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The Australian Baseball League Champion, the Alcohol. Think Again Perth Heat, will go head-to-head with Asia's baseball elite in Busan, South Korea from November 8th to 11th for bragging rights as Asia's best baseball team.
The 2012 Asia Series, which brings together baseball champions from pro leagues in Australia, Korea, Japan, Chinese Taipei and China, will take place at Sajik Stadium, home of the fanatically supported, Lotte Giants.
Defending ABL Champion, The Alcohol. Think Again Perth Heat will compete against the champions of the Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB), the second largest pro sports league in the world, the Korea Baseball Organisation (KBO), the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) and the China Baseball League (CBL).
"The Perth Heat squad has proven that it can compete on any level, and the team is as determined as ever to prove that in South Korea," said Lachlan Dale, General Manager of Baseball WA.
The trip abroad comes just days before the Perth Heat's home opener against the Melbourne Aces at Barbagallo Ballpark. Last season, the Heat were a perfect 11-0 before heading into the Asia series, though the team struggled against the international squads.
"Having competed in the Asia series last year, it's allowed the Perth Heat to make the adjustments necessary to succeed in this quicker brand of baseball," Dale said. "The guys are ready this time, and I have no doubt that they'll play well."
For the first time in the tournament's history, six teams from five nations have been invited to take part instead of the usual four. The host nation has been awarded two spots, with one automatically allocated for the host club, the Lotte Giants.
Australian Baseball League General Manager, Ben Foster, was excited about the League's second trip to the tournament, "We're incredibly proud as league to be a part of this prestigious tournament; the Asia Series provides us with a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the quality of Australian baseball to a television audience which reaches into the tens of millions", he said.
This year's tournament format will see the competing six teams divided into two pools; Pool A and B. The team with the highest winning percentage from each pool will advance to play the championship game, which will be held on November 11th at 14:00.
Pool A: CBA, CPBL, Champion team of KBO (KBO 1)
Pool B: ABL, NPB, Lotte Giants or the runner-up team of KBO (KBO 2)
The Champion will not only walk away with the prestigious title of Asia's best, but also with their wallets considerably heavier; with the Organizer, KBO, offering up a 1 Billion Won case prize.
ASIA SERIES SCHEDULE:
| Date | Time | Schedule | Venue |
| Nov. 8 (Thu.) | 12:00 | CPBL (A) : CBA (H) |
Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium |
| 19:00 | KBO2 (A) : ABL (H) | ||
| Nov. 9 (Fri.) | 12:00 | ABL (A) : NPB (H) | |
| 19:00 | KBO1 (A) : CPBL (H) | ||
| Nov. 10 (Sat.) | 12:00 | NPB (A) : KBO2 (H) | |
| 19:00 | CBA (A) : KBO1 (H) | ||
| Nov. 11 (Sun.) | 14:00 | Championship Game | |
| Nov. 12 (Mon.) | Makeup Day |
