally, the Softball Division tournament will feature the announcement of the Jennie Finch Empowerment Award, which honors a softball player who demonstrates exceptional leadership. This prestigious award will be presented by Jennie Finch, an Olympic Gold Medalist and MLB Youth Softball Ambassador.

Before the Phoenix team traveled to Seattle for the regional tournament D-backs Nike MLB RBI Ambassador Corbin Carroll surprised the team with custom Diamondbacks Nike uniforms, including jerseys, caps, pants, cleats, and backpacks.

Selected by Diamondbacks Baseball Academy coaches, the All-Star players come from over a dozen high schools across Arizona, including Alhambra, Betty Fairfax, Camelback, Carl Hayden, Central, Cesar Chavez, Cibola, Gila Ridge, Marcos De Niza, Maryvale, North, PXU Digital, San Luis, Sierra Linda, South Mountain, Tolleson, Trevor G. Browne, and Younker.