Bazzana, top pick in '24 Draft, makes Australian national team debut against Japan

Just 22 years old and Travis Bazzana already has a lifetime's worth of accomplishments: He was the MVP of the Cape Cod League in 2023 and was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year for his performance with Oregon State last year. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the Draft by the Guardians -- becoming the first Australian player to be selected in the first round. He even captained his high school's cricket team.

On Wednesday night in Nagoya, Japan, Bazzana fulfilled another dream: He made his debut with the senior national team. While playing for the U-18 squad in 2019, he made a note in his phone, projecting himself to be the leadoff hitter and second baseman for the national team at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Instead, he found himself leading off a little earlier, this time in the Premier12 tournament, which pits the top-12 ranked baseball nations against one another. (Another difference from this dream: He was playing left field, not the keystone.)

Coming to bat in the top of the first against Samurai Japan southpaw Haruto Inoue, Bazzana worked the count full before fisting a bloop single into the outfield. MLB Pipeline's No. 12 overall prospect was on the board.

“You have to attack a pitcher like that in the right spots in the zone," Bazzana said after the game. "I was just trying to get the ball in the middle on the inner-half. If I am on time to that, I have a good chance to get line drives and get hits.”

Bazzana picked up a second hit in the top of the sixth, lining a ball to right-field and knocking Inoue out of the game. Bazzana would come around to score when Twins prospect Rixon Wingrove blasted a two-run shot. Despite the multihit game from the team's new superstar, Australia lost the game, 9-3, to Japan.

"It’s a team game," Bazzana said afterward. "Two hits was good in this environment, but it’s disappointing the way we played, so it only means so much."

A consummate competitor with high expectations from himself, Bazzana wasn't even pleased with his own performance.

"I think my approach was consistent for how I wanted to attack the pitching. There was quality pitching throughout the game, but I had a plan and it worked out for two at-bats but the other two I missed two pitches to hit," Bazzana said.

“I think we need to learn what we did poorly tonight, but not take it into the next game. Play with confidence. Trust the players next to us. But we have to play with confidence and not let this game lower our expectations of winning. Refresh, learn from mistakes, but play with great confidence.”

Thank you to Eric Balnar for reporting assistance.