The 2026 World Baseball Classic is underway! Australia and Chinese Taipei opened the tournament at 10 p.m. EST Wednesday night at the Tokyo Dome.
Last Night’s Game
Australia (1-0) 3, Chinese Taipei (0-1) 0 – Homers by Robbie Perkins and Travis Bazzana powered Australia past Chinese Taipei 3-0 in the first game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, while three Australian pitchers throwing three innings combined to toss a three-hit shutout.
After Rixon Wingrove was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the fifth, Perkins sent Chen Po-Yu’s 1-1 fastball into the Tokyo Dome seats to give Australia a 2-0 lead. In the seventh, Bazzana launched Chang Yi’s 1-0 fastball over the right field wall to make it 3-0.
Australia starter Alex Wells threw three no-hit innings, walking one and striking out six. Former Athletics and Colorado Rockies reliever Jack O’Laughin allowed two hits and struck out two over the middle three innings to earn the win, and Jon Kennedy allowed a hit, a walk, and struck out one batter over the final three innings to earn a save.
Chinese Taipei returns to action at 5 a.m. on Friday against Japan, with Cheng Hao-chun expected to start against Japan’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Today’s Schedule
Czechia vs. South Korea, 5 a.m. EST – Daniel Padysak will start for Czechia against South Korea’s Hyeong-Jun So. Padysak pitched at Charleston Southern from 2020-23, threw four innings for Czechia over two appearances at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and then transferred to Georgia for 2024. He threw five scoreless innings over two appearances in 2025 for Oisix of Japan’s Eastern League. So is a stalwart starter for the KT Wiz in the Korea Baseball Organization, where he threw 147 1/3 innings in 2025 with a 3.3o ERA, 123 strikeouts, and just 29 walks. The game will be televised on FS1 in the United States.
Australia vs. Czechia, 10 p.m. EST – Neither team has named a starter for what could be a crucial matchup for Czechia. A win against Australia could help Czechia, generally believed to be the weakest team in Pool C, towards their goal of not having to qualify for the next World Baseball Classic. Australia went 3-1 in pool play 2023, losing only to Japan, while the Czechs recorded their lone win in pool play three years ago against China, which didn’t make the field this year. The game will be televised on FS1 in the United States.
Photo: Australia’s catcher Robbie Perkins, left, celebrates with Australia’s Rixon Wingrove after hits a two-run home run against Taiwan in the fifth inning of a World Baseball Classic game in Tokyo, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)
