Meet the four players competing for the ePremier12 Finals

Four of the best eBaseball™ players in the world will be competing for the title of World Champion in the Super Round and medal games of the HUGAN WBSC ePremier12 2024 coming up on 21 and 23 November.

Each of the four players has a unique background when it comes to both baseball and the POWER PROS series as a whole, and are looking to do their best to win it all this week at the Tokyo Dome.

Here’s a look at all four competitors, and what they bring to the table.

SHORA (from Japan, playing as Japan)

SHORA comes into the Super Round as the consensus best WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS player in the world, and has not lost a game in in-person competitive play. He was the winner of the Olympic Virtual Series 2021, the Olympic Esports Series 2023, and the champion of the WBSC eBaseball™ Series 2023 in March, the latter of which made him an automatic qualifier for the ePremier12.

In Group B play, playing as Japan, SHORA played some close games and had some scares, but ultimately kept his undefeated streak alive, going 3-0 between round-robin and bracket play, defeating Tomokun in one of the two finals matches of Group B to punch his ticket to the Super Round.

His experience with POWER PROS dates back all the way back to elementary school, but started getting into the competitive scene in 2016. From 2018-20, he competed in a pro eBaseball™ league. In WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS, he comes in with an astounding 95.7% win percentage.

Will SHORA’s dominance continue, or will he be dethroned in the Super Round?

NEGRAY (from Japan, playing as Australia)

NEGRAY was one of the early qualifiers for the ePremier12, making it to the tournament by virtue of winning the First Global Qualifier in a close victory over TAIJYU in June.

The Japanese native had a couple of close games in Group B action in the ePremier12 earlier this month, including a huge four-run, final-inning comeback victory over DOIYA in the finals to cap off an undefeated 3-0 run between round-robin and bracket play to make it to the Super Round in Tokyo.

NEGRAY has played POWER PROS for 15 years, and was also a pro eBaseball™ player during the 2020 campaign, the biggest competition he had competed in prior to the ePremier12.

His biggest goal is to win the championship and become a player who is considered strong by anyone. Will he do that by becoming World Champion in the ePremier12?

Ben Zen (from Mexico, playing as Mexico)

Ben Zen is a relative newcomer to the POWER PROS series, having heard about the game in 2023, but his meteoric rise in the western community of the series culminated with a dramatic victory over reigning United States champion and World Finals participant yg in the finals of Group A of the ePremier12 back in October.

That win has been part of an undefeated run in in-person competition he has been making as well, dating back to the ePremier12 Mexico Finals, where he defeated fellow countryman El Snake in a 2-0 series sweep to punch his ticket to the ePremier12 in September. He then went 3-0 in Group A play.

With the second-lowest winning percentage (71%) of all four participants, Ben Zen may be seen as an underdog in this competition. Will he defy the odds and become World Champion?

Dashu (from Chinese Taipei, playing as Panama)

At the age of 40, Dashu is the oldest player left in the ePremier12, and the lone player from the Chinese Taipei POWER PROS community still left in the tournament.

Dashu made it into the ePremier12 as the final wild card, finishing third place in the ePremier12 Chinese Taipei Finals in September. He made the most of his second opportunity, going undefeated in Group A play in October, including a mercy-rule win over Jon'sCopyright in the finals to make it to the Super Round.

Dashu’s experience with POWER PROS dates back to his teenage years, and got stronger around 2010, where he finished in first place in a local Power Pros league in his home country. He considers his biggest strength to be his power hitting, but can also be a bit of a slow starter at times.

Will Dashu prove that age is just a number and take home the title of World Champion in the ePremier12?

The Super Round competition begins at 15:00 local time on November 21. The top two move to compete for the Title of World Champion at the Tokyo Dome starting at 18:00 on 23 November, while on the same day the other two move to play at the third-placed game starting at 17:00.

On Nov-23:

• 16:30 - Opening Ceremony with the WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari and a special guest on the Field of Play in Tokyo Dome
• 17:00 - Third Place Game
• 18:05 - Championship Game
• 18:35 - Award Ceremony with the WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari and a special guest on the Field of Play in Tokyo Dome