Japan’s national women’s baseball team is the undisputed No. 1 team in the world.
The country has an unprecedented number of women’s amateur baseball teams, and at one point even a professional team. There are 60 elite high school women’s baseball teams for girls in Japan. This systematic approach to developing elite women’s baseball players has made Japan a leader in women’s baseball.
However, Japan’s national women’s baseball team is struggling in Group B of the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup 2024 in Miyoshi, Hiroshima, Japan.토토사이트
Contrary to expectations of easy cold-game wins, the team has barely beaten its opponents by one or two points, with the exception of the lowest-ranked team, France (16th). Japan has a 4-2 come-from-behind victory over Puerto Rico (No. 9), a 5-4 thriller over Venezuela (No. 6), and a 2-0 win over Chinese Taipei (No. 2). All of these games went to the seventh inning.
No. 5-designated hitter Akari Oshikawa celebrates after hitting a double to left field against Chinese Taipei in the second inning. Photo credit | WBSC.
As of Saturday, Chinese Taipei had won all four of its games and qualified early for the Super Round of the Women’s Baseball World Cup 2024 in Thunder Bay, Canada, next spring, but with less firepower than in years past, there are questions about its ability to win a seventh title.
The U.S. Women’s National Team (No. 4), on the other hand, showed tremendous firepower in its Group A qualifier for the 2024 Women’s World Cup in Thunder Bay, Canada, in August with a 3-2 one-run win over Australia (No. 8), a 2-0 win over Mexico (No. 12), a 14-0 five-game shutout win over South Korea (No. 10), a 23-0 five-game shutout win over Canada (No. 3), and a 29-0 five-game shutout win over Hong Kong (No. 11). In particular, against Canada, a team with a similar world ranking, the team shocked the home fans by hitting two grand slams.
Sure, a 29-0 win is one thing, but a 1-0 win is another, and it’s true that Japan hasn’t been the dominant force it once was.
But it’s not like Japanese women’s baseball has regressed. It’s more about the growth of opponents like Taiwan, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. Japan is still very good at using technical hitting, such as bunting and pushing, depending on the game situation and the opposing defense.
Their confidence was also evident in the fact that they had only six pitchers in their 20-man roster. While the South Korean team selected eight pitchers and planned to utilize some of their outfielders as pitchers, Japan is playing five games with only six pitchers.
Japan’s women’s baseball team earned a spot in the Super Round with a win over Chinese Taipei on Saturday (June 16).
The U.S. Women’s National Team earned an early berth into the Super Round after winning all four of its Group A games in Thunder Bay, Canada, in August.
The 2024 Women’s Baseball World Cup final next spring is widely expected to be a battle between Japan and the United States, and all eyes will be on the Japanese team to see if they can overcome a youthful and powerful USA squad with their precise, detailed baseball to win their seventh title.