Japan digs deep to win Premier12
Samurai Japan finished its Premier12 campaign in successful fashion on Sunday night with a 5-3 victory over South Korea in the gold medal game at Tokyo Dome. While it was an accomplishment by itself, the feat was an appetizer en route to the ultimate goal ...
Japan fights back to win Premier12 final
Four years ago, the Samurai Japan bullpen fell apart in a loss against South Korea in the Premier12 semifinals at Tokyo Dome. This time, with the title hanging in the balance, Japan's relievers got to taste both sweet revenge and the championship. Tetsuto Yamada gave Japan ...
Former NPB players Matt Clark, Efren Navarro revel in Mexico's triumph
Mexico made history on Sunday, punching its first-ever Olympic ticket with a 3-2 win over the United States in the bronze-medal game of the Premier12. The win could not have occurred without the late-game heroics of Matt Clark and Efren Navarro, who have previously competed ...
Efren Navarro's broken-bat single sends Mexico to Olympic baseball tournament
If one day Efren Navarro's bat from the bronze medal game of the 2019 Premier12 ends up in a hall of fame somewhere, it won't get there in one piece. Not that it'll matter in the least to Mexican baseball fans. Navarro and his shattered ...
Samurai Japan holds off South Korea in last game of Premier12 Super Round
Samurai Japan did just enough against rival South Korea during what amounted to an entertaining dress rehearsal for the Premier12 final. Now the Japanese will head into the gold-medal game hoping practice makes perfect. Japan scored six runs in the third inning then had to overcome ...
South Korea rallies past Mexico, secures 2020 Olympic berth
South Korea didn't just book a spot in the Premier12 final with its win over Mexico on Friday night. The South Koreans also booked a return trip to Japan for next year's Tokyo Olympics. South Korea responded to a sudden two-run deficit by exploding for seven ...
Buffaloes mainstay Brandon Dickson playing pivotal role for U.S. bullpen at Premier12
Playing in Japan is probably a unique experience for many of the players on the U.S. team at the Premier12. The same can't be said for American reliever Brandon Dickson. The 35-year-old Montgomery, Alabama, native might be wearing the red, white, and blue, like the rest ...
Brent Rooker's two-run blast in seventh propels U.S. to victory over Taiwan
All Brent Rooker knew was that it wasn't going to be another slider. He'd already been beaten with that pitch during two at-bats and his mind was made up. If Wu Sheng-feng, who had already struck out Rooker twice, was going to beat him again, ...
Japan closer Yasuaki Yamasaki fueled by memories of disappointment at inaugural Premier12
There are no players as motivated as Yasuaki Yamasaki who are competing for Japan in the ongoing Premier12. The Yokohama BayStars star closer was part of Samurai Japan in the tournament's inaugural edition in 2015, when the team reluctantly settled for a bronze medal in ...
Japan drives past Mexico as Hayato Sakamoto breaks out of slump
Japan manager Atsunori Inaba professed his belief in shortstop Hayato Sakamoto, even as the star infielder struggled at the plate during the Premier12. With Japan looking to bounce back from its first loss of the tournament and facing undefeated Mexico, Sakamoto was back in a ...
Team Australia upsets U.S. with first-inning rush
Team Australia got all the runs it needed on one ball that just found a hole up the middle. As for the rest, manger David Nilsson entrusted that to his pitchers and fielders. They rewarded his faith with a superb effort and a big upset ...
Samurai Japan's dormant bats need adjusting, says bench coach Makoto Kaneko
Japan's stellar pitching makes it one of the championship favorites in any international events it competes in. But it's hard to win a lot of games without ample run support. That's a pressing issue facing Samurai Japan as they aim for the gold medal at next ...
