Baseball's most prestigious youth international event is due to be staged across two venues, the Port Arthur Stadium and Baseball Central, from September 1 to 10.  

Early tournament packages for all 50 Under-18 Baseball World Cup games are now available for purchase at Thunder Bay 2017’s newly-launched and branded portal here. 

The Thunder Bay Community Auditorium has been named the exclusive ticket agent for the Under-18 Baseball World Cup.

The 2015 Under-18 Baseball World Cup final in Osaka attracted an attendance of more than 15,000 and was the most-watched television programme of the day in the host nation of Japan.

With less than nine months to go until next year’s event, the Thunder Bay 2017 Organising Committee has secured 10 official regional partners.

Among them is three in the top-tier category, including Tbaytel, the largest independently owned telecommunications provider in Canada.

"In recent years, Tbaytel has had the pleasure of sponsoring a number of major international sporting events, and we have no doubt that the Under-18 Baseball World Cup will have the same level of impact on our community while showcasing everything that our beautiful city and region has to offer on a world stage," said Dan Topatigh, President and chief executive of Tbaytel.

Completing the trio is Canadian National Railway Company, the country’s largest freight railroad which provides transportation and intermodal service throughout North America, and Goldcorp, one of Canada's biggest gold producers with mining operations across the Americas.

All levels of Government in Canada, including the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Thunder Bay are also official partners of the Under-18 Baseball World Cup.

Official suppliers and second-tier sponsors include the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce, Thunder Bay International Airport, Royal Bank of Canada firm RBC Dominion Securities and SMS Equipment, one of Canada's leading providers of equipment and construction services.

Iconic Japanese baseball brand SSK continues as a WBSC global sponsor and will supply the official umpire kit.

"WBSC is excited to welcome these great new partners across various industries and sectors," said Masaru Yokoo, WBSC head of baseball marketing.

"These partnerships highlight the unprecedented popularity and trend of major brand exposure and impact that flagship national team events like the Under-18 Baseball World Cup can deliver."

The official look and core visual elements of the 2017 Under-18 Baseball World Cup have also been revealed on the back of the previously unveiled official emblem, incorporating the official tagline "For the Title of World Champion".

The visual identity aims to reflect a powerful and elite youth world championship sports brand, which also complements the overall branding system of all WBSC Baseball World Cup properties and flagship event Premier12.

The official logo and core assets were designed by mega-event branding leaders WORKS, who have rolled out the official looks of global sports properties such as the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions League.

Twelve baseball nations will qualify for the 2017 Under-18 Baseball World Cup.

The last time Thunder Bay hosted the Under-18 Baseball World Cup was in 2010.