TEAM: Australia, Group B #2
WON: Canada, Germany, Korea, Netherlands, Thailand, Venezuela
LOST: Cuba

LOWDOWN: The Aussies have the tournament’s hottest hitter – centerfielder Trent Oeltjen who is hitting .600 (18-for-30) – and are banging .343 as a group. Luke Hughes .400 (10-for-25), Justin Huber .367 (11-for-30), and Brad Harman .357 (10-for-28) have also been swing the bat well. Australian pitchers will enter the quarter-finals with a 2.43 ERA with Adam (1.35) and Travis (1.69) Blackley, both left-handers, leading the way. Scott Mitchinson (2.35) and another lefty, Brad Thomas (2.70), have also delivered solid innings for the Aussies.

OUTLOOK: Japan will not lay down so Australia must focus on bumping off the Japanese before eyeing a rematch with the Cubans. Australia has looked awful good to this point of the tourney but escaped with close calls against both the Netherlands and Canada. The Aussies usually chunk the ball pretty good so hitting will be the key to turning back the upset-minded Japan squad.

TEAM: Japan, Group A #3
WON: Italy, Mexico, Panama, South Africa, Spain,
LOST: Taiwan, Team USA

LOWDOWN: Yasuyuki Saigo .500 (8-for-16), Hisayoshi Chono .455 (10-for-22), and Kenichi Yokoyama .381 (8-for-21) are the top hitters for a unit that is batting a collective .302. Japanese hurlers have posted an outstanding 3.00 ERA with Tadashi Settsu (2-0, 0.56) and Takashi Saito (1-0, 1.86) being the top options.

OUTLOOK: Japan was 0-2 against the only two teams comparable to the Australians which does not bode well. Anything less than a nailbiting contest and the Japanese do not stand a chance. Thus, the name of the game will be to stay close until the late innings and then try to steal a victory.

PREDICTION: The Aussies should win this matchup but this is baseball and a Japanese win would only be surprising – not shocking. Japan needs another stellar outing from their starting pitcher if it is to have any chance to upset Australia. But low or high scoring game – smart money is on the Aussies.

Tags: World Cup