TOKYO, Japan – With the letters C E S K O emblazoned across his baseball uniform, Menomonie native Terrin Vavra proudly played for Team Czechia in the World Baseball Classic over the past 10 days.

A 2015 graduate of Menomonie High School, Vavra qualified to play for Team Czechia (Czech Republic) because his great- great-grandfather emigrated from Czechia to the United States. The four-generation family history is important to Vavra, as he explained in an interview with mlbnetworkradio.com’s Dani Wexelman after the completion of the team’s first game March 4 in Tokyo, Japan.

“I thought this opportunity was one of the coolest things I’ve ever had the chance to do,” explained Vavra. “I wanted to come here with the intention of representing myself, my family and my heritage the best I can, and hopefully inspire someone in Europe and in the Czech Republic to play some baseball because I think it’s a sport that’s growing over there. From talking to these guys, it definitely seems like it’s on the up and up, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Terrin is the son of Lesa and Joe Vavra. Joe, a long-time coach in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers organizations as well as the UW-Stout head coach and a UW-Stout Hall of Fame member from his playing days, was in attendance for the games in Tokyo.

“I think my dad’s been fortunate to have some great opportunities in this game, and this is unlike anything that he’s had the chance to do. So I’m just trying to take it all in and represent our family the best I can and hopefully make the Czech Republic proud.

“We have a lot of roots there, and through this process we’ve gotten to learn a little bit more about it and dig a little deeper. That’s been something that’s really helped connect not only me and my dad, but our whole family. And that’s been really fun to look into.”

Terrin Vavra has his own history of baseball excellence.

A three-time All-Big Rivers Conference selection, Vavra went on to play for the University of Minnesota where he earned first-team All-America honors by four different organizations and was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the third round in 2018. He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 2020 and played in the Orioles minor league organization before being called up to make his major league debut July 29, 2022. Vavra played in 68 games for the Orioles over the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons. Playing at second base or in the outfield, Vavra has a major league batting average of .252 with one home run and 17 runs batted in. Vavra is currently a free agent.

MLB.com announced Feb. 28 that Vavra would join the Czechia team. Writer Michael Clair, who specializes in international baseball and the World Baseball Classic, said about Vavra, “The fan favorite Czechia has a new Major Leaguer joining the team for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Former Orioles super utility man Terrin Vavra is stepping in to give the nation some big representation.”

According to Clair, Czechia is listed as a fan favorite because the majority of the Czechian players are not professional players, which many of the other countries rely on, but actually hold down full time jobs away from baseball. At most, several of the players are considered semi-professional.

Czechia is making only their second trip to the World Baseball Classic. The team made their first appearance in the 2023 Classic, winning their opening game against Taipei China, and qualified to the 2026 Classic. Twenty teams qualify to play in the Classic and are divided into pools of five teams each. The top four finishers in each pool automatically qualify for the next World Baseball Classic. The last placed team has to go through a qualifying tournament to advance.

Team Czechia, which won their first-ever medal by winning bronze at the 2025 European Championship, is in a very tough pool, headlined by defending champion Japan, which has Shohei Ohtani, considered by many the best baseball player in the world at this time, on their roster. Other teams include Chinese Taipei – the 2024 Premier 12 champion – South Korea and Australia.

Vavra would give Czechia a boost in their opener against Korea, March 4. Trailing South Korea 6-0 in the fifth inning, Vavra launched a three-run home run to cut the lead in half. But South Korea would prevail, 11-4. Australia took a 5-1 win and Taipei blanked Czechia, 14-0. The Czechia team held powerful Japan scoreless for seven innings before Japan exploded for nine runs in the eighth inning to take a 9-0 win Tuesday. Vavra got one of the team’s two hits in the game against Japan to finish the tournament at 3 of 13 with three RBI. Czechia finished the tournament at 0-4. Teams need at least one win in pool play to automatically qualify to the next World Baseball Classic.