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Australia wrapped up its 2024 Premier12 campaign with a 5-2 loss to Korea at Tianmu Stadium in Taipei on Monday afternoon.

Three errors in the field, missed opportunities and a massive performance from Korean All-Star slugger Kim Doyeong led to the Korean victory.

Kim was an imposing force in the batter’s box. He went 3-for-4 with four RBI and a critical two-run homer in the sixth to sail Korea ahead.

Not long before the dagger home run, Liam Spence (below) had just pulled the Aussies back within one with his second hit of the afternoon.

Australia had their chances. They had bases loaded with nobody out in the fifth, and runners on the corners with one out in the sixth. Australia scored just one run each of those innings.

Meanwhile, Korea capitalised off Australian miscues.

Only one of their first three runs were earned. Australia made three errors in the first four innings which helped extend Korean innings.

“Defense and limiting free bases has not been where it needs to be the last two nights,” said Australia’s hitting coach Chris Adamson at the post game presser. “It’s going to continue to be a focal point for us and something we need to clean up.”

Australia finishes the Premier12 with a 1-4 record. They will have to await the outcome of tonight’s Japan / Dominican Republic & Cuba / Chinese Taipei games to see where they finish.

If Chinese Taipei & Japan both win, Australia will finish fourth in the group, and seventh overall in the tournament.

“Overall, we’re disappointed. That’s not where we wanted to be or think we should be,” said Adamson. “But there’s a lot of good foundations and young players coming through.”

Liam Spence led Australia in batting, collecting two of Australia’s five hits. Tim Kennelly, Rixon Wingrove & Darryl George had the other base knocks.

Australia used seven pitchers in the loss: Tim Atherton, Steve Kent, Josh Guyer, Warwick Saupold, Sam Holland, Coen Wynne and Todd Van Steensel. They combined to allow 10 hits, three walks and three earned runs.

BOX SCORE: Click here

HOW IT UNFOLDED

Some sloppy play hurt the Australians.

Three Aussie errors in the first four kept extending batting innings for Korea and helped put runs on the board.

Of Korea’s first three runs, only one was earned. 

Australian pitching had its moments.

Tim Atherton had a huge bases loaded strikeout in the second to keep the game scoreless, bailing out a defensive error.

Darryl George also kept a run off the board off a funny deflection.

Kim Doyeong picked up his first RBI in the third, a single up the middle against Steve Kent.

Korea had their breakthrough in the fourth inning, to no fault of pitcher Josh Guyer.

In wet conditions, Chang-Ki Hong dribbled a ball down the line off a half-hearted swing.

It hugged the foul line between home and first, keeping the inning alive.

Guyer induced a weak ground ball to Shin Minjae. The ball rolled between first base and the pitcher but a slightly arrant throw from Rixon Wingrove allowed Minjae to reach and a run to score.

The next batter Kim Doyeong singled to left. 3-0.

Australia loaded the bases in the fifth with no outs.

But an Ulrich Bojarski strike-out, Jarryd Dale ground out, and Aaron Whitefield left them juiced. 

Travis Bazzana picked up the RBI with a bases-loaded walk to push the lead to 3-1.

Australia pressured again in the sixth. They had two on and one out. Liam Spence was able to grab his second hit of the night in his first Premier12 start.

“In a word, ‘no’, I am not surprised with Liam today,” said Adamson. “He is the ultimate professional and he took the opportunity presented with two hands and I think he’s going to be a large part of this team going forward.”

It didn’t take long for Korea to return serve after the Spence RBI.

Kim Dayeong continued his impressive day, launching a two-run homer off Sam Holland to extend the advantage back out to three. It was his fourth RBI and third hit of the day.

Coen Wynne kept Australia in the fight from there. Wynne, in his third appearance of the tournament, tossed 1.1 innings allowing just one hit with one strikeout.

Todd Van Steensel also pitched a perfect eighth inning.

Australia was sat down without a baserunner in the final two innings.

“Overall I think it’s a bit of a changing of the guard,” said Adamson in summary of the tournament. “We have some young talent, and we have some older players, and young pitchers like Coen Wynne continues to go strength to strength, so there’s a lot to build on. There’s exciting talent coming through.”

A huge thank you to our family and friends for coming to support.

This story is written by Eric Balnar, with photos from Scott Powick. We are filing daily stories from Australia’s ten-day training camp in Fuchu, Japan as they prepare to play in the Premier12. For more stories, visit www.baseball.com.au/premier12. You can watch the tournament in Australia on WBSC streaming platform Gametime.Sport. 

We’ve been greeted by a media frenzy ahead of our first Premier12 game vs Japan.

At 9:00PM AEDT on November 13, live from the Nagoya Dome, we’ll play the World #1. There will be a sold out stadium and a Japanese TV audience of over 25 million people.

You can watch the games in Australia on Gametime.Sport or through the app ‘DAZN’.

Here is the transcript from the pre-tournament press-conference featuring Team Australia manager Dave Nilsson, team captain Tim Kennelly, Japan manager Ibata and Japanese pitcher Shosei Togo.

Here is the transcript from the Press Conference

 TV Tokyo

How do you feel about the team’s situation and the players’ movements as you approach tomorrow’s first game?

Manager Ibata: I haven’t seen today’s practice yet, but we’ve had a training camp in Miyazaki and Nagoya for about two weeks. I think the players have been able to regain their game sense. The pitchers have also had good adjustments by pitching to the batters. I feel that we’ve made steady progress as we prepare for the actual games.

Manager Nilsson: I think both teams are going to be very excited for tomorrow night. We’ve known for a long time that this game is coming in for both teams, that we’ve been preparing for two weeks. I expect to be a very clean game with a good pitching and solid defense in a very good facility, great place to play. I think you’re going to see a very good game tomorrow night from two very well prepared teams.

TV Tokyo

What is your impression of the opposing team, and which players do you think should be particularly watched out for?

Manager Nilsson: I think it’s always a privilege and an honor to play against Team Japan. And I think one of the strengths of their team is that every player is very well prepared, and they play together very well as a team. So from our point of view, we don’t isolate any player, we don’t prepare for just one player, we prepare for the whole team, and we expect them to perform together as a group, very Good tomorrow.

Manager Ibata: I feel the same way. Baseball is not something you do alone; it’s a team sport, so I think they’re a well-balanced team overall. They have batters who can hit home runs, and I’m sure they also have players who can use their speed effectively. Year by year, Australia has been getting stronger, so I hope we can have a good game tomorrow.

TV Tokyo

Once again, who will be the starting pitcher?

Manager Ibata: I’m planning to go with Haruto Inoue as the starting pitcher tomorrow. He’s 21 years old, the youngest player, but I want him to bring out that youthfulness. I hope he can pitch with the same power and momentum he’s shown in the regular season, just like he would in the postseason.

Manager Nilsson: Starting pitcher for Team Australia tomorrow will be Lewis Thorpe. He played the big leagues before, and spent a lot of this year in Mexico. And I think he’ll match up very well with Japanese hitters.

TV Tokyo

What is your goal for this tournament, and what are your thoughts as you head into the opening game?

Manager Ibata: Our ultimate goal is to win the championship. Above all, I want us to fight in every game with that goal in mind. I know each game will be tough, but I hope we can give our all in every match, focusing on one game at a time.

Manager Nilsson: Our goal is to play good baseball every day, and that means our focus is on tomorrow, winning tomorrow’s game. And then getting through to the Super Round in Tokyo and playing baseball there.

TV Tokyo

(To the players) How is the players’ physical condition after finishing the season?

Togo: My condition is really good. Although I only had a little over a week of rest after the CS (Climax Series), we spent about two weeks in Miyazaki, where we had a lot of discussions and exchanges of opinions with the other players. I’m really excited to get back on the field and play as soon as possible.

Kennelly: Conditions are great and I feel fresh. Team Australia had a training camp in Japan in Fuchu city and came up with a long off season, so there’s no excuses to not feel good, bodies feeling fresh. Speaking to a lot of the other players, everyone says ready to go.

TV Tokyo

How would you like to contribute for the team in this tournament?

Kennedy: We got nine hitters that are going to take the field tomorrow night, so everyone’s role is going to be trying to do whatever they can, each out back to get on base or trying to conduct him back to the driving runs or move runners over. We know we’re up against a very good pitching staff in the Japanese pitchers, we’re going to be really well prepared. So I think we have a good plan, as long as we stick to that plan, our goal is to score as many runs.

Togo: This will be my first time starting, so the most important thing is to meet everyone’s expectations. More than anything, we’re aiming for a consecutive championship, so I want to do my part to contribute to that. I want to show the best of Japan as a united team.

Daily Sports

Regarding tomorrow’s lineup, in the first game against the Czech Republic, Maki played in the heart of the lineup, and in the second game, Morishita was the main batter. How do you plan to set up the lineup for tomorrow’s opening game?

Ibata: It’s not decided yet. I’d like to think about it until around this time tomorrow (press conference took place around 4 PM).

Kyodo News

Travis Bazzana is already well-known in Japan due to the MLB draft. What kind of player is he for the Australian national team?

Nilsson: Travis is a young player, very young and still learning the game of baseball. So I’m hoping he gets to gain a lot of experience from being around the older guys on the team. And I just, I just want to encourage him through this. I’m not expecting anything from Travis right now. He’s very talented and obviously the very number one pick in the Major League draft, so I think that speaks to the talent and how people view him, but on the international stage and tournaments like this, this is new to him, and he’ll be leaning on our players for guys.

Samurai Japan Official Website: I heard that you had a training camp in Fuchu City and had some interactions with the local citizens. What kind of experience was that?

Nilsson: Fuchu city has been very big to us and allowed us to train there, and we’ve really come to enjoy it, and the people of Fuchu have been very kind to us, and our players really enjoy the hospitality. So it worked out very well. It’s a great opportunity for our players to show appreciation and do clinics for local children and visit high schools and to show our appreciation and the Mayor Takano for Fuchu has done a wonderful job of preparing the field, and hopefully we’ll continue to go there in the future.

Chunichi Shimbun

Both managers have a deep connection to Nagoya Dome, having played there during their careers. With the support of the fans, how do you feel about the fact that the tournament begins here in Nagoya?

Nilsson: Mr. Ibata knows a lot more about Nagoya than I do. I didn’t get to play many games here unfortunately. We were on the same team together in 2000 and even though they were very good career in Japan. So I think we both know a lot about the time, and our teams are very excited to be playing here.

Ibata: My professional baseball career started when I was used as a pinch runner and defensive replacement for Dingo (nickname for David Nilsson as a player). A player who had been active in Major League Baseball came to the team, and that allowed me to get my career started. I feel a strong sense of fate in being able to start this Premier12 tournament in this way, from the very first game. I believe that my role as manager now is because Dingo came to Japan, so I’m filled with a deep sense of gratitude. I will give my all tomorrow, just as I always do.

Baseball Australia – in partnership with Perfect Game – will be touring the USA with the Under 16 and Under 18 National Junior Squads in September and October 2024.

Australia will name an Under-18 and Under-16 national squad to play in Perfect Game-run events in America.

The Under-16 event will be held in Atlanta, Georgia in September.

The Under-18 event will travel to events in Florida – in Jupiter and Port St. Lucie – from late-September to early October.

The tour will be 12 days-long and see these players battle against some of the best American talent of the respective age groups.

The squads will be named in the coming weeks. This comes after the Australian Youth Championships last week in Sydney.

The international events will be played in front of an audience filled with scouts and colleges. It is run by well-known international baseball organisation Perfect Game.

“This is a great opportunity to play in front of all the top junior colleges, universities and professional organisations,” says National Player Development Manager Andrew Riddell. “Experiences like this provides an opportunity to represent your country while facing tough opposition including top college commits, all while representing our country in a non-World Cup year.”

Riddell says the teams Australia will play are all made up of players who have already committed to top schools.

“It’s about providing our players with a glimpse into what facing future college competition may look, while also helping create exposure for scholarships and college opportunities for our players as they graduate out of high school.”

Perfect Game is the world’s largest baseball scouting service. They host high-quality travel team tournament and individual showcases across the world. It offers major scouting, signing and MLB draft opportunities for players.

The USA-tours will be preceded by the hard work players do in their respective states through the Baseball Australia endorsed ‘State Performance Pathways Program.’

Baseball Australia’s General Manager of Performance Pathways & Player Development Michael Crooks says states are critical in developing Australian talent.

“We saw first-hand the talent from states across the country this week at the Australian Youth Championships. These are the principal environments for talented played across the country to work on and develop their skills for transitioning into places like college, the ABL and professional baseball,” says Crooks of the state-based Performance Pathways Programs.

The national team’s selection panel is concluding the player assessment process, with the National Junior Squads to be announced prior to the end of January.

Please visit one of our event hubs for recaps of the 2024 Australian Youth Championships.

• U18 Event Hub: 2024 U-18 Australian Youth Championships (U18 AYC)
• U16 Event Hub: 2024 U-16 Australian Youth Championships (U16 AYC)

It’s been a while since Australian baseball fans have been able to watch the senior men’s national team on home soil.

When Team Australia takes the field at Melbourne Ballpark on February 17 for the first game of a two-game series vs Korean baseball giant Hanwha Eagles, there will be no shortage of talent with international experience at the highest level.

All 21 players have played in at least one World Baseball Classic.

“After having success at the World Baseball Classic last year, it’s important we continue to win as a team,” says Team Australia’s head coach Dave Nilsson. “This group has the experience and the talent to do that.”

19 of the players on the list played in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where Australia reached the quarterfinals for the first time. Two others – Tim Atherton and Lachlan Wells – may not have been on the most recent WBC quad, pitched in the 2017 version of the tournament.

SELLING FAST: GET YOUR TICKETS TO SEE TEAM AUSTRALIA AT HOME

The two-game series from February 17-18 at Melbourne Ballpark gives fans a chance to see their heroes in action. It’s the first time since 2020 the senior men’s squad has played a game in Australia.

It also launches a massive 2024 for the Australian national team. Team Australia will compete in the ‘Premier12’ in November 2024 – it’s effectively a World Championship for the planet’s Top 12 ranked baseball teams run by the World Baseball Softball Confederation’ (WBSC).

Watch all the action this weekend on Baseball+. Click here for download links and how to cast to your TV.

“If this group stays healthy, I expect them to be together for the Premier12 later this year,” says Nilsson.

The two games are supported by the Melbourne Aces and the Victorian Government. Australia will play two games vs the Hanhwa Eagles – a team which plays in the top professional competition in South Korea.

You can get tickets by clicking this link. Some sections have already sold out.

The Eagles are in Melbourne for Spring Training ahead of the 2024 KBO season. They are home to the KBO’s 2023 home run champion Si Hwan Roh. Team Australia co-captain Warwick Saupold played for Hanhwa from 2020-21.

Here is the roster:

UPDATE: Jordan McArdle has replaced Lachlan Wells on the roster.

OF – Tim Kennelly
OF – Aaron Whitefield
OF – Ulrich Bojarski
3B – Darryl George
SS – Logan Wade
INF – Jarryd Dale
1B – Rixon Wingrove
1B – Jake Bowey
C – Robbie Perkins
C – Alex Hall

LHP – Lachlan Wells
LHP – Steven Kent
LHP – Jon Kennedy
LHP – Dan McGrath
RHP – Tim Atherton
RHP – Sam Holland
RHP – Warwick Saupold
RHP – Coen Wynne
RHP – Josh Guyer
RHP – Luke Wilkins
RHP – Todd Van Steensel

Team Australia is set to take on World Champions Japan in a two-game series at the Sapporo Dome on the 9th and 10th of November 2022.

It has been a long three-year absence of international baseball for our Men’s Team Australia side to which our representatives will be looking to pick up where they left off from the Premier 12s.

It will be the first senior international game for Team Japan since the Olympics where they claimed gold against the best in the world.

The two-game series will take place before the Australian Baseball League (ABL) season with ABL players set to join their teams for the commencement of the Opening Round.

These games will be a preview of how Team Australia will line up for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, which is set to launch on March 8th 2023.

Team Australian Manager David Nilsson is thrilled to be back in the green and gold and ready to lead the team into a new season of international baseball.

“It is always and honour and very challenging to play against Team Japan and this will be a great opportunity to bring new players into the team and start our preparation for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).”

Baseball Australia CEO Glenn Williams is thrilled to be able to bring international baseball to the fans at home and abroad.

“ Our relationship with the NPB and Samurai Japan is strong, and we’ve worked closely for quite a while to secure this series. It will be amazing to be in Sapporo in November competing against the number 1 team in the world.”

“ This series, followed by ABL season 22/23 and then the WBC in March 2023, promises to be an actioned packed period of time for baseball fans.”

The full team roster, details on how to watch and other information about the series in Japan will be released in the lead-up to the series.

Team Australia has announced a 35-player 2022 National Junior Squad as it ramps up preparations for this year’s WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in the US.

It includes 11 players from New South Wales, nine from Victoria, seven from Western Australia, six out of Queensland along with a pair of South Australians.