Schedule

** Game was rained out.

Last update: December 4, 1:01am

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The Japan National Team that will be competing at the Asian Baseball Championships later this month played two practice games against Meiji University at the JX-ENEOS grounds in Kawasaki today.  The National Team won the first game, 2-0, and the second game ended in a 0-0 tie.

Game 1

Kazumasa Yoshida started the first game and tossed four shutout innings while allowing just one hit.  Daichi Osera closed out the game with one shutout inning of work.

Game 2

Kentaro Yoshinaga started the second game and tossed three perfect innings.  He also struck out three and topped out at 142km/h.

The National Team's practice game against JFE Higashi Nihon on Friday was canceled due to rain.

Source: Nikkan Sports 11/24/2012, Nikkan Sports 11/24/2012

The Baseball Federation of Japan posted the roster that will be competing at the 2012 Asian Baseball Championships later this year (November 28 - December 2 in Taichung, Taiwan).

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Roster

The Baseball Federation of Japan released their list of University candidates that will be participating in a mini-camp for the Asian Baseball Championship.  A list of Industrial League candidates will be finalized sometime on or after July 21.  The mini-camp will take place between August 2 and 5 in Chiba.

Source: Sponichi 7/12/2012

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University Candidates

The Baseball Federation of Japan announced on Thursday that Hirotami Kojima will manage the national team that will be competing at the 2012 Asian Baseball Championship (November 28-December 2, Taiwan).

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The Women's Baseball Association Japan announced that the female national team (the one that will be competing at the Women's Baseball World Cup in August) will be playing two exhibition games against a mixed Girls Professional Baseball League team on April 21 and 22 at Wakasa Stadium Kyoto.  Players from the GPBL will also be scouted for the national team.

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The NPB's Samurai Japan steering committee met for the first time on Tuesday in Tokyo and  discussed a number of issues, including the possibility of scheduling international exhibition games in the fall.

The Kansai 6 University Baseball League plans to adopt tie-break rules for league games beginning this spring in order to do away with suspended games.  Under the new rule, if a game is still tied after three hours of play, teams will begin the next inning with the bases loaded and one out.

The Kansai 6 University Baseball League is the first university league in Kansai to adopt tie-break rules.

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The Baseball Federation of Japan held a meeting in Tokyo today and decided that the national team competing at the Asian Baseball Championships in Taiwan in November will be made up of University and Industrial League players.  The NPB will be notified of the decision during another meeting in March.

An Industrial League team manager will be selected to manage the national team.  An official announcement on the selection will be made in April.

Around fifty players will be selected for the preliminary roster.  Fourth year university students will be left out due to the timing of the event.

Masayuki Naito, Baseball Federation of Japan' Secretary General, told reporters on Thursday that they will not consider players that do not belong on University or Industrial League teams for the national team that will be competing at the Asian Baseball Championships.  Since Tomoyuki Sugano does not officially belong to either, it most likely means he will be skipped over.

The Asia Series steering committee is currently looking into Korea for the 2012 Asia Series.

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The Baseball Federation of Asia held an executive committee meeting in Tokyo today and decided that the 2012 Asian Baseball Championship will take place between November 28 and December 2 in Taichung, Taiwan.  Six teams are expected to compete in the tournament.

The Federation also discussed holding the 15U AA Asian Baseball Championships in Odisha, India between November 5 and 10.