Madonna Japan veteran Iori Miura, now on the Hanshin Tigers Women's Team roster, was invited to perform a ceremonial first pitch at Koshien Stadium to celebrate Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Samurai Japan Day.
Miura told reporters that she felt very nervous, and she even slipped on the mound so that she couldn't throw a strike. "It was embarrassing, but I still enjoyed it".
Miura, a 31-year-old left-handed centre fielder, helped Japan win the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018.
She was on the team that won the Women's Baseball Asia Cup, and, despite going 7-for-11, a .636 batting average, and winning the batting title, she believes she could "have done more."
"Miwa Naraoka and Yuki Kawabata, who hit before and after me in the order, gave the team their best effort. I just tried to keep the streak going. What I mean is that I could have been better in the clutch."
Miura feels her responsibility as an experienced member of the team. "When I first joined the National Team, the older players were powerful, so I could relax and play. It's my time to be solid to help the younger players."
World No. 1 Japan, a six-time defending World Champion, looks like the favourite in the IX Women's Baseball World Cup Group B. They will face on home soil in Miyoshi City (13-18 September) No. 2 Chinese Taipei, No. 5 Venezuela, No. 7 Cuba, No. 9 Puerto Rico and No. 16 France.
"You can't put your guard down. We went undefeated in the 2018 World Cup, but I remember the game against Cuba. We fell down 1-0 in the fifth and it was scary. Fortunately, we stayed in the game and in the end came back to win it."
Miura herself batted in three runs in the 4-1 win.
Miura offered her opinion on the new two-stage format of the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup. "More and more girls are playing baseball in Japan. Such a great event will help create a better environment for them. And I believe more people will be interested in women's baseball and support the sport."
Group B's top two finishers will face Group A's first and second-place teams and two Wild Cards in the World Championship stage. Thunder Bay, Canada, will host Group A from 8 to 13 August and the second stage in the summer of 2024.
