Former MLB outfielder Marvin Benard to manage Spain at WBSC Premier12 Qualifier

The Royal Spanish Baseball Softball Federation (RFEBS) announced that Marvin Benard will manage the Men's Baseball National Team starting with the WBSC Premier12 2027 Barcelona Qualifier, which will take place from 9-11 October when world No. 24 Spain will welcome No. 13 Colombia, No. 14 Italy and No. 18 Germany to the Camp Municipal de Beisbol Carlos Pérez de Rozas, with the top two finishers advancing to the WBSC Premier12 2027 Opening Round.

Born in 1971 in Mina Rosita (Nicaragua), Benard developed as a player in the United States. He signed his first professional contract at 21, when the San Francisco Giants selected him in the 1992 Draft out of Los Angeles Harbor College. It was the third time a Major League Baseball (MLB) club drafted Benard, after the Chicago White Sox (1988) and the Philadelphia Phillies (1990).

A left-handed hitting outfielder with decent power, Benard reached the Double-A level in 1994, started the 1995 season at Triple-A and made his MLB debut on September 5, 1995, against the Montreal Expos. He became a San Francisco Giants everyday player and their leadoff hitter in 1998. He played the last of 891 MLB games for the Giants on September 27, 2003, against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He posted a .271 batting average with 54 home runs and 260 RBIs. His on-base percentage was an impressive .343. He also had 105 stolen bases.

During his coaching career, Benard served as a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) hitting coach and managed Nicaragua at the World Baseball Classic 2017 Qualifiers. He managed Rivas Gigantes in the 2024 Nicaragua Professional Winter League and later launched a development initiative across Central and South America.

Benard has also worked as a Spanish-language colour commentator for the San Francisco Giants official radio station.

The WBSC Premier12 2027 Barcelona Qualifier is one of two qualification tournaments - the other taking place in Zhongshan, China in November - which will see four teams secure their place in the IV WBSC Premier12, joining Japan, Chinese Taipei, USA, Korea, Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Netherlands, Cuba, Australia and the Dominican Republic — the top 12 teams in the WBSC Men’s Baseball World Ranking as of 31 December 2025.

Barcelona holds a special place in international baseball history, having awarded the sport’s first-ever Olympic medals at the 1992 Olympic Games. At the time, the Carlos Pérez de Rozas Stadium served as the practice field.

The Carlos Pérez de Rozas Stadium hosted the 2007 European Qualifier for the Beijing 2008 Olympics, one group of the 2009 Baseball World Cup, and three editions of the European Champions Cup Final Four from 2008 to 2010.

The Stadium is located in the Olympic Ring (Anella Olímpica), an Olympic Park on the hill of Montjuïc, which was the main site for the 1992 Summer Olympics. The Barcelona City Council named it after Carlos Pérez de Rozas y Sáenz de Tejada (1920-1990), a famed sports photographer and a baseball advocate. The venue opened in 1990, and the Barcelona City Council renovated it in 2022, installing new artificial turf and a water collection and watering system.

Zhongshan, China, was previously confirmed as host of the first WBSC Premier12 2027 Qualifier. World No. 17 China will host No. 15 Czechia, No. 16 Nicaragua and No. 19 Great Britain from 26–28 November at the Panda Memorial Stadium, part of the Zhongshan International Baseball and Softball Centre.