Colombia vs. USA, 2017 World Baseball Classic live stream: Time, TV schedule, and how to watch online

The United States kicks off its 2017 World Baseball Classic schedule on Friday night with a matchup against Colombia at Marlins Park in Miami.

MLB Network will televise the 6 p.m. ET contest on Friday, with Matt Vasgersian, John Smoltz, and Jon Morosi on the call. Online streaming is available through MLB Network (with television provider authentication) or MLBtv (with subscription).

Team USA and Colombia are part of Pool C, which also includes Canada and the defending champion Dominican Republic. These four teams will play a round-robin schedule of three games each, through Sunday night, with the top two teams advancing to the second round of the WBC, at Petco Park in San Diego.

But first things first. The United States turns to Chris Archer of the Tampa Bay Rays to start the opener against Colombia on Friday, something he has been looking forward to since the inaugural WBC in 2006, when Archer was still in high school.

“My favorite players were playing -- [Derek] Jeter, Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens,” Archer said this week, per MLB.com. “I was glued in. I was locked in. To be considered one of the best in the country, like those guys were, it’s the highest honor I’ve achieved in my baseball career.”

Team USA has one of its strongest rosters for this incarnation of the World Baseball Classic, led by Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, Giancarlo Stanton and Jonathan Lucroy, plus former MVPs Buster Posey and Andrew McCutchen.

This is the first World Baseball Classic for Colombia, which earned a berth in the 16-team field by winning the Panama City qualifying round in March 2016, outlasting Spain, France and host Panama.

Colombia does have several talented young MLB players like Phillies catcher Jorge Alfaro and Reds infielder Dilson Herrera, but its fate lies in the arms of its top two starting pitchers — Jose Quintana of the White Sox and Julio Teheran of the Braves.

Quintana, one of just five MLB pitchers with at least 200 innings and a 100 ERA+ in each of the last four seasons, starts Game 1 for Colombia.

In addition to MLB Network, this game will be broadcast in Spanish by ESPN Deportes and streamed online via Watch ESPN.

When: 6 p.m. ET

Where: Marlins Park, Miami

What: World Baseball Classic first round, Pool C

TV: MLB Network, ESPN Deportes (Spanish)

Online: MLB Network, MLBtv (subscription), Watch ESPN (Spanish)