Pitchers Morishita, Kuribayashi and Taira; infielders Genda and Murakami (pictured above); and outfielder Kondoh competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
World No. 1 Japan revealed their 28-player roster for the Global Baseball Games, the CARNEXT SAMURAI JAPAN SERIES 2024, against Team Europe, scheduled for 6 and 7 March in Osaka.
PITCHERS (12) Shunpeita Yamashita, 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 (3) Yuto Koga (Seibu Lions); Shogo Sakakura (Hiroshima Toyo Carp); Yuudai Yamamoto (Yokohama DeNA Baystars).
INFIELDERS (7) Sousuke Genda (Seibu Lions); Takumu Nakano (Hanshin Tigers); Rui Muneyama (Meiji University); Koutarou Kurebayashi (Orix Buffaloes); Takaya Ishikawa (Chunichi Dragons); Kaito Kozono (Hiroshima Toyo Carp); Munetaka Murakami (Tokyo Yakult Swallows).
OUTFIELDERS (6) Misho Nishikawa (Aoyama Gakuin University); Kensuke Kondoh (Fukuoka Softbank Hawks); Yasutaka Shiomi (Tokyo Yakult Swallows); Shunsuke Tamura (Hiroshima Toyo Carp); Chubei Mannami (Nippon Ham Fighters).
Manager Hirokazu Ibata selected six Olympic gold medallists: pitchers Morishita, Kuribayashi, and Taira; infielders Genda and Murakami; and outfielder Kondoh. Morishita started the gold medal game against the United States and Kuribayashi claimed the final three outs. Murakami batted in one of the two runs Japan scored in the final and starred at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, walking off the semifinal against Mexico with a double.
Samurai Japan will count on some young pitchers, such as 21-year-old Shunpeita Yamashita, who earned nine wins for the Orix Buffaloes in his rookie season, striking out 101 in 95 innings. Left-hander Hiroya Miyagi (23) went 10-4 for the Buffaloes. Shota Watanabe (23, Rakuten Golden Eagles) posted a 2.24 earned run average in his rookie season.
The roster includes four college players: pitchers Yumeto Kanemaru and Yuto Nakamura, infielder Rui Muneyama and outfielder Misho Nishikawa.
