THUNDER BAY – A lot has changed in the world since 2018.
The exception to the rule might be with the team everyone is chasing at the World Baseball Softball Confederation Women’s Baseball World Cup.
Japan has won the last six competitions, including the most recent tournament six years ago in Viera, Fla.
The top-ranked women’s national team in the world is off to a 2-0 start in Thunder Bay ahead of a meeting with Venezuela at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Port Arthur Stadium.
Although there can be a lot of pressure that comes with being the team to beat, Japan manager Risa Nakashima said the entire squad just goes with the flow.
‘We don’t feel like we are the defending champions,” Nakashima said. “I think anyone here can be the champion.
“We just have to play every game and every team the same way.”
Outfielder Iori Miura has been part of Japan’s last four championship sides, with her first tournament taking place in Edmonton 12 years ago.
During that time, Japan has outscored their opponents in the gold medal game by a combined score of 22-0.
However, Miura said a lot has changed since the last time they were at the tournament.
“There are no easy wins here and there’s no easy teams,” Miura said.
“The teams have gotten a lot stronger over the last few years and every game is going to be difficult.
“We want to play Japanese baseball and hopefully we can win.”
Through their first two games, Japan has enjoyed a balanced offensive attack in their wins over Chinese Taipei and Canada.
Yuzuha Nakamura and Miu Shiraishi have posted a .667 batting average, while Yuki Kawabata has driven home three runs.
“We win and play as a team,” Nakashima said.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re playing or if you’re in the dugout to start the game, we want you to put in 100 per cent.”
With the amount of time that has passed between tournaments, there are now several new faces on the Japanese roster who are getting their first taste of the World Cup this week.
Miura and her fellow returning players have worked on making sure that the rookies are at ease during their time in Thunder Bay.
“Naturally, people are going to be nervous, but we tell them to just play like they always do and to follow the lead of the older players,” Miura said.
“If they do that, everything will be fine.”
A full schedule for the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup can be found on the event’s website.
Tickets for the tournament can be purchased at Port Arthur Stadium or online.