Under manager Ibata, the Japanese national team, which aims to win all eight international games and win the Premier 12 following the Tokyo Olympics-WBC, will continue its unbeaten record (Min Chang-ki's Japanese baseball)

Nov 11, 2024

Morisita, who hit the winning home run as the fourth batter against the Czech Republic on the 10th. Photo capture = Japanese baseball team homepage

Chunichi Takahashi, who ranked No. 1 in ERA in the Central League this season. I am waiting for the role of ace in the Japanese national team. Photo capture = Japanese baseball team homepage

The Japanese baseball team, Samurai Japan, finished warming up ahead of 'Premier 12'. He started training at the end of last month and checked his sense of loss through three warm-up matches. All three warm-up matches were won lightly. In a practice match against Hiroshima Carp held in Miyazaki, Kyushu, on the 5th, he won the game 5-0 completely. He will then move to Nagoya from the 9th to the 10th and start with a 7-1 and 9-0 victory over the Czech Republic. Key members of the Yokohama BayStars, who led the team to a lie-like upset victory in the Japan Series, joined last weekend.

Japan is in Group B with Australia, South Korea, Taiwan, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Australia will play its first group match at Nagoya Dome on the 13th, and move to Taiwan to face South Korea, Taiwan, Cuba and the Dominican Republic in turn.

Haruto Inoue, who threw as the fifth starter for the Yomiuri Giants this season, is scheduled to start the first game against Australia. Inoue started in a practice game against Hiroshima and handled nine consecutive hitters. He struck out the last four batters in a row, meeting manager Hirokazu Ibata's expectations. Three perfect innings. Following Inou, Yokoyama Rikuto (Chiba Lotte), Sumida Jihiro (Seibu), Suzuki Sora (Rakuten), Tatsuya Shimizu (Chunichi) and Toma Fujihara (Rakuten) allowed one scoreless inning each.

The Czech Republic also won the match as if warming up lightly. After allowing one run in three innings of starter Hiroto Takahashi (Chunichi) on the 9th, Hiroto Saiki (Hanshin) recorded three scoreless innings. Koki Kitayama (Nihonham) then allowed two scoreless innings and Daisei Ota (Yomiuri) allowed one scoreless inning. In the lineup, No. 2-2 baseman Jojono Kaito (Hiroshima) had four hits and one RBI, and No. 3 center fielder Tatsumi Ryosuke (Rakuten) had two hits and three RBIs, including one home run.

The game on the 10th was also perfect. Starting pitchers Takahisa Hayakawa (Rakuten) and Shosei Toko (Yomiuri) both gave no runs in two innings, Sumida, Sota Suzuki (Chiba Lotte), Fujihara, and Sora Suzuki. Shimizu finished the game without losing a point by playing one inning each. In the batting lineup, Shota Morissita (Hanshin) played an active role. 4번-우익수로

Yomiuri closer Daisei pitched in a practice game against the Czech Republic and allowed one scoreless inning. Photo capture = Japanese baseball team homepage

He hit two hits in the first inning, including a two-run home run.

After manager Ibata took the helm late last year, the Japanese national team won all eight international games. Japan won the Asian Professional Baseball Championship at Tokyo Dome in November last year with all four wins. In the first match of the preliminary round, they beat Taiwan 4-0, South Korea 2-1, and Australia 10-0. Japan came from behind to win the final 4-3 against South Korea. He was dragged after giving up two runs in the third inning and followed one run in the fifth inning. The fourth batter, Shugo Maki (Yokohama), hit a one-run home run against Kwak Bin, who was pitching scoreless. Trailing 1-2, he added one more point in the sixth inning to tie the score. Leading hitter No. 6 Manami Ju Sei (Nihonham) hit a double to right field and scored an additional point with two sacrifice hits. It went from 2-2 to extra-time. At 3-2, Japan won with Makoto Kadowaki hitting a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th inning.

The Japanese national team called the European team to the Osaka Kyocera Dome in March and played two friendly matches. They won the first game 5 to 0 and the second game 2 to 1.

Japan is aiming to win four major international competitions in a row following the 2019 Premier 12, 2021 Tokyo Olympics and 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC). Previously, they won all eight international matches, but Premier 12 is different.

Major players were missing from this national team. Murakami Munetaka (Yakurt), Okamoto Kazuma (Yomiuri), and Yamakawa Hotaka (soft

The Japanese national team players who won the Asian Professional Baseball Championship last year rinse manager Ibata. Reporter Heo Sang-wook

Bank) was ruled out due to injuries. The national team does not have the first to third home runs in the Japanese professional baseball this season. Both leagues are also missing the most wins. There are no major players, but Japan is still strong. Will he be able to continue his unbeaten record in this tournament.

Reporter Min Chang-ki huelva@sportschosun.com

huelva@sportschosun.com