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recap by Eric Balnar, photos by Scott Powick

Team Australia has pulled off a “perceived” major upset at the World Baseball Classic.

On paper? It probably was.

Australia, the eleventh ranked team, defeated the World #2 Chinese Taipei squad with a 3-0 win to open the world’s biggest baseball tournament in front of a near-capacity crowd at the Tokyo Dome,

Robbie Perkins and Travis Bazzana both hit home runs to account for all three of Australia’s scores. Curtis Mead had two hits in his Team Australia debut.

On the mound,  Alexander Wells, Jack O’Loughlin and Jon Kennedy each tossed three shutout innings in the victory. Chinese Taipei managed just three hits. 

Australia is in Pool C with Japan (World #1), Chinese Taipei (World #2), Korea (World #4) and Czechia (World #15). For the Australians, ranked 11th in the World, it is considered the ‘Group of Death’.

One reporter in the press box described the Australian win as shocking.

While the world may be surprised at Australia’s victory, the players insist you shouldn’t be.

“I don’t know why people keep thinking these are upsets,” said Robbie Perkins after the game. “We beat Korea last time, and we beat Chinese Taipei today. I think we’re there with the best in the world on any given day. I think we need to start acknowledging we can give it to them.”

The win mirrors at 2023 victory at the World Baseball Classic over Korea in the tournament opener.

Team Australia manager Dave Nilsson says past experience matters.

“I think the team showed today they didn’t falter. They weren’t rattled at all, they just played good baseball,” said Nilsson.

Australia next plays Czechia on Friday 6 March at 2:00PM AEDT.

Here is how the game unfolded, with some quotes from the players.

MEDIA CONFERENCE: Post-Game after win of Chinese Taipei

RECAP
—-

Alexander Wells tossed 3.0 innings of shutout ball in his start. He struck out six, including the last five he faced.

“I just went out there and competed and threw as many strikes as I could,” said Wells. “I stayed within myself, trusted Robbie Perkins behind the plate. It did get incredibly loud but I just toned that out and focused on the next pitch.”

Wells admits it was a big day emotionally.

“I don’t think I felt settled until two minutes ago. But I had a great night’s sleep. I woke up at 5:30 an honestly felt ready to go,” he said.

For Nilsson, he knew what he was getting from his starter.

“He’s a slow heart-beat guy and built for this environment,” he said.

Jo-Hsi Hsu was equally as impressive on the bump. The Taiwanese starter showed why he was highly sought after in Japan’s top professional league, tossing four shutout innings allowing just two hits and no walks.

Australia struck when Hsu left the game.

Robbie Perkins catapulted a two run homer to right field to put Australia on the board. It’s the second straight WBC opener Perkins has homered, after he went deep in an opening win vs Korea in 2023.

What about the big stage propels Robbie to big moments?

“I couldn’t tell you,” he said after the game. “I just try to keep it slow and enjoy the moment, put a good swing on it and now these things just seem to happen.”

The homer came off Chinese Taipei Pitcher Chen Kuan-Yu.

Jack O’Loughlin, meanwhile, continued to ply his trade on the bump for Australia. The country’s 38th and most recent Major Leaguer tossed 3.0 shutout innings of his own, conceding just two hits with a pair of strikeouts. 

“I just followed Alex Wells. He does this every week in the Australian Baseball League so I felt good right away,” said O’Loughlin.

It’s the third epic O’Loughlin performance at a World Baseball Classic. He was the starting pitcher when the Aussies beat Korea in 2023.

“I think my confidence comes from experience. I’ve been around baseball for so long. When you pitch at the highest level, you just back yourself that you can compete. It lets you enjoy the little things. Go out there and enjoy it.

Jon Kennedy followed. He pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth inning to keep Chinese Taipei bats limited.

Travis Bazzana announced himself in the seventh inning with a 383 foot homer to right field to put the Australians up 3-0. It was the second hit for the 2024 MLB Draft first overall pick.

“It was a big run in that seventh inning, just to give us some extra breathing room,” said Nilsson after the game. “He had a big night – a couple hits and played some good defense. He made a big commitment to be here, as has everybody else.”

Jon Kennedy closed the door in the ninth.

He admits there was a lot of noise when Chinese Taipei had two runners on with two outs in the ninth. The go-ahead run was at the plate, after all.

“You notice the noise and then it goes away. It helps there was pitch-comms because you honestly focus on that,” he said. “I was just trying to execute each individual pitch. Not think ahead to the next batter, not think behind. Just be there and trust my catcher and my team.”

When the game ended, media outlets called the win shocking. So, was it?

“I’m not surprised we won. We have a good team but we need to take it one game at a time, keep throwing strikes and hit the ball well. If we do that we’ll win a few more games,” said Alexander Wells after the game.

“We need to stay on an even keel. We now focus on the next game and won’t get ahead of ourselves.”

Australia next plays Czechia on Friday at 2:00PM.

Hits: Curtis Mead (2), Travis Bazzana (2), Robbie Perkins, Rixon Wingrove, Jarryd Dale
HR: Perkins, Bazzana
RBI: Perkins (2), Bazzana 

HUB: www.baseball.com.au/wbc

STORIES AND LINKS

Eric Balnar is in Japan covering Team Australia. Here are some written stories:

– Ahead of second World Baseball Classic, left-handed pitcher Blake Townsend has found himself

– Australia adjusts on the fly as rain washes out WBC tune-up vs Japanese Champs

– 5 Minutes Apart: The absurd odds that brought Brisbane brothers Connor and Callum MacDonald together in Fuchu

– Competing at Everything: Inside Team Australia’s Relentless Fuchu Camp

–  Growing Up Green and Gold: Chris Burke’s journey through national teams to the World Baseball Classic

– The shoe finally fits: Inside Josh Hendrickson’s Three Year Battle to Team Australia

– From Dirt to Turf: Inside the near 1 Billion Japanese Yen Upgrade Preparing Australia for the World Baseball Classic

Media day is done and dusted at the Tokyo Dome.

Australia took batting practice and ran team defence in front of more than 100 media members, followed by a press conference in a packed room, as preparations finished for the world’s biggest baseball tournament.

Australia opens the tournament against world No. 2 Chinese Taipei at 2:00pm Sydney time (watch on ESPN).

We also know the starting pitcher.

2025 Helms Award winner Alexander Wells has been named Australia’s Game 1 starter.

It was a surreal moment for Wells. He is one of Australia’s 38 Major Leaguers, last pitching in the big leagues with Baltimore in 2022.

But after his Major League career ended and injury kept him sidelined, Wells stepped away from the game for two years.

The spark just wasn’t there.

“I needed some time away from the game to gather my thoughts and clear my head a little bit,” Wells told MLB.com. “To come back and play in the Australian Baseball League and now be here with the national team, it’s pretty cool. I never thought I’d be back here. I just wanted to enjoy the game again, and through enjoying the game it’s brought me here. It’s awesome.”

He returned in 2024, pitching for the Sydney Blue Sox in the ABL, and went on to win the league’s MVP honours. He looked every bit the Major Leaguer he did when he broke through in 2021.

“I’m nervous, excited and ready to go out there and represent my country the best I can,” Wells said at a press conference.

WATCH: Team Australia meets the media

And what about the kid who first fell in love with baseball? I asked Wells what the 10-year-old version of himself would say to the 29-year-old version standing on the mound before his first World Baseball Classic start.

“Go out there and have fun. Enjoy the moment. Take it all in.”

Great stuff.

Understandably, Travis Bazzana was also the talk of the Tokyo Dome during batting practice.

I asked Bazzana the same question. What would eight-year-old Travis say if he turned the corner and saw himself standing inside the Tokyo Dome?

“He would tell me to be yourself. Play with the fire you have. Know that the journey has brought you here and trust it,” Bazzana said. “He would be proud and looking for the next win. Now is the time.”

It’s clear Bazzana doesn’t want this moment to be about him. It’s about something bigger than any one player — and bigger than baseball in many ways.

It’s a chance to show the broader Australian public what this team represents.

“I want to show Australia that this is a really strong group. It is a byproduct of what Australian baseball has been [constantly] building. I’m playing with people I watched growing up. Hopefully one day I’ll play with people who grew up watching me.”

“There are a lot of cool stories in the room. Some guys went to college, some play in the ABL, some play professionally, some play in Korea. But we’re all in the same room, and that’s what makes Australian baseball special.”

Game on.

First pitch is Thursday at 2:00pm.

Now, let’s talk about the opposition.

PREVIEWING: CHINESE TAIPEI

HUB: All things Team Australia

Dave Nilsson knows how good Chinese Taipei are. They are the number two team in the World and Premier12 champions for a reason.

“They are a very good team. We have a lot of respect for the Chinese Taipei baseball program, and it’s always a great clinic every time we come up against them,” he said. “As far as their starting pitcher and all their pitchers, we have a lot of information, and the hitters have been working through that. I think we’re going to represent really well tomorrow.”

Their starter is Hsu Jo-Hsi. His resume includes time in Japan with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, and he pairs a 95–96 mph fastball with a sharp breaking ball. When healthy, he’s a real competitor who can miss bats on both sides of the plate.

Here are five things to know about Chinese Taipei:

1. They’re fresh off a gold-medal shock

Chinese Taipei arrive in Tokyo riding serious momentum after winning their first ever senior-level gold medal at the 2024 Premier12 tournament. In the final at the Tokyo Dome, they stunned reigning champions Japan 4–0 — handing Samurai Japan their first senior team loss since 2019. It was the biggest result in the nation’s baseball history.

2. A new manager with a winning touch

Hao-Jin Tseng, who was the hitting coach at the 2023 WBC, now takes over as manager. Under his watch, Chinese Taipei claimed that Premier12 title. He’s stepping into his first WBC as boss with expectations higher than ever.

3. They were one game away in 2023

The last Classic was a roller-coaster. Playing at home, Chinese Taipei finished 2–2 in Pool A but were eliminated on a tiebreaker despite being level with every other team. It was a brutal exit that still stings — and they haven’t advanced past pool play since 2013.

4. Yu Chang is the heartbeat

Former MLB infielder Yu Chang has been their big-game performer. He hit .438 with eight RBIs at the 2023 WBC, earning Pool MVP honours, and then starred again in qualifying to get them back into the 2026 tournament. If Chinese Taipei are going deep, Chang will likely be central to it.

5. The world ranking says they belong

Despite having to re-qualify for this tournament, Chinese Taipei are ranked No. 2 in the world by the WBSC. That places them among the elite — and well above Australia’s current ranking — underlining the scale of the challenge.

Pitchers to Watch

Ruei-Yang Gu Lin (SP) – Gu Lin leads the staff as the most polished arm on the roster, featuring a fastball up to 98 mph and coming off strong seasons that include CPBL MVP honours and a solid stint in Japan’s NPB. His presence anchors Chinese Taipei’s rotation and gives them an innings-eating, strikeout threat to lean on.

Yu-Min Lin (LHP) – Lin, a top Arizona Diamondbacks prospect, brings MLB upside with a quality changeup and a 9.8 K/9 rate through the minors. He projects as one of the team’s higher-leverage starters or multi-inning pitchers. He was crucial for Chinese Taipei in their Premier12 victory.

Hsu Jo-Hsi (SP) – Hsu’s resume includes time in Japan with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, and he pairs a 95–96 mph fastball with a sharp breaking ball. When healthy, he’s a real competitor who can miss bats on both sides of the plate.

Jyun-Yue Tseng (Reliever) – Tseng profiles as the backbone of the bullpen. A proven CPBL closer with late-inning dominance, he’ll be one of the key late-game options if Chinese Taipei has a chance to hold tight leads.

Position Players to Watch 

Yu Chang (INF): Chang is the namesake leader of this lineup and will be counted on for big swings and leadership. He was a standout in previous international play and has MLB experience, giving Chinese Taipei a legitimate threat up the middle offensively.

Kungkuan Giljegiljaw (C/1B/OF): A multi-year CPBL power hitter who has led his league in homers and RBIs, Giljejiljaw gives Taipei a feared left-side presence in the heart of the order.

Tsung-Che Cheng (INF): Cheng’s experience in the Pirates organization and brief MLB time make him a valuable infield cog. While not a big bat, his defense and pedigree add versatility to the lineup.

Chieh-Hsien Chen (OF): One of the most decorated players in the CPBL with multiple Best Ten and Gold Glove awards, Chen is also the reigning Premier12 MVP and provides both defensive excellence and run-making ability.

Stuart Fairchild & Jonathan Long (OF): Fairchild brings MLB outfield experience and power potential, while Long — a Cubs prospect with strong Triple-A numbers — adds another left-field bat with offensive upside.

MORE FEATURES

Eric Balnar is in Japan covering Team Australia. Here are some written stories:

– Ahead of second World Baseball Classic, left-handed pitcher Blake Townsend has found himself

– Australia adjusts on the fly as rain washes out WBC tune-up vs Japanese Champs

– 5 Minutes Apart: The absurd odds that brought Brisbane brothers Connor and Callum MacDonald together in Fuchu

– Competing at Everything: Inside Team Australia’s Relentless Fuchu Camp

–  Growing Up Green and Gold: Chris Burke’s journey through national teams to the World Baseball Classic

– The shoe finally fits: Inside Josh Hendrickson’s Three Year Battle to Team Australia

– From Dirt to Turf: Inside the near 1 Billion Japanese Yen Upgrade Preparing Australia for the World Baseball Classic

Blake Townsend is still only 24 years old.

He has pitched in a World Baseball Classic, a Premier12, an Under-23 World Cup and an Under-18 World Cup. He has reached Triple-A in two different organisations. He is coming off the best professional season of his career.

And yet, ahead of his second World Baseball Classic, the left-hander from Traralgon is only just beginning to understand who he is on the mound.

“I think before I was pitching for other people,” Townsend said. “Now I’m pitching for myself.”

It is not a selfish statement. It is a freeing one.

At the 2023 WBC, Townsend was just 21 years old. Despite already reaching Triple-A with the Seattle Mariners, he was still a young kid from country Victoria – legally old enough to compete against the world’s best, but barely old enough to order a drink in the United States.

Signed by Seattle as a 17-year-old in 2019, Townsend spent five seasons in the Mariners system and climbed to Triple-A before his first WBC appearance. In the middle of 2024, he was released — a moment that forced reflection.

“A lot of guys who have gone through what he’s gone through are done playing,” Team Australia pitching coach Jim Bennett said. “The beauty is that he’s seen the next step.”

Townsend signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates soon after, finishing 2024 in their system and returning in 2025 to produce the best numbers of his professional career.

Across 92.1 innings in 2025, he compiled a 1.76 ERA, again reaching Triple-A. Prior to that, he dominated the 2024-25 Australian Baseball League season with the Adelaide Giants, posting a 0.60 ERA in 15 innings.

Now, he is signed with the Texas Rangers and was in Spring Training before linking back up with Team Australia.

The commitment meant he missed the pre-tournament camp in Fuchu, instead joining the squad in Miyazaki as preparations intensified ahead of March 5.

The difference in Townsend today is less about velocity and more about conviction.

“It definitely changed my perspective,” he said of being released and starting again. “I’ve changed my approach from trying to please a specific team or pitch a certain way that doesn’t feel natural to me. Now I get the opportunity to do what I think is going to work.”

He said he really started pitching.

“I used the misses and had confidence to be in the zone, no matter what the count is, no matter what I’ve done the pitch before,” said Townsend. “Just knowing my stuff is good enough to compete with these guys is pretty huge.”

Bennett sees a different pitcher than the one from three years ago.

“It’s almost night and day,” he said. “Not only his stuff and his competitiveness, but the conversations we have are a whole other level. There’s less worry, more trust. He sees the game differently now.”

Townsend describes it as maturity’ through lived experience.

“Having a better idea of what pitches to throw in which count. How to attack specific hitters. Really just committing to my plan,” he said.

Simply making it to this level from a town of just over 25,000 people — two hours from Melbourne — is remarkable.

Doing it after being released, re-signing, reaching Triple-A twice and earning another major league opportunity is something else entirely.

He was 21 at his first World Baseball Classic.

He is 24 now.

Still young. Still ascending.

But this time, Blake Townsend is pitching for himself.

And still figuring it out.

MORE STORIES

Eric Balnar is writing features from the World Baseball Classic build up, thanks to Aces Sporting Club.

Here are some more:

– Australia adjusts on the fly as rain washes out WBC tune-up vs Japanese Champs

– 5 Minutes Apart: The absurd odds that brought Brisbane brothers Connor and Callum MacDonald together in Fuchu

– Competing at Everything: Inside Team Australia’s Relentless Fuchu Camp

–  Growing Up Green and Gold: Chris Burke’s journey through national teams to the World Baseball Classic

– The shoe finally fits: Inside Josh Hendrickson’s Three Year Battle to Team Australia

– From Dirt to Turf: Inside the near 1 Billion Japanese Yen Upgrade Preparing Australia for the World Baseball Classic

Team Australia’s pitching staff looked the part on Saturday afternoon, standing tall against NPB powerhouse the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in a World Baseball Classic tune-up.

Facing a perennial Japanese contender that rolled out many of its top-line pitchers and much of its premier lineup, Australia’s arms showed up in the 2-0 loss.

Josh Hendrickson set the tone early in front of a loud environment filled with boisterous Baystars supporters.

The left-hander worked 2.2 innings and allowed two runs, four hits (a couple of them infield), while attacking the strike zone against the BayStars’ A-team.

REPLAY: Watch the Game on Baseball+

“Hendo got a great chance to see how fast the game goes,” pitching coach Jim Bennett said. “He faced their A-team. I like that he really attacked.”

“I like that the guys went after it. They didn’t seem phased by the crowd noise. They threw a lot of strikes and worked quick.”

Connor MacDonald delivered a pivotal out with runners on base to halt early momentum, before Jack O’Loughlin took control.

The left-hander fired three perfect innings, carving through the middle of Yokohama’s order in front of a lively Japanese crowd.

“It was good to be in a big stadium again,” O’Loughlin said. “Some guys aren’t used to playing in front of fans like this, so it was great that the pitchers were unfazed and were able to execute in a big game.”

Todd Van Steensel followed with a perfect seventh inning, Coen Wynne retired all five hitters he faced, and Kieren Hall recorded a key out to close the door on a composed all-staff performance.

Manager Dave Nilsson said the experience was invaluable as Australia transitions from its Fuchu training camp toward the World Baseball Classic.

“I think playing here, in this environment, really adds to our preparation and builds from our Training Camp towards the WBC,” Nilsson said. “Our pitchers did well and it was good for our hitters to see some good pitching.”

Aaron Whitefield had two of Australia’s three hits.

The Aussies fly to Miyazaki tonight, where they will be joined by the MLB and KBO affiliated players.

MORE STORIES

Eric Balnar is writing features from Fuchu, thanks to Aces Sporting Club.

Here are some more:

– 5 Minutes Apart: The absurd odds that brought Brisbane brothers Connor and Callum MacDonald together in Fuchu

– Competing at Everything: Inside Team Australia’s Relentless Fuchu Camp

–  Growing Up Green and Gold: Chris Burke’s journey through national teams to the World Baseball Classic

– The shoe finally fits: Inside Josh Hendrickson’s Three Year Battle to Team Australia

– From Dirt to Turf: Inside the near 1 Billion Japanese Yen Upgrade Preparing Australia for the World Baseball Classic

A feature story from Fuchu brought to you by Aces Sporting Club. Written by Eric Balnar.

The odds are almost absurd.

Two brothers from Brisbane. Two professional athletes. Two different sports played on opposite sides of the world.

Yet today, Connor and Callum MacDonald find themselves in the same Tokyo suburb of Fuchu.

One is preparing for the World Baseball Classic with Team Australia, the other playing professional rugby in Japan.

After years chasing their careers across continents, the brothers are now living just five minutes walking distance from each other.

To reach this point required an almost impossible chain of events.

Australia first had to choose Fuchu as its World Baseball Classic training base.

Connor then had to fight through Australia’s competitive baseball pathway, reinvent himself from professional hitter to full-time pitcher, and earn selection to the national squad.

At the same time, Callum had to build a top-level rugby career, secure a long-term contract in Japan, and end up playing for a club based in that same Tokyo suburb.

Separate journeys, different sports, different timelines – all somehow leading both brothers to the same place at the same moment.

A Brisbane Household Built on Sport

For the MacDonald brothers, competition has been part of life from the beginning.

Connor is one of four boys (Connor, Callum, LJ and Liam) raised in a sporting Brisbane household.

Their father, Ken, is a legend of. Australian Baseball – both in the professional competition, for Team Australia and for Queensland in the Claxton Shied.

“It was awesome,” Connor said of their upbringing. “It started with coming home from school and playing cricket in the backyard and that translated to any sport. It was always me, the oldest, and Liam, the youngest, against the two middle boys in LJ and Callum. We didn’t have a PlayStation or anything, so we were encouraged just to get outside and play.”

That environment helped shape the work ethic that would carry all four brothers into high-level sport.

“We had a home gym and it’s hard to get up early, so I would ask my younger brother Liam to work out with me. It was a competitive household in a good way. We always pushed each other to be better.”

Dave Nilsson, Team Australia’s manager, played with Ken in the ABL. He’s also known the four MacDonald brothers since they were babies.

“He’s a hard-working country guy,” said Nilsson. “He passed on a lot of his qualities to his boys. Worth ethic, the way you interact people. I see a lot of him in the boys.”

Different Roads Around the World

As adults, their careers took them in completely different directions – although they all played baseball at some point.

Connor pursued baseball professionally, spending time in the Houston Astros organisation before continuing his career in Australia and eventually transitioning full-time to pitching just three years ago — a move that helped open the door to his Team Australia debut.

Callum followed rugby, first playing in Canberra before moving to Japan five years ago to pursue a professional contract, eventually landing with Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo in Fuchu.

For most of that time, the brothers were “passing ships” while living in different countries while chasing their respective careers.

But the connection never faded.

“We are super close. My brothers are my best mates. We talk all the time. We wouldn’t go three days without calling,” said Connor.

Now, for the first time in years, their professional journeys have crossed in the same place.

While Team Australia trains in Fuchu, Callum has become Connor’s local guide.

“He’s been showing me all the restaurants, little spots, and the sights and scenes of Fuchu. It’s been amazing to have my home here and spend some time with him that I don’t always get,” he said.

Even Connor admits the situation still feels surreal.

“It’s crazy it’s worked out this way. I don’t think I truly appreciated the things that have had to happen for us both to be doing what we love at a high level for this to happen. I want to make the most out of it while he is five minutes down the road.”

Connor says his younger brother’s journey in Japan has been a major source of inspiration.

“My brother inspires me because rugby is such a gladiator sport. The mentality he has to get into for a game is so different than what I have to get into,” he said.

“He moved his whole life to Japan by himself. When I was in pro ball, I had other Aussies with me and they speak English in America. He came here alone and even had shoulder surgery here. That takes amazing strength. I admire that, not just physically but mentally.”

For Connor, the responsibility of being the eldest brother has always carried meaning beyond the field.

He hopes his own journey shows the younger boys what persistence looks like.

“I hope I set a good example for my brothers. Just always keeping focused on your goal, always working hard. Champions are made when nobody is looking, and I hope I set that example for them.”

Baseball Still Runs in the Family

Back home in Brisbane, the MacDonald baseball legacy continues.

Connor and youngest brother Liam shared the field this season with the Brisbane Bandits — a moment Connor calls one of his proudest.

“His first hit was a grand slam. That was one of my proudest moments,” Connor said. “Just seeing him do that, showing people he belongs… it was indescribable. I was so proud of him because I’ve seen how hard he works and how much the Bandits mean to him. Our dad played, I played, so to share the field . Yeah, that was pretty special.”

Team Australia pitching coach Jim Bennett says the family’s reputation in Brisbane baseball is well earned.

“The MacDonald family…that’s Brisbane baseball right there,” said Bennett, the Brisbane Bandits’ manager. “The pride all the boys have is amazing…Connor puts a lot of thought into everything he does. It means so much to him and now Liam is following in his footsteps.”

Bennett added that Connor brings both leadership and flexibility to Australia’s pitching plans for the tournament.

“He gives us a lot of options at the WBC. He can pitch an inning, he can pitch a few, and you know he’s going to compete. He’s a big-time strike thrower and an excellent human being to have in our group,” he said.

In Tokyo, With Love

For Connor, the rare chance to share the same city as his brother – even briefly – is something he refuses to take for granted.

“So many things had to happen for this to work out,” he said. “And while he’s five minutes down the road… I just want to make the most of it.”

And the coincidences don’t stop there.

Professional rugby schedules only allow a handful of bye weeks each season, yet Callum’s happens to fall during the exact week Australia plays its World Baseball Classic Pool C games at the Tokyo Dome.

Which means when Connor takes the mound on one of baseball’s biggest stages, his brother will be there in the stands.

MORE STORIES

Eric Balnar is writing features from Fuchu, thanks to Aces Sporting Club.

Here are some more:

– Competing at Everything: Inside Team Australia’s Relentless Fuchu Camp

–  Growing Up Green and Gold: Chris Burke’s journey through national teams to the World Baseball Classic

– The shoe finally fits: Inside Josh Hendrickson’s Three Year Battle to Team Australia

– From Dirt to Turf: Inside the near 1 Billion Japanese Yen Upgrade Preparing Australia for the World Baseball Classic

by Eric Balnar, feature story thanks to Aces Sporting Club. Photos by Scott Powick.

Spend five minutes around Team Australia’s clubhouse in Fuchu and one thing becomes obvious.

These guys compete at everything.

It’s not just when the uniform goes on. It’s not just when an opponent is standing across the diamond.

It’s at everything. Everything.

I noticed it almost immediately after arriving in camp. Sure, these are elite athletes preparing to face the best players in the world at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) – the kind of tournament where you might look up and see someone like Shohei Ohtani on the other side. Competing on the field is the job.

But what stood out here was what happens in the hours nobody sees.

In training breaks, they’re playing a modified cricket game on the grass. In the locker room, it’s trivia battles. At the hotel, cards in the lobby. In the rooms, Mario Kart. Before practice? In testing metrics.

At one point, team physio Greg Castle even organised a full ping-pong tournament at a local venue. Logan Wade walked away as champion — a result that, judging by the reactions, remains a sensitive topic for a few teammates.

There’s even an infamous fantasy football league inside the squad. If you want to keep the peace, don’t ask Robbie Glendinning where he finished.

This is a group that simply doesn’t switch competition off.

The Race to Be the Most Competitive

Out of curiosity, I asked players and staff a simple question:

Who’s the most competitive person on this team? Three names kept coming back.

Tim Kennelly.
Robbie Glendinning.
Aaron Whitefield.

When I put the question to Glendinning, he didn’t hesitate.

“People aren’t saying Whitey and TK are they? Because I’m the most competitive.”

Even the debate about competitiveness turns into a competition.

Later, sitting with both Glendinning and Whitefield together, neither wanted to fully concede.

“Probably us two… maybe we’re tied,” Whitefield laughed. “But we definitely have a competitive rivalry going and it’s one of my daily highlights.”

Their rivalry doesn’t stop at the field — or even the same continent.

Glendinning explained that while playing in Kansas City and with Whitefield in Melbourne, the two still call each other constantly.

“It’s like, how fast did you sprint today? I can go faster. How did you golf today? I shot lower. It’s honestly a way to help hold each other accountable,” said Glendinning.

The Loud Competitors… and the Quiet Ones

Manager Dave Nilsson isn’t surprised by any of it.

“Well, they’re athletes, right? They grow up in this environment and they wouldn’t be here if they weren’t competitive,” he said.

But Nilsson points out something important — not all competitiveness looks the same.

“Sometimes the most competitive people aren’t necessarily the most outwardly competitive or vocal. It’s the quiet competitors who battle. Look at Connor MacDonald for instance. He won’t be loud about it but he’s ultra competitive and with himself,” he adds.

That internal competition shows up daily in the strength and conditioning testing run by Jacob Nilsson.

Players track vertical jumps. Power numbers. Speed results. Leaderboards form naturally.

“You see in their groups they are all competitive with each other,” Jacob said. “Everyone wants to climb a leaderboard in testing. Some are quiet, some are loud, but they’re all into it and they want to be the best they can be.”

And more than anything, he says the biggest battles happen away from the spotlight.

“I don’t think you make this team if you don’t have a deep desire to be better every day… the best battles happen against yourself,” he said.

Brothers Compete

For Whitefield, that mindset has existed since childhood.

“I grew up that way. I just wanted to be the best at every sport we did,” he said.

But within Team Australia, the competitiveness carries something deeper than ego.

“We’re like brothers. And brothers get competitive,” said Whitefield. “It’s not a bad thing — we just want to compete and be better.”

Glendinning agrees the competitive energy actually strengthens the group.

“Because we are all close mates, when we get in this environment, we all want to one-up each other,” he said.
“I think the competitive nature helps bring people together too — it helps us unite off the field by playing games, but then it helps us win games because we always have that fight.”

Even the Veterans Are Still Competing

When catcher Robbie Perkins was asked who the most competitive teammate is, his answer came instantly.

“Tim Kennelly. For sure. TK wants to be the best at everything.”

Kennelly himself didn’t exactly argue.

“Oh, it’s me,” he said confidently when the question came up mid-conversation.

But his reasoning spoke to something bigger than personality.

“We’re a family and we will compete in anything. It brings us closer as a group but also shows how we play the game in all aspects. We’re always trying to find an edge.”

Why It Matters

Watching this camp unfold, the pattern becomes clear.

The games in the hotel lobby.

The testing leaderboards.

The sprint comparisons across continents.

The ping-pong grudges.

None of it is meaningless. It’s culture.

Because for this Team Australia group, competitiveness isn’t something they turn on for nine innings.

It’s something they live every day.

And in a tournament where the margin between winning and losing can be a single pitch, a single swing, or a single defensive play…

That mindset will be a pretty handy weapon.

MORE STORIES

Eric Balnar is writing features from Fuchu, thanks to Aces Sporting Club.

Here are some more:

–  Growing Up Green and Gold: Chris Burke’s journey through national teams to the World Baseball Classic

– The shoe finally fits: Inside Josh Hendrickson’s Three Year Battle to Team Australia

– From Dirt to Turf: Inside the near 1 Billion Japanese Yen Upgrade Preparing Australia for the World Baseball Classic

Written by Eric Balnar. Photos by Brad Rathbone and Scott Powick (Team Australia Media). Pre-tournament report thanks to Aces Sporting Clubs

When Team Australia arrives in Fuchu this week for its pre-World Baseball Classic training camp, the players will step onto a brand-new synthetic baseball surface.

A fully turfed field now replaces the traditional dirt infield and grass outfield that stood here for decades.

The surface is modern. The facilities refreshed. The training areas upgraded.

It looks new. It feels new. But the stadium itself tells a much older story.

Within walls shaped by generations of local baseball and community pride, Fuchu Citizens Stadium has undergone upgrades worth over approximately approximately ¥1 billion (JPY) the last three years designed not to replace its history, but to strengthen it.

A significant investment – equivalent to about $9,000,000 Australian dollars – has transformed playing conditions while preserving one of the city’s most cherished sporting homes and important cultural centres.

A BIG, COMMUNITY MINDED, AND IMPORTANT INVESTMENT

Over the past three years, Fuchu City has invested heavily in the venue as part of a major redevelopment.

City officials say the goal was to create a stadium where people of all ages, from children to adults, can both watch and play baseball while strengthening community pride and local connection to the facility.

The project included the installation of a synthetic turf field, development of indoor training facilities, and renovation of the second-floor restrooms.

The field was closed from August 2025 until late January 2026, reopening roughly two weeks before Team Australia’s training camp scheduled for February 17 to 28.

The push for redevelopment had been building for several years.

Weather, combined with extremely high field usage, became a major concern, officials explained.

Local baseball organisations, including the Fuchu City Baseball Federation, had long requested a training environment less affected by weather conditions.

“In recent years, Fuchu Citizens Stadium has experienced extremely high usage, exceeding a 99 percent utilisation rate in 2023,” one stadium official said. “Maintaining a natural grass field required a seasonal closure from January to March each year for turf recovery. In addition, rainfall often led to poor field conditions, resulting in suspensions of use and long recovery times before play could resume.”

Above: Rain affected play during the 2024 Premier12 Training Camp. Photo: Scott Powick.

Requests for a synthetic surface were formally submitted in July 2023 by user groups including the Fuchu City Baseball Federation.

“To ensure more stable and continuous use of the stadium for a greater number of citizens, the decision was made to install a synthetic playing surface as part of this redevelopment,” the official added.

The indoor training facility was another major component designed to address both weather limitations and heavy demand.

“These requests intensified following the hosting of an Eastern League official game in 2024 and previous training camps by the Australian national team,” one official explained. “In response, space beneath the stadium stands, previously used for storage and work areas, was repurposed into a new indoor training facility. This allows for flexible training even during inclement weather, improves convenience for users, and makes more effective use of existing stadium space.”

Above: various sections of the stadium now features batting cages and training facilities that remain unimpacted by weather. Photo: Scott Powick. 

Funding for the project was approved by city council as part of Fuchu’s broader vision as a sporting hub.

The city of roughly 260,000 residents proudly brands itself a “Sports Town,” home to elite rugby clubs, a major racecourse, a strong baseball culture, and Olympic and Paralympic training activity.

As Mayor Takano wrote in the city’s official training camp guide:

“Athletes of sports teams based in our city and from our city are succeeding, not only within Japan but also in international events such as the Olympics, Paralympics and the Rugby World Cup. Many adults and children of the city also participate in a wide range of sports.”

At the centre of that sporting life sits Fuchu Citizens Stadium — a stadium owned not by a professional club, but by the community itself, and a home for Fuchu baseball since the 1950s.

“The main purpose of this stadium is to be a place where children can look up to baseball and dream about playing it,” said another stadium official.

There’s a reason it’s called a “Citizen’s Stadium” – it is literally owned by the people.

PERFECT FOR PREPARATION

For Team Australia staff, the new playing surface is more than just an aesthetic upgrade.

It is also a crucial part of tournament preparation, with World Baseball Classic games in Tokyo played on artificial turf.

“The city has done an amazing job,” Australian coach Shayne Watson said. “The new surface will best prepare the guys and replicate what they will be playing on in the Tokyo Dome.”

Above: Turf between the infield and the outfield is similar to turfed stadiums like the Tokyo Dome.

“The surface is clean, new, immaculate and fresh. I am expecting the guys to take advantage of the upgrades to best prepare themselves for the WBC.”

Australia has trained in Fuchu ahead of major tournaments since 2018, and this February marks the fifth official Team Australia camp in the city.

Baseball Australia CEO Glenn Williams says the relationship has become one of the program’s most important international partnerships.

“This will be our fifth official Team Australia camp in Fuchu City. Mayor Takano and the City of Fuchu could not be more supportive of our team, and our players always feel genuinely welcome when they arrive,” Williams said.

“The support from the local community is incredible, and we’re really looking forward to being in our home away from home.”

CULTURAL CONNECTION

Each visit has strengthened the connection between the team and the city.

Streets are often lined with Australian colours and flags during the camp period, while locals attend open training sessions and exhibition events at the roughly 5,000-seat venue.

According to Shogo Mukoyama, chairman of the All Fuchu Baseball Club, the impact on the community — particularly young players — has been significant.

“By watching the game at Fuchu Field, fans become more familiar and more supportive of Team Australia,” Mukoyama said in an interview at the Premier12.

Photo: Brad Rathbone. One of the main streets of Fuchu.

“The most famous team for Fuchu kids is now Australia. We feel closest to them.”

For stadium management, the redevelopment was never just about international teams. It was about strengthening baseball’s place in the community.

“Baseball is one of the most popular sports in Japan,” explained a representative of Fuchu Citizens Stadium. “We have many lovers of the sport in Japan and of course in Fuchu. We need a place for our kids to develop their skills at.”

“But this field is for baseball around the world, other organisations and the community. It is a meeting place, it is a place for people to become more skilled, for them to be inspired.”

The ground hosts city teams, federation events, community competitions, the Tokyo Giants Women’s program and international camps, with the gates frequently open for fans to enjoy local baseball.

“By reforming the stadium, we were also aiming to have Fuchu citizens feel more attached to our land,” explained another official. “I hope that by doing so we can contribute to people feeling more proud about Fuchu. When Australian baseball is here, people feel more proud to be here too.”

Just minutes from the ballpark stands Okunitama-jinja Shrine, one of Japan’s oldest, with a history stretching back nearly 1,900 years.

The entrance to the city is lined with historic zelkova trees, said to have originated over 1,000 years ago. Around two hundred of those trees remain today, forming a scenic gateway into Fuchu and standing as one of the city’s most beloved natural symbols.

That connection between heritage, place and community is part of what defines the city today.

Photo: The entrance to a park home to Okunitama-jinja Shrine

Soon, Team Australia will step onto a fresh synthetic field in Fuchu, sharpening their preparation for the world stage in Tokyo.

But long before the first pitch of the World Baseball Classic is thrown, the message here is already clear.

This is more than a training venue, more than a stadium upgrade and more than a stop on the tournament schedule.

It is a place where a city has opened its gates, its community, and its pride to Australian baseball.

And in Fuchu, that welcome matters just as much as the field itself.

Above: Fuchu Citizens Stadium. Photo: Brad Rathbone.