WBC: Japan Finishes 8th, Worst Ever; Head Coach Iba Resigns
Japan's national baseball team (Samurai Japan) was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), marking their worst performance. Head coach Iba Kazuhisa has resigned, taking responsibility for the team's failure to advance.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 20, 2026 at 17:55
- 🔍 Collected: April 20, 2026 at 18:01 (6 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 18:38 (36 min after Collected)
(Central News Agency Reporter Dai Yazhen, Tokyo, April 20th) The "Samurai Japan" national team of Japan was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), marking their worst performance to date. NPB Enterprise officially announced today that head coach Iba Kazuhisa's resignation has been accepted, as he takes responsibility for failing to lead the team to advance.
According to a report by Japanese media Full-Count, the Japanese team won all four preliminary matches in the Tokyo Dome with a perfect record, advancing as the Group C winner. However, after moving to Miami, USA, they were reversed and defeated by Venezuela in the quarterfinal match. In the sixth inning, with Japan holding a one-run lead, pitcher Kaito Omata gave up a three-run homer, losing the advantage. The lineup was completely silent from the fourth inning onwards. Ultimately, the game ended after Shohei Ohtani's fly ball was caught, marking their exit from the tournament and preventing them from advancing to the final four.
This year's Japanese team boasted a star-studded lineup, including Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Seiya Suzuki, with a total of eight Major League Baseball players participating, the most in history. They were originally favored to challenge for back-to-back championships, but ultimately only reached the quarterfinals, their worst result to date.
In a statement, Iba said: "Failing to achieve the desired results in the WBC has disappointed everyone, but the players fought their hardest against formidable opponents. Not being able to lead the team to victory is my responsibility. Although I will step down, there are still future international competitions such as the Premier12, Olympics, and WBC, and I hope Samurai Japan will continue to challenge and strive for the development of Japanese baseball."
Iba took the helm in October 2023 and led the team to win the Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) in the same year. In the 2024 Premier12 tournament, they lost to Taiwan and finished as runner-up. For this WBC, the Japanese team was initially expected to continue the momentum from their 2023 championship victory, but ultimately failed to achieve their goal, bringing Iba's tenure to an end. (Editor: Xie Yixuan) 1150420
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According to a report by Japanese media Full-Count, the Japanese team won all four preliminary matches in the Tokyo Dome with a perfect record, advancing as the Group C winner. However, after moving to Miami, USA, they were reversed and defeated by Venezuela in the quarterfinal match. In the sixth inning, with Japan holding a one-run lead, pitcher Kaito Omata gave up a three-run homer, losing the advantage. The lineup was completely silent from the fourth inning onwards. Ultimately, the game ended after Shohei Ohtani's fly ball was caught, marking their exit from the tournament and preventing them from advancing to the final four.
This year's Japanese team boasted a star-studded lineup, including Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Seiya Suzuki, with a total of eight Major League Baseball players participating, the most in history. They were originally favored to challenge for back-to-back championships, but ultimately only reached the quarterfinals, their worst result to date.
In a statement, Iba said: "Failing to achieve the desired results in the WBC has disappointed everyone, but the players fought their hardest against formidable opponents. Not being able to lead the team to victory is my responsibility. Although I will step down, there are still future international competitions such as the Premier12, Olympics, and WBC, and I hope Samurai Japan will continue to challenge and strive for the development of Japanese baseball."
Iba took the helm in October 2023 and led the team to win the Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) in the same year. In the 2024 Premier12 tournament, they lost to Taiwan and finished as runner-up. For this WBC, the Japanese team was initially expected to continue the momentum from their 2023 championship victory, but ultimately failed to achieve their goal, bringing Iba's tenure to an end. (Editor: Xie Yixuan) 1150420
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The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, broadcast, transmitted, or used without authorization.
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