For manager Atsunori Inaba and Samurai Japan, it's full steam ahead for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. And the first stop on what Japan hopes is the road to a gold medal comes in November, when Inaba makes his debut at the inaugural Asia Professional Baseball Championship 2017.
Inaba, who was named Samurai Japan manager in July, will guide the team against South Korea and Taiwan at the event, which is scheduled for Nov. 16-19 at Tokyo Dome.
"We are going to play the way we would play at the 2020 Olympics in this tournament," Inaba said during a news conference on Monday. "Except for the overage players, we will use players who have played three years as professionals or are 24 years or younger. I believe some of them will be in the national team for the 2020 Olympics and I will continue to watch them closely."