Australia and Japan to meet in World Championship Final; Mexico, New Zealand to play for bronze

With the Super Round complete, the medal games of the WBSC U-23 Men's Softball World Cup are set for Sunday at 20 de Enero Stadium in Sincelejo. Australia and Japan will face off in the World Championship Final at 16:00, following the bronze medal game between Mexico and New Zealand at 12:00.

Australia, who had already secured first place in the Super Round standings on Friday, completed a perfect round with a 6-5 win over Czechia.

Japan booked their place in the final with a 2-1 victory over Mexico, finishing second in the Super Round with a 4-1 record.

In the other Super Round game, New Zealand defeated Venezuela 3-1 in eight innings to clinch third place. The result sent Mexico to the bronze medal game, while Venezuela finished fifth.

Japan vs Australia for the world title

This marks the second consecutive WBSC U-23 Men’s Softball World Cup final between the two nations, following their meeting in Parana 2023, where Australia claimed the title with a 1-0 win.

Four players from that game are competing in Sincelejo. Hitto Nagayoshi and Koki Yagi started for Japan in 2023, while Jack Besgrove and Haydan Dobe return for Australia.

Australia enter the final on a 10-game winning streak, dating back to their last two games in 2023 and their first eight in Sincelejo, and hold a 15-2 overall record in the competition. Japan, meanwhile, are 13-4 overall.

The two teams have met three times across the two editions. Japan won 8-1 in the 2023 Super Round, while Australia took the final 1-0. In Sincelejo, Australia edged Japan 6-5 in nine innings in a Super Round thriller.

Mexico vs New Zealand for bronze

Mexico will return to the bronze medal game for the second consecutive edition. In 2023, they finished fourth after a 10-1 loss to Argentina.

David Diaz and Manuel Zepeda remain from that squad and will look to reach the podium this time.

New Zealand, meanwhile, will make their first appearance in a medal game after finishing sixth in Parana. Tane Mumu is the only returning player from that team.

The two sides have split their previous meetings in the event, both in the Super Round. Mexico won 5-4 in 2023, while New Zealand claimed a 10-1 victory in Sincelejo.

Mexico hold an 11-6 all-time record in the tournament, while New Zealand are 10-6.

Final standings

5. Venezuela
6. Czechia
7. Argentina
8. Canada
9. Denmark
10. Colombia
11. Singapore
12. South Africa