MATSUYAMA, JAPAN – The 43rd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series started Tuesday night with Japan shutting out the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, 3-0, at Botchan Stadium. Japan opened a 1-0 lead in the five-game series.
“(Japan) did a great job on the mound,” said manager Dan McDonnell (Louisville). “They pitched to both sides of the plate and kept our hitters off balanced. Credit to their pitching staff.”
The Collegiate National Team (6-4) was shut out for the first time this summer. Team USA had four hits and struck out 18 times, including nine punchouts by Japan ace Masato Morishita over five innings.
“We’ll play better tomorrow night,” said McDonnell.
Key Moments
• Japan started the scoring in the first inning with an RBI single by No. 3-hole hitter Shugo Maki.
• USA starter Max Meyer (Minnesota) made an error on a bunt in the third inning to plate Japan’s second run.
• Heston Kjerstad (Arkansas) tripled to start the seventh inning, but was stranded after three straight strikeouts.
• Japan’s Takashi Umino singled through the left side with two outs in the seventh inning to make it 3-0.
Notable Information
• Overall series: USA leads, 24-18
• Series in Japan: Japan leads, 17-3
• Team USA has lost 15 straight series in Japan dating back 40 years.
• Team USA lost its last series in Japan, 3-2, including a 5-4 loss in 10 innings in the deciding Game 5 on July 17, 2016 at Kusanagi Stadium in Shizuoka.
• All-Star series games: Collegiate National Team leads, 131-105-2
• Overall games: Collegiate National Team leads, 154-124-2
• The last four series (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018) have all finished 3-2. Japan won in 2013 and 2016 in Japan, while the Collegiate National Team won in 2017 and 2018 in the United States.
• Team USA has won two straight series vs. Japan, a 3-2 win in 2017 throughout the Northeast United States and a 3-2 win in 2018 in North Carolina and Georgia.
• The longest series winning streak in the series is five by Team USA from 1973-77.
On Deck
• July 17 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Imabari City, Japan; Imabari Municipal Baseball Stadium)
• July 18 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Iwakuni, Japan; Kizuna Stadium)
• July 20 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Kooriyama, Japan; Kaiseizan Stadium)
• July 21 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Tokyo, Japan; Meiji Jingu Stadium)
