YOKOHAMA, Japan — The Australian national team continued its preparations ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic with a 2-0 loss in an exhibition game at Yokohama Stadium against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars on Saturday afternoon.
Despite the shutout loss, manager Dave Nilsson remained upbeat. “It was good to get out there and get some good innings,” he said.
“I think we’re in very good shape. Our players are feeling very athletic and very well prepared.” He went on to state that his only focus now is the opening game of the WBC against Chinese Taipei.
Former Los Angels Angels outfielder Aaron Whitefield opened the game with an infield single and advanced to third with one out. But Taisei Irie escaped the jam by striking out Rixon Wingrove and inducing a lineout from Alex Hall to end the inning.
In the bottom half, Tatsuo Ebina worked an 11-pitch walk against Josh Hendrickson before switch-hitter Cooper Hummel drove him in with a two-out single to give the BayStars the early lead.
“Alex Hall was a minor leaguer with me on the Brewers,” Hummel said when asked whether he was familiar with any Australian players. He also noted that he previously shared an agent with Aaron Whitefield and Robbie Glendinning.
“I love watching the WBC myself,” Hummel added. “Teruaki Sato and Kazuma Okamoto — it’s really fun to see guys like that perform at a high level.”
In the top of the third, DeNA extended their lead on a double by Ebina followed by an RBI single from Toshiro Miyazaki later in the inning.
Hendrickson, who is projected to make one start in the WBC, completed 2 ⅔ innings on 57 pitches, allowing five hits and two earned runs. Connor MacDonald, Jack O’Loughlin, Todd Van Steensel, Coen Wynne, and Kieren Hall combined to deliver 6 ⅓ perfect innings with four strikeouts in relief to close out the game.
On the BayStars side, Irie pitched four scoreless innings with five strikeouts as he continued to build on his transition from the bullpen to the rotation this season. “The outcome of the start was good, but I think he still has more to offer,” said rookie manager Ryoji Aikawa after the game.
Prospect Hansel Marcelino then recorded two strikeouts in one scoreless inning, and Yutaro Ishida finished the game with four innings of one-hit ball with six strikeouts. BayStars pitchers combined to allow just three hits with 13 strikeouts.
Australia recorded its first and only extra-base hit in the ninth inning when Whitefield lined a double into the left-center gap off Ishida, but the runner was ultimately left stranded.
Notably, Australia pitched with MLB balls during the game, while the BayStars used NPB balls. The ball used in NPB is slightly smaller, has a tacky surface, and is softer than the ball used in MLB. A pitch clock was not in effect.
DeNA, who finished second in Nippon Professional Baseball’s Central League last season, fielded many of its best players in the game, providing Australia with a strong tune-up ahead of its Pool C matchups against Chinese Taipei, Korea, Japan, and Czechia.
Australia came away with three wins and a tie in their practice games in Fuchu against industrial league sides All Ashikaga Club, All Fuchu Club, Metropolitan Police Department Baseball Club, and 3GoodGroup HOZEN before facing DeNA.
They will now travel to Miyazaki for additional exhibitions against the minor league teams of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the Yomiuri Giants before returning to Tokyo.
Starting Lineups
Australia
CF Aaron Whitefield
RF Tim Kenelley
1B Rixon Wingrove
DH Alex Hall
3B Robbie Glendinning
SS Logan Wade
C Robbie Perkins
LF Chris Burke
2B George Callil
SP Josh Hendrickson
Yokohama DeNA BayStars
CF Tatsuo Ebina
3B Koichiro Oda
DH Toshiro Miyazaki
RF Cooper Hummel
1B Dayan Viciedo
C Yasutaka Tobashira
CF Kouki Kajiwara
SS Yota Kyoda
2B Takuma Hayashi
SP Taisei Irie
Photo: Australia manager Dave Nilsson waves as he is introduced before their Pool B game against Japan at the World Baseball Classic at the Tokyo Dome Sunday, March 12, 2023, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
