Alex Liddi, shown here with the Seattle Mariners, is one of several former MLB players who will play for Team All-Euro against the Japan national team in March. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
On Wednesday, the World Baseball Softball Confederation announced the rosters for Team All-Euro and the Japan national team that will participate in a two-game series in Osaka, Japan in early March.
The two-game series is scheduled for March 6 and 7 and will take place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan.
Italian baseball legend Marco Mazzieri will manage Team All-Euro in the two-game series. Mazzieri helped the Italian national team capture the gold at the 2010 and 2012 European Baseball Championship, where they beat the Netherlands in both gold medal games. Mazzieri is also currently serving as the WBSC Coach Commission chair for the sport’s governing body.
Players on the Team All-Euro roster with Major League Baseball experience who will play in the two exhibition games in Japan include right-hand pitcher Rhiner Cruz of Spain, who played for Houston Astros from 2012-13, Italian third baseman Alex Liddi, who played for the Seattle Mariners from 2011-13, and Spanish outfielder Engel Beltre, who played for the Texas Rangers in 2013.
Manager Hirokazu Ibata will be at the helm for Japan for all international senior events in 2024.
Japan will have four players who are playing at the collegiate level on their roster: pitchers Yuto Nakamura from Aichi Institute of Technology and Yuto Kanemaru from Kansai University, infielder Rui Soyama from Meiji University, and outfielder Misho Nishikawa from Aoyama Gakuin University.
Players who are returning from the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship roster with Japan that will play in the two-game exhibition series include Tokyo Yakult Swallows corner infielder Munetaka Murakami, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks outfielder Kensuke Kondoh, Seibu Lions infielder Sousuke Genda, Hiroshima Toyo Carp pitcher Riyoji Kuribayashi, Hiroshima Toyo Carp pitcher Masato Morishita, and Seibu Lions pitcher Kaima Taira.
All of the players on the Japan national team roster who are playing in Nippon Professional Baseball for the 2024 regular season will examined to potentially fill out the roster for the Premier 12 tournament this November.
Japan is No. 1 in the World Baseball Rankings, and will play in the WBSC Premier 12 tournament, which begins on Nov. 10, after the conclusion of the seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, Major League Baseball, the Korean Baseball Organization, and the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan.
Team All-Euro’s roster was built by World Baseball Softball Confederation officials and other countries’ federations throughout the WBSC Europe sector for the two-game series in Japan.
The first edition of this event was held in 2015 at the Tokyo Dome, with the series being split. Japan won 4-3 and Team All Euro won 6-2 in the only two games both were held on March 10 and 11 before the start of the NPB regular season.
The Team All-Euro roster is labeled with the players of their country of origin that have played in regional and international senior events from their representing countries’ national federations.
The two game start times on March 6 and March 7 have not yet been announced by the Japan national team website or the WBSC.
Team All-Euro Roster For Two-Game Exhibition Series
Pitchers (Country of Origin)
Daniel Alvarez (Spain)
Fernando Baez (Spain)
Rhiner Cruz (Spain)
Matteo Bocchi (Italy)
Tiago Da Silva (Italy)
Luis Lugo (Italy)
Tom De Blok (Netherlands)
Lars Hujer (Netherlands)
Kevin Kelly (Netherlands)
Franklyn Van Gurp (Netherlands)
Martin Schneider (Czechia)
Sven Schueller (Czechia)
Marcus Solbach (Czechia)
Dalton Von Schamann (Germany)
Catchers (Country of Origin)
Martin Cervenka (Czechia)
Gabriel Lino (Spain)
Alberto Mineo (Italy)
Infielders (Country of Origin)
Wander Encarnacion (Spain)
Edison Valerio (Spain)
Alex Liddi (Italy)
Ricardo Paolini (Italy)
Martin Muzik (Czechia)
Juremi Profar (Netherlands)
Sharlon Schoop (Netherlands)
Delano Selassa (Netherlands)
Outfielders (Country of Origin)
Engel Beltre (Spain)
Daniel Jimenez (Spain)
Marek Chlup (Czechia)
Japan National Team Roster For Two-Game Exhibition Series
CFA – *denotes Current Free Agent
Pitchers (Team)
Shunpeita Yamashita (CFA)
Hiroya Miyagi (Orix Buffaloes)
Shinya Matsuyama (Chunichi Dragons)
Atsuki Taneichi (Chiba Lotte Marines)
Masato Morishita (Hiroshima Toyo Carp)
Yumeto Kanemaru (Kansai University)
Riyoji Kuribayashi (Hiroshima Toyo Carp)
Chihiro Sumida (Seibu Lions)
Shota Watanabe (Rakuten Golden Eagles)
Yuto Nakamura (Aichi Institute of Technology)
Haruka Nemoto (Nippon Ham Fighters)
Kaima Taira (Seibu Lions).
Catchers (Team)
Yuto Koga (Seibu Lions)
Shogo Sakakura (Hiroshima Toyo Carp)
Yuudai Yamamoto (Yokohama DeNA BayStars)
Infielders (Team)
Sousuke Genda (Seibu Lions)
Takumu Nakano (Hanshin Tigers)
Rui Muneyama (Meiji University)
Koutarou Kuribayashi (Orix Buffaloes)
Takaya Ishikawa (Chunichi Dragons)
Kaito Kozono (Hiroshima Toyo Carp)
Munetaka Murakami (Tokyo Yakult Swallows)
Outfielders (Team)
Misho Nishikawa (Aoyama Gakuin University)
Kensuke Kondoh (Fukuoka Softbank Hawks)
Yasutaka Shiomi (Tokyo Yakult Swallows)
Shunsuke Tamura (Hiroshima Toyo Carp)
Chusei Mannami (Nippon Ham Fighters)