21 Australian women off to Japan to play against top club teams and national squad

12 September 2025 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

21 Australian women off to Japan to play against top club teams and national squad

21 Australian women are off to Japan to play with and against some of the best baseball players in the world, including two exhibition games vs the World #1 Japanese National Team.

The team is called the ‘Down Under Diamonds’ – it’s an off shoot of the Diamonds in the Rough Program.

The Down Under Diamonds will be in Togichi City, one of a number of “Women’s Baseball Cities” in Japan, from September 18-29. They’ll play against top Japanese women’s club and finish with games against Team Japan.

The player list is below. Honestly, this roster is stacked!

The team is made up of Emeralds and Australian Women’s Championship stars.

The coaching staff scrubs up alright too.

The Diamonds will be coached by the longest serving Emerald Shae Lillywhite, multiple-time Emerald Laura Neads and the head coach of the Japanese women’s national team Risa Nakashima.

The program was coordinated by supported by Togichi City, the Japanese Women’s Baseball Federation and Diamonds in the Rough. Narelle Gosstray, the founder of Diamonds in the Rough, organised the tour from Australia with Nakashima running point in Japan on behalf of the Japanese Federation.

You can also check out the schedule at the bottom of this article.

Best of luck to all!

PLAYER LIST

– Abbey Kelly (VIC)
– Abbey McLellan (VIC)
– Ashley Van Staden (QLD)
– Bianca Ramsey (SA)
– Caitlin Eynon (WA)
– Carly Moore (SA)
– Cayla Johnston (NSW)
– Chloe Atkinson (WA)
– Claire O’Sullivan (NSW)
– Elodie O’Sullivan (WA)
– Gemma Letton (SA)
– Georgia Davis (SA)
– Isobel Lambert (NSW)
– Jasmine Bentley (VIC)
– Lisa Nakashio (NSW)
– Maddison Erwin (NSW)
– Meaghan Haggart (WA)
– Molly Paddison (QLD)
– Paula Doherty (VIC)
– Ruby Dale (VIC)
– Sarah McMahon (SA)

Coaches

Shae Lillywhite
Laura Neads
Risa Nakashima

SCHEDULE

September 19 – Training with Zenko Beams, the Japanese Women’s Club Champions

September 20 – Game vs Lions, one of the best teams in Japan

September 21 – Game #2 vs Lions

September 22 – Training with Agekke

September 23 – Game vs Zenko Beams

September 24 – Training Day / High School Visit

September 26 – Visit Shrine & High School Visit

September 27 – Game vs Team Japan

September 28 – Game vs Team Japan

11 September 2025 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

Recap & Highlights | Cuba spoil phenomenal Australian pitching performance with extra inning walk-off

A one run loss to Cuba at a World Cup. It’s a sentence that’s become all too familiar for Australian baseball players.

File this under the category of “heartbreaker.”

Cuba sealed victory on a passed ball in a second extra inning to walk Australia off in the first game of the Placement Round at the 2025 U-18 World Cup. Final score: 2-1.

Australia were millimetres away from scoring the potential winning runs.

Twice.

But, a pair of phenomenal two-out, extra-inning defensive plays from Cuban infielders foiled Australia, kept runs off the board, and propelled the Latin Americans to victory.

The first: Eighth inning, two outs, runners on second and third. Matt Trainor appeared to have a sure base hit dumped into shallow right field but second baseman Leandro Perez had other ideas. He went full super man to rob a base hit.

The second: Ninth inning, two outs, runners on second and third. William Hardy laced a ground ball that looked to find a gap near shortstop. Infielder Jonathan Moreno laid out to trap the ball. He bounced up, and fired across to first to end the inning.

In hindsight, Hardy appeared to have beat out the throw and was safe at first. A run would have scored, but Australia had already used their challenge and the ruling on the field stood.

Credit to Cuba.

BOX SCORE: Stats and Plays vs Cuba

To add a little salt to the wound, Australia had their opportunities.

In total, they left ten runners on base.

Australia had bases loaded and nobody out in both the first and sixth inning. Just one run was scored – a sixth inning sacrifice from James McFarlane.

Australia thought they had a 2-0 lead at one point. In fact, the scoreboard flashed that very line when Josh Nati appeared to have hit a two-run homer.

It was over turned. Ground rule double.

Full credit to Australian pitching. They were plucky. They were clutch. They gave the Green and Gold every chance to win.

Let’s start with Damien Wilson, who turned in his second outstanding start of the tournament.

Wilson chucked 5.0 innings with 4 hits, 1 earned run, six strikeouts and no walks. It came just five days after an eerily similar stat line vs Panama.

Tournament Hub: Follow Australia at the U18 World Cup

Kristian Haeusler stepped up in trying circumstances.

Haeusler entered the game with bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth and nobody out. He delivered a sacrifice fly, infield fly and ground out allowed Australia to escape allowing just the one run.

Haeusler worked the first two outs in the seventh before Australia’s fourth pitcher of the game, Matt Trainor, managed to induce a fly ball to force extras.

In the bottom of the first extra inning, Trainor navigated runners on first and second with nobody out. He retired the Cubans with a sacrifice bunt and two shallow fly balls.

Other bright spots include Eita Samukawa, who led Australia with a 2-for-3, 1 BB stat line.

Australia drops to 1-2 in the Super Round with games to come against South Africa and Italy. Cuba improves to 3-0.

CURRENT PLACEMENT ROUND STANDINGS

Australia is now in the Placement Round fighting for valuable world ranking points between 7-12.

Head to WBSC Website for Up-To-Date Info and Super Round standings.

PLACEMENT ROUND STANDINGS

7. Cuba 3-0
8. Italy 2-1
9. Germany 2-1
10. Australia 1-2
11. China 1-2
12. South Africa 0-3

WATCH LIVE

All of Team Australia’s games will be broadcast live and free on Baseball+ (geoblocked), Australia’s baseball streaming service.

To watch any other game of the tournament, or to watch Australia outside of the country, head toGametime.sport.

WHERE TO FOLLOW

Stories, photos, quotes and highlights will be posted on Team Australia Baseball social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook and X. We post the Top Plays and a Mini-Match of each game on YouTube.

A game recap will follow on this page.

You can grab the most recent information and standings at our Tournament Hub:www.baseball.com.au/u18worldcup.

09 September 2025 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

Recap & Highlights | USA send Australia to Placement Round

Australia’s Super Round hopes at the Under-18 World Cup came to an end with a 11-1 loss to the USA on Tuesday morning.

To beat a team like the USA you have to be nearly perfect. The Australians were far from it.

Australia (2-3) made five errors in the field, hit three batters and walked five in the loss.
The game was closer than the score indicates.

It was 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth, large in part to a wonderful 3.1 innings of shutout relief baseball from Ethan Bickel.

Tournament Hub: Follow Australia at the U18 World Cup

However, there were two wonky innings Australia may wish to have back.

USA scored three runs in the second inning where only two balls left the infield. Both of those balls were caught for outs.

The Americans scored their three off three walks, a hit-by-pitch and two errors.

USA scored seven runs in the sixth – all with two outs on the board. Two more errors, two more hit-by-pitches, and three walks helped plate the final runs.

BOX SCORE: Stats and Plays vs the USA

The USA outhit Australia 7-2.

Australia scored their lone run in the fifth off a wild pitch with the bases loaded. Ben Nesbit and Matt Trainor had the base hits for Australia.

All three American pitchers used had a mid-90s fastball.

The USA finish Pool Play with a perfect 5-0 record. They’ve outscored opponents 53-4.

Australia will head to the Placement Round and will begin with a 1-1 or 2-0 record. The schedule has yet to be determined.

CURRENT STANDINGS

Top three advance to Super Round. Each team plays five games. Standings accurate as of 6:00PM on September 8.

Head to WBSC Website for Up-To-Date Info.

Pool A

Japan 4-0
Puerto Rico 3-1
Cuba 2-2
Korea 2-1
South Africa 0-3
Italy 0-4

Pool B (Australia’s Group)

Remaining games in parenthesis. *clinched Super Round

USA 5-0*
Chinese Taipei 3-1*
Germany 2-2
Australia 2-3
Panama 2-3
China 0-5

WATCH LIVE

All of Team Australia’s games will be broadcast live and free on Baseball+ (geoblocked), Australia’s baseball streaming service.

To watch any other game of the tournament, or to watch Australia outside of the country, head toGametime.sport.

WHERE TO FOLLOW

Stories, photos, quotes and highlights will be posted on Team Australia Baseball social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook and X. We post the Top Plays and a Mini-Match of each game on YouTube.

A game recap will follow on this page.

You can grab the most recent information and standings at our Tournament Hub:www.baseball.com.au/u18worldcup.

08 September 2025 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

Recap & Highlights: Errors and miscues cost Australia dearly in loss to Chinese Taipei

photos by Scott Powick

Early game errors, walks and defensive miscues cost Australia in a big way during a 10-2 loss to World #2 Chinese-Taipei at the Under-18 World Cup.

It’s one of the weirdest line scores you’ll ever look at. Australia doubled up Chinese Taipei 10-5 in the hit department but gifted their opposition too many runs defensively.

Australia walked four, hit a batter, made three errors and had a runner picked off at second all in the first three innings.

There’s probably a lesson there.

Chinese Taipei were able to take advantage and never looked back. They scored five in the first and led 10-0 after three.

Australia battled to get two runs back late and put up four scoreless innings to end the game.

TOURNAMENT HUB: Australia at the U18 World Cup

The loss drops Australia to 2-2 with one group stage game to go. Chinese Taipei improve to 3-1 and are on the verge of locking in a Super Round spot.

Australia must beat the USA tomorrow and hope Chinese Taipei beats Germany to advance to the Super Round.

“Today our guys learnt a lesson about international baseball and game speed,” says manager Jason Pospishil. “You can’t afford to give teams extra outs at any level. Our base running also prevented us from applying scoreboard pressure early.”

“On a positive note, I thought we swung the bats extremely well against probably the best pitching we have faced so far,” says Pospishil. “Gotta have a short memory and come ready to play and compete tomorrow.”

Among the Australian bright spots were a pair of two-way performances.

Ashton Kennedy went 3-for-3 at the plate while tossing 1.1 innings, allowing one walk, no runs and no hits.

Matt Trainor collected three hits, threw 1.2 perfect innings and produced an inning-ending double play ball.

Australia play USA in the crucial World Cup show down on Tuesday at 11:30AM AEST.

Watch on Baseball+.

Here is how the game unfolded:

RECAP

BOX SCORE: All the stats from Australia vs Chinese Taipei

Australia looked like they could put up a big number early.

Matt Trainor, Ashton Kennedy and Josh Nati all ripped off two-out singles to load the bases. But Kennedy was picked off at second and Australia left the top of the first with nothing.

Chinese Taipei wasted no time to hit the scoreboard in the bottom of the first.

The World #2 racked up four hits in the first inning and scored five times. They blew it open with a two-out, two-RBI double from Sheng-En Zheng.

Australia didn’t help themselves either. They made two errors.

There were a few key moments Australia wish they had back – a tapper to the mound that looked like an inning ending double play didn’t come off. Then, an error at second on a ground ball. A throwing error helped Chinese Taipei score two runs.

Kristian Hauesler relieved Riley Puckett with two outs in the first.

A throwing error and a wild pitch cashed in Chinese Taipei’s sixth run in the second.

They put the game beyond doubt in the third.

After a series of walks, Kai-Qi Li ripped a bases-clearing triple to plate three more runs. He later scored on a sacrifice fly. 10-0.

Australia played well from there.

Ashton Kennedy (below) settled things down in the fourth on the mound. The reliever, who had two previous hits at the plate on the day, chucked a 1-2-3 inning with three soft contact pop outs.

Australia avoided the Run Rule loss by scoring in the fifth. Josh Nati had an RBI single with two outs on the board to cut the lead to 10-1.

Chinese Taipei threatened in the fifth. They had an early runner on because of a walk but reliever Matt Trainor produced an inning ending double play.

Trainor (below) pitched a perfect sixth inning too, finishing with 1.2 innings perfect innings pitched and three hits at the plate.

Singles to Lachlan Vella and James McFarlane helped Australia load the bases with nobody out in the sixth. They could score just one.

Will Hardy’s sacrifice fly made the score 10-2, but a runner was caught off the base for a double play.

Final Score: Chinese Taipei 10 def Australia 2.

Here are the stats. Mini-Match below.

CURRENT STAGE STANDINGS

Top three advance to Super Round. Each team plays five games. Standings end of Day 3. Head to WBSC Website for Up-To-Date Info.

Pool A

Japan 3-0
Puerto Rico 3-1
Cuba 2-2
Korea 2-1
Italy 0-3
South Africa 0-3

Pool B (Australia’s Group)

Remaining games in parenthesis. *clinched Super Round

USA 4-0* (AUS)
Chinese Taipei 3-1 (GER)
Germany 2-2 (TPE)
Australia 2-2 (USA)
Panama 1-3 (CHN)
China 0-4 (PAN)

Australia can advance to the Super Round with:
– Win over USA; AND
– Chinese Taipei must defeat Germany;

WATCH LIVE

All of Team Australia’s games will be broadcast live and free on Baseball+ (geoblocked), Australia’s baseball streaming service.

To watch any other game of the tournament, or to watch Australia outside of the country, head to Gametime.sport.

WHERE TO FOLLOW

Stories, photos, quotes and highlights will be posted on Team Australia Baseball social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook and X. We post the Top Plays and a Mini-Match of each game on YouTube.

A game recap will follow on this page.

You can grab the most recent information and standings at our Tournament Hub: www.baseball.com.au/u18worldcup.

KEY STORIES / NEWS

– RECAP & HIGHLIGHTS | Australia run away with 15-3 win over China to improve to 2-1 at U18 World Cup

– RECAP & HIGHLIGHTS | Gritty Australians pull out 4-1 victory over Panama to even U18 World Cup record

– RECAP & HIGHLIGHTS | Australia edged by Germany in U-18 World Cup Opener

– Why versatility matters for Australia at the U18 World Cup | Preview and Roster Story

– Team Australia announces 20-man roster for 2025 Under 18 World Cup

07 September 2025 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

Recap & Highlights | Australia run away with 15-3 win over China to improve to 2-1

Team Australia picked up the biggest win by any team in any game thus far in the 2025 U-18 World Cup presented by RAXUS.

Final score: Australia 15 def China 3.

The fifteen runs is the most by any of the twelve teams in the tournament through two and a half days.

It was emphatic in every sense of the word.

Australia recorded 13 hits and allowed just two in a contest called early due to the run rule. They also worked seven walks and a pair of hit-by-pitches.

There were contributions from everyone. Ten different players recorded at least hit.

Eita Samukawa led the way again. The man who received his Australian citizenship just six months ago went 3-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch and four runs.

Devin Leahy went 2-for-3 in his first start for the U18 national team.

Matt Trainor led Australia with four RBI. Josh Nati drove in three. Ashton Kennedy reached three times.

On the mound, Patrick Crotty and Deakin Filko combined to no-hit China through three innings. Nate Quigg recorded a pair of punch-outs in his close out effort.

You can view all the stats at the bottom of this story.

“It’s a similar story to yesterday,” says Team Australia manager Jason Pospishil. “Our discipline in our offensive approach was very good. We managed the strike zone well and stayed within an approach. That allowed us to execute consistently.”

“Pitching wise, we attacked the zone pretty well across the board. We got a little sloppy defensively at the end so that is something we will need to clean up for tomorrow,” he adds.

Australia improves their tournament record to 2-1 with two Group B games to play. Their next opponent is Chinese Taipei on Monday, followed by the USA on Tuesday.

They will either need to win one of those games to advance to the Super Round, or receive some help.

HUB: Follow Team Australia at the U-18 World Cup

Here’s how the game unfolded:

RECAP & HIGHLIGHTS

BOX SCORE: Stats from Australia vs China

There were a lot of runs in this game. Before we hack into the scoring, let’s look at Australian pitching.

Patrick Crotty started for Australia. He threw 2.0 innings with two strikeouts, allowing no hits, no runs, one walk.

Deakin Filko followed with a perfect third inning featuring a punch out.

Nate Quigg pitched the final two innings before the game was called on the mercy rule. Quigg tossed 2.0 innings, allowing one run, one hit and two walks while collecting two strikeouts.

To the offence we go. It was systematic.

It didn’t take long for Australia to puncture the scoreboard.

The first four batters reached base – a Will Hardy walk, Eita Samukawa single, Matt Trainor on an error, and an Ashton Kennedy single.

Eita Samukawa is 5-for-6 with a walk and three HPB through three games. Photo: Scott Powick.

Kennedy and Christian Lane provided RBI base hits to put Australia up 3-0.

The first five batters reached in the second thanks to two singles (Devin Leahy and Hardy) and three base on balls. Two of the walks came with the bases loaded to score two runs. Josh Nati’s sacrifice fly pushed the score to 6-0.

Ben Nesbit capped off the second inning with a sharply hit ball that skipped past the shortstop, trickled into the outfield, and scored a pair. 8-0.

The Aussies added five more in the third. The biggest swing came from Matt Trainor who ripped a two-RBI double down the line. Jordan Ellis and Josh Nati both had RBI singles to help move the score to 13-0.

Christian Lane and Matt Trainor had sacrifice flies in the fifth inning to make it 15-1.

Lachlan Vella had a double – a nice moment for a player who missed the first two games due to illness (heat exhaustion).

China scored a couple runs off an error with two outs in the fifth when the game was beyond doubt.

The game was then called to run rule.

Up next: Chinese Taipei (1-1) at 3:30PM AEST on Monday afternoon.

CURRENT STANDINGS

Top three advance to Super Round. Standings accurate as of 2:30PM AEST on September 7. Head to WBSC Website for Up-To-Date Info.

Pool A

Japan 2-0
Cuba 2-0
Puerto Rico 2-1
Korea 1-1
South Africa 0-2
Italy 0-3

Pool B

USA 2-0
Germany 2-0
Australia 2-1
Chinese Taipei 1-1
Panama 0-2
China 0-3

WATCH LIVE

All of Team Australia’s games will be broadcast live and free on Baseball+ (geoblocked), Australia’s baseball streaming service.

To watch any other game of the tournament, or to watch Australia outside of the country, head to Gametime.sport.

WHERE TO FOLLOW

Stories, photos, quotes and highlights will be posted on Team Australia Baseball social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook and X.

A game recap will follow on this page.

You can grab the most recent information and standings at our Tournament Hub: www.baseball.com.au/u18worldcup.

KEY STORIES / NEWS

– RECAP & HIGHLIGHTS | Gritty Australians pull out 4-1 victory over Panama to even U18 World Cup record

– RECAP & HIGHLIGHTS | Australia edged by Germany in U-18 World Cup Opener

– Why versatility matters for Australia at the U18 World Cup | Preview and Roster Story

– Team Australia announces 20-man roster for 2025 Under 18 World Cup

06 September 2025 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

Recap & Highlights | Gritty Australians, cerebral Damien Willson, pull off 4-1 must-win victory

photos by Scott Powick / WBSC

Team Australia has picked up their first win of the 2025 U-18 World Cup with a gritty 4-1 victory over Panama in Okinawa.

It was a must win game for both teams.

With each side staring down the barrel of a potential 0-2 start to the tournament, Australia received a timely mix excellent pitching, clutch hitting and big defensive moments.

Damien Wilson (below) turned in an old-school performance on the mound.

Wilson pounded the strike zone, induced soft contact, and gave his country every chance to win.

He threw 5.0 innings, allowing one earned run off five hits, no walks and two strikeouts.

“He did a great job of changing speeds and working in and out,” says Team Manager Jason Pospishil. “He commanded all three pitches for strikes today and kept them off balance all day. We were very clean defensively behind him also.”

Wilson landed 49 of his 62 pitches for strikes.

Ethan Bickel tossed a pair of shutout innings to close it out.

Three of Australia’s runs came with two-out base hits.

Cooper Teichmann put Australia up 2-0 in the fourth, and Josh Nati provided two insurance runs with a two-out, two-RBI double to seal it in the seventh.

Nati, Teichmann and Eita Samukawa each muscled two hits for the victors.

Defensively, Australia turned a few tricks. They induced a crucial double play in the first, Christian Lane threw a runner out at home in the fourth, Cooper Teichmann threw a would-be base stealer in the sixth, and the Aussies teamed up to catch Panama in a seventh-inning rundown.

“Yesterday was a very disappointing day so I sort of challenged them to see how they would respond,” says Pospishil.

“We really liked the matchup of Wilson vs Panama. It’s a contrast of styles so we felt like we had a really good opportunity. Offensively our approach was much more controlled today. We had some very nervous players yesterday and our approach reflected that. We made some really good adjustments today.”

Australia improves to 1-1. They face China (0-1) next on Sunday at 11:30AM AEST in another must-win game.

Panama drops to 0-2.

Here’s how the game unfolded:

RECAP

BOX SCORE: Stats and numbers from Australia-Panama

It looked like a pitcher’s battle early.

Australia’s Damien Wilson and Panama’s Roderick Medina worked through the first two innings relatively untouched.

Australia drew first blood in the third.

After loading the bases with nobody out, Will Hardy produced a sacrifice fly to give Australia a 1-0.

That’s all they managed. Panamanian relief pitcher Juan Ortega induced a shallow fly ball and a ground out to limit the damage.

Ortega proceeded to pitch a plucky 4.2 relief innings to keep Panama in the game.

Australia doubled their lead in the fourth thanks to a two-out RBI double from Cooper Teichmann which scored Josh Nati from second.

Meanwhile, Damien Wilson kept plugging along on the mound for the Aussies.

Panama nearly scored in the fourth.

With a runner on second, Carlos Castillo slashed a ball to left field only for Christian Lane to fire a rocket to home. Runner out. Inning over. 2-0 for the Aussies after five.

Panama finally cracked through in the fifth. A lead off triple was scored off a bunt.

Wilson settled and appeared unphased.

He retired the next three in order and limited the damage to just one.

It was a cerebral, old school outing for Wilson. Not over powering, Wilson relied on strike-throwing, soft contact, ground balls and defense.

His final line is pretty: 5.0IP, 5H, 0BB, 1ER, 2SO.

49 of Wilson’s 62 pitches landed for strikes.

Ethan Bickel took over from there on the mound.

He was put under pressure in the sixth but Cooper Teichmann threw out a runner at second to remove a threat. It was Teichmann’s second runner caught stealing in two games.

Australia added to their lead in the seventh. With two outs and two runners on, Josh Nati (below) delivered a knock-out blow with a two-RBI double. 4-1.

Panama pushed their first two runners aboard in the bottom of the seventh and final inning, putting pressure back on relief pitcher Ethan Bickel.

But Bickel (below) rolled off a pair of strikeouts to close it out and secure the win.

Australia improves to 1-1. They face China (0-2) on Sunday at 11:30AM AEST.

Panama drops to 0-2.

You can view up-to-date Team Australia info via our Tournament Hub at www.baseball.com.au/u18worldcup.

WATCH LIVE

All of Team Australia’s games will be broadcast live and free on Baseball+ (geoblocked), Australia’s baseball streaming service.

The Team Australia Baseball YouTube account will post daily spoiler-free mini-matches of each of the games.

To watch any other game of the tournament, or to watch Australia outside of the country, head to Gametime.sport.

WHERE TO FOLLOW

Stories, photos, quotes and highlights will be posted on Team Australia Baseball social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook and X.

You can grab the most recent information and standings at www.baseball.com.au/u18worldcup.

KEY STORIES / NEWS

– Recap & Highlights | Australia edged by Germany in U-18 World Cup Opener

– WBSC Day 1 Recap: All the stories from opening day

– Why versatility matters for Australia at the U18 World Cup | Preview and Roster Story

– Team Australia announces 20-man roster for 2025 Under 18 World Cup

05 September 2025 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

Recap & Highlights | Australia edged by Germany in U-18 World Cup Opener

Germany came out on the winning end of a back-and-forth affair in Team Australia’s first game at the Under-18 World Cup presented by RAXUS.

Germany scored three unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth inning to erase a multi-run deficit and win 5-4.

Both teams had ample opportunities.

Germany led the hit column by a tally of 10-5 but Australia saw the lead off batter reach in five straight innings. The Aussies even had the winning run on base in the last with just one out to their name.

But it was Germany who delivered in the clutch. They tied the game in the fifth on a two-out, two-RBI single. They took the lead in the sixth on an error.

For Australia, Christian Lane led the way with a two-hit performance. Mitch Evans (4.0IP), Riley Puckett (1.2IP) and Kristian Haeusler (1.1IP) pitched well for Australia.

Here’s how the game unfolded:

HUB: Follow Australia at the U-18 World Cup

Team Australia’s U-18 World Cup Games to be streamed free on Baseball+

Team Australia’s games at the upcoming WBSC U-18 World Cup presented by RAXUS will stream live and free on Baseball+ in Australia.

Baseball+ is the home of Australian baseball, featuring the ABL, national championships and select international tournaments.

The platform has more than 55,000 subscribers and is available in the Apple and Google Play stores. Fans can also watch on the web via plus.baseball.com.au.

TOURNAMENT HUB: Follow Australia at the World Cup

Team Australia’s World Cup games will be free to watch on Baseball+ (geoblocked to Australia), while all other tournament games can be viewed worldwide on WBSC’s streaming platform Gametime.Sport.

We thank WBSC for providing coverage with commentary in an effort to grow the game in Australia.

For full tournament details, visit the WBSC Tournament Hub. Australia’s schedule is below, with the full roster available here.

TEAM AUSTRALIA SCHEDULE

Sept 5 – vs Germany, 11:30am AEST
Sept 6 – vs Panama, 11:30am AEST
Sept 7 – vs China, 11:30am AEST
Sept 8 – vs Chinese Taipei, 3:30pm AEST
Sept 9 – vs USA, 11:30am AEST
Super Round, schedule TBD: Sept 11–14

CLICK THE BUTTONS BELOW TO DOWNLOAD ON YOUR DEVICE

Head to https://baseball.com.au/baseballplus/ for casting instructions.

01 September 2025 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

Why versatility matters for Australia at the U18 World Cup | Preview and Roster Story

The 2025 U-18 World Cup presented by RAXUS begins this week.

Team Australia is on their way to Japan. They’ll acclimatise to Japanese conditions in Okinawa for three days before beginning Pool B play on September 5.

One word keeps popping up when evaluating this group of 20 players.

Versatility.

“We’ve got some nice pieces. There are a lot of guys who can do a lot of things well,” says Team Manager Jason Pospishil in a podcast interview.

“We ended up picking twelve positions players but three of those can pitch. This was something I wanted to explore. It’s been a long time since we’ve had three genuine two-way players who can compete on both sides at an international standard. That gives me the confidence we can mix and match vs certain teams.”

The squad also features multiple infielders who can play a few different spots around the diamond.

Australia needs to find these hidden advantages if they want to make a run at the Super Round. They’re in a unique position compared to their Group B opponents of Germany, Panama, the USA, Chinese Taipei and China.

All five other nations are in the middle of their baseball season.

Australia is in the middle of winter. Baseball season ended in March.

That’s why how Australia approaches the tournament lead-in is so important.

“The harsh reality is we know if we play USA or Japan or Korea in a 162 game season, we’re not going to win [as many games],” says Pospishil. “But in a tournament, if you prepare the right way, and you’re versatile enough, you can beat any team on any given day.”

Pospishil references a 2015 U18 tournament where Australia defeated a USA that had a team of nearly 20 future professional players. Australia has defeated Chinese Taipei and Japan at recent U18 tournaments, too.

They’ve medalled at this event on five occasions.

“Overall the balance and versatility is something I really like with this group,” says Pospishil.

Tournament preparation was elevated at a week-long selection camp on the Gold Coast from August 17-23. National selectors invited 34 players and named a 20-man squad by the end of the week. You can read about each player below.

“When you’re going to a World Cup, you’re playing teams that are [very] advanced. That means there are boxes the players need to tick from a preparation to be able to compete especially from a speed point of view,” says Posphishil. “Guys flying up the line in 4.0-4.2 times doesn’t happen too often outside of World Cup. That’s what we’ll see there.”

It means how Australia fields the ball could make or break the tournament.

Australia will use their time in their second pre-tournament camp, a three-day intensive in Okinawa, to go over defensive plays, communication and game strategy while adapting to Japanese conditions.

“I think defensively we are going to catch the ball pretty cleanly which is a positive. We saw that from the group in December [at the U18 Qualifiers],” says Pospishil.

Beyond the speed, versatility and defensive abilities, the U18 national team skipper says he is encouraged by a team bond he saw in camp.

“The energy and the comraderey I saw in [Gold Coast] was outstanding. It’s one of the best groups I’ve been around,” says Pospishil.

U18 HUB: View the schedule and important U18 World Cup links

“These guys were going at each other, two teams each day, but at the end of the day they’d meet on the mound and they were high-fiving each other, picking each other up, celebrating wins. It was really cool to see. I like mentally where we are at,” he adds.

Australia opens the tournament with a Friday tilt vs Germany, a Saturday date with Panama and Sunday clash with China. They finish with the group’s two heavy weights, Chinese Taipei and USA, early the following week.

The objective is to finish in the top three of the Group and advance to the Super Round to play for the medal.

“These first three games are going to be paramount. Then, we evaluate where we are at. Everyone is trying to beat everyone on [any given] day. Knowing you can pivot, have a plan A, B, C, D all the way down to X,” says Pospishil.

“The Aussie way is ‘Let’s go. Let’s go get ’em.’ We don’t take a back seat to anybody. The guys embrace it. When you come to a tournament, anything can happen.

PLAYER INFORMATION – TEAM AUSTRALIA U18

C – Jordan Ellis (VIC) – From Geelong, Ellis built an impressive lead-in to last week’s camp. He was on the radar after he played well with the U16 National Squad at a tournament in Atlanta in 2024. A lower back injury kept him out of the U18 National Championships. But, some hard work saw health return. He can play multiple positions and will be a key cog in the name of versatility.

C – Cooper Teichmann (QLD) – Teichmann was rock solid behind the plate in the qualifying series vs New Zealand. He has been the Brisbane Bandits bullpen catcher for the last two seasons, trained overseas, and been a leader on Queensland’s U18 state squad.

INF – Ben Nesbit (WA) – Nesbit has starred at every level he’s played at through juniors. He was one of the leading hitters for Western Australia at the U18 Nationals, he helped lead the Eastern Phantoms to the 2024 Senior League World Series International Semi-Final, he played for Australia in Atlanta. All of this culminated in a call-up as a 17-year-old to the Perth Heat in the 2024-25 ABL season where he collected his first hit.

INF – Will Hardy (VIC) – Hardy has been a key part of the Baseball Victoria Performance Pathways program. Hardy was on the Melbourne Aces’ development list in the 2024-25 ABL season. He brings versatility, being able to play all three infield spots.

INF – Josh Nati (NSW) – Australia’s only return player from the 2023 U18 World Cup. He hit over .300 last tournament as a 15-year-old. Nati has already committed to NCAA Division 1 program Oregon State. He was a leader on New South Wales national U18 championship win in January. Nati is a Blue Sox Development Player and holds all of the exit velocity for his age and weight at Driveline facility in Washington.

INF – Eita Samukawa (WA) – A pretty cool moment for Samukawa, who just received his Australian passport and citizenship this season. From Japan, Samukawa grew up in the Western Australian system. He won a silver medal at the 2025 U18 Championships, starred in charter with the Eastern Phantoms and went away to Atlanta with U16 team.

OF – James McFarlane (SA) – A centerfielder with a high IQ both on and off the diamond. He is in talks with multiple Ivy League schools about playing NCAA Division I baseball in 2026. McFarlane had a big U18 National Championship as South Australia won a Bronze Medal while playing Division I locally.

OF – Devin Leahy (VIC) – A short, quick, outfielder with strong bat-to-ball skills. He is a 2024 U18 National Champion with Victoria. Leahy brings a different style of game play and energy to the national squad.

OF – Christian Lane (NSW) – One of seven return players from the U18 Qualifiers squad. Lane was one of the top hitters at training camp, which helped secure a spot on the team.

UTL – Matt Trainor (NSW) – This is your 2025 Australian U18 National Championship MVP. He won the award because of his ability to affect play in all aspects of the game. He can hit, he can pitch. Expect him to be used in multiple situations at the World Cup.

UTL – Lachlan Vella (NSW) – Vella led the U18 Nationals in homers and was right up there in almost every offensive metric. He can play first base and third base and will pitch some important innings from the bullpen, adding another layer of versatility to this dynamic group.

UTL – Ashton Kennedy (NSW) – Another two-way player for the coaching staff. He has a 90+ mph fast ball and was used as New South Wales’ closer during their 2025 U18 Championship run. He’s a bottom-age player who can impact the game on both sides of the ledger.

RHP – Ethan Bickel (NSW) – He was on the U18 Qualifying squad in December. He played for Team Australia U17 at the Perfect Game Fort Myers tournament in 2024. He can land multiple pitches for a strike and was the best strike thrower at camp.

RHP – Riley Puckett (NSW) – He didn’t give up a run at the U18 Australian National Championships en route to claiming the Pitcher of the Tournament Award. Another player who has confidence to throw a breaking ball in any count. A great competitor.

RHP – Patrick Crotty (QLD) – He just kept trending right direction and pushed his way on the side. While he wasn’t on Queensland’s U18 state team at Nationals, he proved to be the hardest thrower at national camp, sitting around 93mph. He went to Atlanta with the U16 National Squad in 2024.

RHP – Deakin Filko (SA) – A hard-thrower who proved to be the star pitcher for South Australia’s Bronze Medal team at the U18 Nationals. Filko played for Australia at the U16 exhibition series vs USA U15.

RHP – Kristian Haeusler (WA) – A story of resilience. Haeusler played for Australia at the U12 World Cup in 2019. But, later he had shoulder surgery causing him to miss last year’s nationals. He has a solid breaking ball he can land for strikes while also generating swings and misses on his change-up.

RHP – Nate Quigg (ACT) – Canberra’s only player on the team. Known for his work ethic, Quigg has spent 2025 working out and throwing bullpens with Team Australia catcher Robbie Perkins. Quigg made his ABL debut in 2025 with the Canberra Cavalry.

LHP – Mitch Evans (SA) – The team’s lone player who has already signed a professional contract. Evans velocity keeps increasing and he throws an off-speed for strikes. It’s one of the reasons the Detroit Tigers signed him. Evans allowed just one run in an epic start vs USA’s U15 squad in a series in 2024.

LHP – Damien Wilson (NSW) – A lefty who pitched well for Australia at the U18 Qualifiers. He was a key innings eater and delivered some big moments for New South Wales at the U18 National Championships.

24 August 2025 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

Team Australia announces 20-man roster for 2025 Under 18 World Cup

Australia’s roster for the 2025 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Under 18 World Cup presented by RAXUS is locked in.

National selectors finalised the 20-man squad on Saturday evening after a week-long selection camp on the Gold Coast.

The camp, which was proudly supported by Invest Gold Coast, saw 34 athletes from across the country take part in an evaluation in advance of next month’s World Cup in Okinawa, Japan.

Team Australia named eight pitchers and twelve position players to the team.

“We have a very versatile team,” said manager Jason Pospishil after the camp.

U18 WORLD CUP HUB: Follow Team Australia in Japan

“Any time you wear an Australian jersey it’s an honour and a privilege. When you stand on that foul line and they play the anthem that’s when it hits you that what you’re doing isn’t done by everybody and there’s a responsibility for it.”

All seven state representative teams at the Australian Youth Championships (NSW, NSW Country, ACT, SA, WA, QLD, VIC) have players named to the U18 national squad.

The roster includes one return player from the 2023 U18 World Cup (Josh Nati) and one pitcher who has signed professionally with an MLB club (Mitch Evans, Detroit Tigers).

There are seven players who helped Australia qualify for the World Cup last December in a five-game series vs New Zealand. These players are Ethan Bickel, Mitch Evans, Deakin Filko, Damien Wilson, Cooper Teichmann, Ben Nesbit and Christian Lane.

“We want to see guys who are consistent in their performance. There are bench marks we need guys to be able to achieve but we also highlight that if a guy has a bad camp it doesn’t define them as a baseball player, they still have ample opportunity to develop later on down the road and potentially represent the country at 23U or the senior team level,” says Pospishil.

The 20 players will return to their home states for a week before flying to Okinawa Japan on August 31.

The U18 World Cup is scheduled to begin on September 5.

The likes of baseball superstars Yu Darvish, Francisco Lindor, Clayton Kershaw and Aroldis Chapman have all played in this tournament. Team Australia World Baseball Classic players – such as Rixon Wingrove, Jack O’Loughlin and Alex Hall to name a few of many – have also participated in the Under 18 global event.

Australia’s first game is against Germany. You can view the schedule via our World Cup Hub.

Broadcast details in Australia will be revealed in the next fortnight.

“Once we get on the plane our focus is on winning the world championships but in the background we are trying to instill those fundamentals and values that will help these kids represent Team Australia in the future, says Pospishil.

“There’s a systematic approach to how we want to develop players and for the behaviour and the bench marks and the standards we want to see is going to be consistent across all our national teams and I think that’s what leads to good culture.”